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Exploring Science and Nature around the Country
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Find your state:
AZ, CA, CO,
CT, FL, GA,
HI, IL, MA,
MS, MO, NM,
NY, NC, OH,
PA, TX, VA,
WA, WI
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ARIZONA
Mesa
Arizona Museum of Natural History
Ongoing: “Wired for Thought: The Developing Brain”
What does current research tell us about how the brain grows and changes over time? This exhibition explains what science has discovered about the brain in early childhood, teen years, and adulthood. Visitors can perform activities based on scientific experiments that study how the brain changes and adapts in response to biological and environmental conditions, including substance use and abuse.
53 North Macdonald
480-644-2230
www.azmnh.org
Phoenix
Arizona Science Center
Through May 4:” “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition”
A felt bowler hat, cut crystal decanters, wine bottles, playing cards, and more than 250 other artifacts recovered from Titanic’s final resting place help tell the story of the ship and its tragic end nearly 100 years ago. The exhibition also highlights the science and technology of recovering and preserving the objects, which were found in varying states of disintegration, and encrusted with salt and bacteria, at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
600 East Washington Street
602-716-2000
www.azscience.org 
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Inside the T. rex Lab
Images courtesy of Hodgetts & Fung Design and Architecture |
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CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Ongoing: “Thomas the T. rex Lab”
Watch the museum's paleontologists work on preparing and assembling the fossil skeleton of a young-adult Tyrannosaurus rex, nicknamed “Thomas.” The 66-million-year-old fossil components, excavated from a Montana site three to five years ago, appear to be two-thirds complete—and visitors can observe the daily progress as researchers explore the nature of the injuries and diseases this specimen might have suffered and try to determine its sex. When fully assembled, the teenaged Thomas will take up residence, alongside others of its species, in the museum's new T. rex growth series display, scheduled to open in a new Dinosaur Hall in 2011.
Exposition Park
900 Exposition Boulevard
213-763-DINO
www.nhm.org
San Diego
San Diego Natural History Museum
Ongoing: “Fossil Mysteries”
Dioramas, fossils, models, murals, and plenty of hands-on activities tell the changing story of the bioregion encompassing southern California and Baja California in this exhibition spanning 75 million years of history. Examine fossil clues—just as scientists do—to answer questions about plants and animals (including dinosaurs), changing environments, evolution, extinction, and more.
Balboa Park
1788 El Prado
619-232-3821
www.sdnhm.org
COLORADO
Denver
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Ongoing: “Space Odyssey”
The Museum's newest permanent exhibition hall features 21st-century, interactive learning technology that immerses visitors in the planets, stars, nebulae, and galaxies of our universe. Experiment with the infrared technology scientists use to see distant objects; try docking a space shuttle at the International Space Station; explore the 15,000-foot cliffs of Mars; and much more. The adjacent planetarium boasts digital technology that may be “light-years” beyond the usual planetarium experience.
2001 Colorado Boulevard
800-925-2250
www.dmns.org
CONNECTICUT
New Haven
Peabody Museum of Natural History
Through February 22: “Jungles: Photographs by Frans Lanting”
Forty-five photographs from jungles around the world document the often-hidden worlds within the lush tropical vegetation. Photographer Frans Lanting's images examine water and light, color and camouflage, anarchy and order, and form and evolutions—including a convention of rainbow macaws, an orangutan's commute, the giant foul-smelling Rafflesia flowers of Borneo, a blue-eyed toucan, and an inquisitive aye-aye.
Yale University
170 Whitney Avenue
203-432-5050
www.peabody.yale.edu
A queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus) searches for nectar in the “Butterfly Rainforest” exhibition, now at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville. Weather permitting, visitors can see live butterfly releases in the exhibition on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m.
Photo: Florida Museum of Natural History |
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FLORIDA
Gainesville
Florida Museum of Natural History
Ongoing: “Butterfly Rainforest”
Nearly seven stories tall, this “living exhibition” is filled with more than 50 species of exotic, free-flying butterflies, subtropical and tropical plants and trees, and waterfalls. The rainforest is part of the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, the world's largest research facility devoted to the study of butterflies, moths, and their environments. Visitors can also see the nursery where some new butterflies are raised and the laboratories where scientists engage in research projects and the conservation and captive propagation of endangered species.
University of Florida
Cultural Plaza
SW 34th Street and Hull Road
352-846-2000
www.flmnh.ufl.edu
Tampa
Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI)
Ongoing: “The Back Woods”
Behind the museum, beautiful nature trails wind through a variety of habitats, including pine flatwoods, turkey oak sandhills, oak hammocks, and wetlands. As you wander the trails, be on the lookout for gopher tortoises (which roam freely but somewhat slowly), check out the “sinkhole,” and visit a Seminole thatched-roof shelter, called a chickee.
