• Ahoy! Historic Cutty Sark clipper ship set to open after restoration

    Leon Neal / AFP - Getty Images

    General view of the newly-restored "Cutty Sark" tea clipper in Greenwich, east London on April 24. The clipper was closed to the public in 2006 ahead of a major restoration project but suffered major damage during a fire in 2007. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is set to officially re-open the Cutty Sark on April 25.

    Leon Neal / AFP - Getty Images

    Rigging crews look towards the mast as they work on the newly-restored "Cutty Sark" tea clipper in Greenwich, east London on April 24. The clipper was closed to the public in 2006 ahead of a major restoration project but suffered major damage during a fire in 2007. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is set to officially re-open the Cutty Sark on April 25.

    Hulton Archive via Getty Images

    This 1914 photo of the 212 foot long Cutty Sark clipper ship which was launched in taken in 1869 from Dumbarton, Scotland.

    Dan Kitwood / Getty Images

    A general view of the figurehead on the newly refurbished Cutty Sark on April 24, in London, England. The restored Cuttty Sark, a 19th century tea clipper, is due to reopen to the public on April 26, after an extensive restoration which was severly hampered buy fire back in May 2007 at a cost of more than GBP 50 million.

    Oli Scarff / Getty Images

    Conservators work to restore the Cutty Sark on April 4, 2012 in London, England. The restored vessel will include the largest collection of merchant navy figureheads in the world and features the Cutty Sark's own original figurehead 'Nannie'. The Cuttty Sark, a 19th century tea clipper, is due to reopen to the public on April 26, 2012 after an extensive restoration following a severe fire in 2007.

     Heading to London this summer? Here are five free way to see the city.

     

  • Hole blasted in Condit Dam to restore endangered fish habitat

    No doubt conservation groups and recreation enthusiasts are celebrating the removal of these antiquated dams.

    AP and KGW report:

    VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Crews on Wednesday blasted a hole in a nearly century-old hydropower dam in Washington's south Cascades, marking another step in efforts to restore habitat for threatened and endangered fish in the Pacific Northwest.

    The more than 12-story Condit Dam on the White Salmon River is the second-tallest dam to be demolished in U.S. history. Its two turbines produce about 14 megawatts of power, enough for 7,000 homes, but its owner, Portland-based utility PacifiCorp, elected to remove the dam rather than install cost-prohibitive fish passage structures that would have been required for relicensing.

     

    Full story.

    PacifiCorp via AP

    A hole is breached in the century-old Condit Dam on the White Salmon River near White Salmon, Wash. Wednesday, Oct. 26. The 12-story dam is the second-tallest dam in U.S. history to be breached for fish passage, according to the advocacy group American Rivers.

    Troy Wayrynen / The Columbian via AP

    Attendees rejoice while watching a live video feed of the breaching of Condit Dam at Freeing the White Salmon River Celebration Wednesday October 26 in Husum, Washington. The celebration was part of events scheduled for the breaching of Condit Dam.

    Steven Lane / The Columbian via AP

    Davis Washines, Inter Tribal Fisheries Enforcement, is overcome by emotion as he watches a live video feed of the breaching of Condit Dam at an invite only event near the dam, Wednesday, Oct. 26 in White Salmon, Wash.

    Steven Lane / The Columbian via AP

    The White Salmon River cuts its new course through the sediment of Northwestern Lake after the breaching of Condit Dam, Wednesday, Oct. 26 near White Salmon, Wash.

    Troy Wayrynen / The Columbian via AP

    From left, Giani Benevento, Jonathan Blum, both Wet Planet river guides, and Temira Wagonfeld, dress up as salmon at the Freeing the White Salmon River Celebration Wednesday Oct. 26 in Husum, Wash. The celebration was part of events scheduled for the breaching of Condit Dam.

     

     

     

  • Six years and $700 million later, the Bolshoi Theater is set to open

    Maxim Shipenkov / EPA

    A view of the main hall of the renovated Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia, Oct. 8 The reconstruction and restoration works of the Bolshoi Theatre took six years; the Grand Opening is scheduled for Oct. 28.

    Anton Golubev / Reuters

    The foyer of Moscow's Bolshoi theatre Oct. 24.

    Maxim Shipenkov / EPA

    The main hall of the renovated Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Oct.8.

    Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP - Getty Images

    The so-called 'Czar's Box' in the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, on Oct. 8. The restored Moscow landmark built in the 1820s is due to reopen on October 28.

    Anton Golubev / Reuters

    Visitors walk in the newly refurbished foyer of Moscow's Bolshoi theatre Oct. 24. Moscow's historic theatre is set to reopen with a gala performance on Friday after six years of closure for renovation.

    Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP - Getty Images

    People take photos in front of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, on Sep. 27.

    By Phaedra Singelis, NBC News

    I went to this theater once before the refurbishing and I thought it was beautiful then. I can't imagine how exciting it must be for Moscow residents to see this wonderful place restored and reopened after such a long time. The theater, home of the famous Bolshoi Ballet, has survived three fires,  bombing during WWII and at one time was set over an underground river. Full story.

    More facts about the theater.

  • Cleaning artwork at the Old Masters Picture Gallery

    Jens Meyer / AP

    The backside of Giorgione´s "Sleeping Venus" is vacuumed at the Old Masters Picture Gallery in Dresden, Germany, on Wednesday, Jan. 19. After an extensive cleaning, the museum will re-open to the public on Jan. 22.

    Matthias Hiekel / AFP - Getty Images

    Experts clean a picture frame at the Old Masters Picture Gallery on Wednesday.

    Jens Meyer / AP

    Raphael´s "Sistine Madonna" is cleaned in Dresden, Germany on Wednesday, Jan. 19.

    By Jonathan Woods, msnbc.com

    Intriguingly, while browsing for more information on the gallery, we learned all the rooms of the museum have been reconstructed true to scale on the "Dresden Gallery Island" in Second Life, and all 750 masterpieces in the permanent exhibition are on display.