4801 East Fowler Avenue
813-987-6100
www.mosi.org
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Try sliding like a penguin in the Antarctic section of the “Ends of the Earth” exhibition, now at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta, Georgia.
Photo by Science North |
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GEORGIA
Atlanta
Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Through January 2: “Ends of the Earth: From Polar Bears to Penguins”
Discover the animal adaptations, human adaptations, and science that are unique to Earth's polar regions in this new exhibition. Compare bear skulls and find out what scientists are discovering about the status of polar bears. Discover the stories of polar explorers who braved the cold. Examine real specimens to learn which Arctic whale has a tusk and which Arctic animal has the most hair. If you're feeling adventurous, don a penguin suit and try walking and sliding like a penguin.
767 Clifton Road NE
404-929-6300
www.fernbankmuseum.org
HAWAI’I
Honolulu
Bishop Museum
Through September 21: “Whales: Wonders of the Ocean”
Spanning more than 50 million years, this exhibition explores the mammals’ ancient history as land animals, subsequent adaptations, and modern behaviors including swimming, feeding, reproduction, respiration, and vocalization. See lifelike, full-size robotic models move the way that real whales do; hear a whale’s heartbeat; discover how to identify the animals by their markings, fins, and tails; and much more.
1525 Bernice Street
808-847-3511
www.bishopmuseum.org
ILLINOIS
Chicago
The Field Museum
Through September 1: “Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids”
For thousands of years, people have recorded tales about fantastic creatures that populate the air, land, and sea. This new exhibition explores the legends of Bigfoot, griffins, sea monsters, and other fabled creatures from around the world—and explains their likely origins as repositories for human hopes and fears.
1400 South Lake Shore Drive
312-922-9410
www.fieldmuseum.org
Chicago
The Notebaert Nature Museum
Through April 27: “Wild Music: Sounds & Songs of Life.”
Exploring evidence that points toward a biological basis for music, this exhibition documents commonalities among the “songs” and “instruments” of birds, spiders, whales, people, and other living things. Interactive exhibits let visitors sample sounds from the forest to the ocean, explore the musical instruments and traditions of many human societies, experiment with vocalizations in a bioacoustics lab, and much more.
2430 North Cannon Drive
773-755-5100
www. naturemuseum.org
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Porpita mediterranea, a sea jelly, crafted from glass by master artisans in 19th-century Germany and long tucked away in Harvard University’s storage areas, is now a memorable highlight of the “Sea Creatures in Glass” exhibition at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, Mass.
Photo: Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology |
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MASSACHUSETTS
Cambridge
Harvard Museum of Natural History
Through January 4: “Sea Creatures in Glass”
Anemones, jellyfish, sea slugs (nudibranchs), squid, and dozens of other marine invertebrates are on dazzling display in this new exhibition—all sculpted in glass with anatomical precision more than 130 years ago, and many on public display for the very first time. The colorful show also includes an informative video about glass artistry, real animal specimens, and a recreation of the 19th-century glassblowing studio of father-and-son artists Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka, who created the creatures as teaching tools, since soft-bodied organisms can be difficult to preserve and display.
26 Oxford Street
617-495-3045
www.hmnh.harvard.edu
MISSISSIPPI
Jackson
Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
Through December 30: “Hunters of the Sky”
This exhibition takes a close look at birds of prey—including eagles, falcons, hawks, owls, and vultures—and the environmental issues that may endanger their survival. The show also illuminates the role raptors have played in art, folklore, literature, and religions throughout the world.
2148 Riverside Drive
601-354-7303
www.msnaturalscience.org
MISSOURI
Saint Louis
Saint Louis Science Center
Ongoing: “Ecology & Environment”
See a T. rex prepare to take down its dinner, an unlucky triceratops; feel the Earth move beneath your feet; examine 65-million-year-old fossils; visit an urban forest; and much more in this comprehensive exhibition that explores the relationships of living things with one another and with the places they inhabit.
5050 Oakland Avenue
800-456-SLSC
www.slsc.org
Altair 8800, one of the earliest personal computers, is part of the “Startup” exhibition at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science in Albuquerque, documenting the city’s roots in the development of the microcomputer industry.
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science |
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NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
Ongoing: “Startup: Albuquerque and the Personal Computer Revolution”
Historical artifacts, interactive exhibits, and videos in this new permanent exhibition explain how microcomputers developed—and how they transformed society. From early electronic computer toys such as Hasbro’s Think-A-Tron, through an early personal computer (the Altair 8800), to today’s advanced hardware and software, the show traces the PC industry’s Albuquerque roots and subsequent growth. Additional galleries celebrate the innovative spirit of young 1970s programmers and invite visitors to speculate about the future of personal computers.
1801 Mountain Road NW
505-841-2800
www.nmnaturalhistory.org
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Thoroughbred horse featured in an interactive exhibit that lets visitors discover how horses are classified into different breeds, part of the “Horse” exhibition now at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City
American Museum of Natural History/ R. Mickens |
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NEW YORK
Buffalo
Buffalo Museum of Science
Ongoing: “Whem Ankh: The Cycle of Life in Ancient Egypt”
Learn about daily life as it was lived on the banks of the lower Nile River 2,200 years ago. Meet the mummies of Nes-hor and Nes-min, who were priests of the Egyptian fertility god Min. Find out how different life was then and, yet, in important ways, how similar it is to our own lives today.
1020 Humboldt Parkway
716-896-5200
www.buffalomuseumofscience.org
New York City
American Museum of Natural History
Through January 4: “The Horse”
From the origins of the Equidae family more than 50 million years ago to today’s Triple Crown races, this exhibition's fossils, dioramas, cultural artifacts, and computer interactives document the magnificent animal's evolution and relationship to humans around the world. Highlights include artworks featuring horses, from the Paleolithic to the present; horse gear and armor from 15th-century Germany; a horse-drawn fire engine from the 19th century; and numerous displays examining how horses have changed agriculture, sports, trade, transportation, warfare, and many other aspects of human life.
Central Park West
at 79th Street
212-769-5100
www.amnh.org
Visitors get an up-close, in-depth look at the aquatic environments and inhabitants of New York State's Adirondack Park in the “Living River Trail” exhibition at The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, N.Y.
Photo: The Wild Center/Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks |
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Tupper Lake
The Wild Center, Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks
Ongoing: “Living River Trail”
Follow a river’s course from the mountains down to the marshlands and along the way discover bog, forest, and stream ecosystems. You’ll also find the plants and animals that live in these environments, including live river otters and rare brook trout species.
45 Museum Drive
518-359-7800
www.wildcenter.org
Get an up-close look at the black bears that live in the “Explore the Wild” outdoor exhibition at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, North Carolina.
Photo by Museum of Life and Science |
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NORTH CAROLINA
Durham
Museum of Life and Science
Ongoing: “Explore the Wild”
This new, six-acre woodland and wetland habitat is also a big outdoor science exhibition, where you can put yourself in the shoes of a wildlife biologist. Use zoomable and infrared cameras, microscopes, and computer kiosks to investigate the animals, plants, and tiny life-forms teeming in water; take a stroll down the boardwalk and look for animal tracks and wild birds; or visit the habitats of the exhibition’s black bears, endangered red wolves, and three lemur species.
433 West Murray Avenue
919-220-5429
www.ncmls.org
Raleigh
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
Through December 28: “Dead Sea Scrolls”
Telling the story of one of the 20th century’s greatest archaeological finds, this exhibition explores the history of the oldest known biblical manuscripts and related artifacts. On display are 12 original scrolls from the settlement of Qumran near the Dead Sea, representing portions of the books of Genesis, Isaiah, Deuteronomy, Exodus, and others, and graphic panels that translate and explain these ancient texts. The show also presents coins, pottery, and other historical objects from Qumran and a variety of exhibits that explain the science and technology behind the excavation, conservation, and modern interpretation of the scrolls.
11 West Jones Street
877-4NATSCI
www.naturalsciences.org
OHIO
Cincinnati
Cincinnati Museum Center
Through September 1: “Bodies”
Authentic, preserved human specimens provide a rare window to the inner workings of our bodies in this new exhibition that features more than 250 organ, partial-body, and full-body specimens. Visitors gain an understanding of the body's muscular, respiratory, skeletal, and other systems, and can also learn about common medical conditions—such as arthritis, colon cancer, lung cancer, and obesity—by examining their effects on the human body.
Union Terminal
1301 Western Avenue
800-733-2077
www.cincymuseum.org
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Portrait of the “father of modern genetics,” now on display in the “Gregor Mendel” exhibition at The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Mendel’s mid-19th-century research on heredity in pea plants was largely ignored by the scientific community until the early 20th century.
Photo: The Field Museum/Stepan Bartos |
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PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia
The Academy of Natural Sciences
Through September 28: “Gregor Mendel: Planting the Seeds of Genetics”
Featuring most of the surviving artifacts from Mendel’s life, this exhibition tells the story of his investigation into the way pea plants inherit physical traits, and how his theories influenced the modern field of genetics. In addition, interactive exhibits let visitors recreate some of his experiments, use DNA to determine where flamingos belong on a “family tree” of birds, and more.
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
215-299-1000
www.ansp.org
TEXAS
Fort Worth
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
Ongoing: “Seeing”
Take a close look at this exhibition, and discover how our eyes and brains work together—and what a subjective and interpretive process seeing really is. Find out if your friends and family see a particular color differently than you, try shooting baskets while wearing glasses that shift your field of vision, watch spinning objects seem to disappear before your eyes, and more.
1501 Montgomery Street
817-255-9300
www.fwmuseum.org
The “Leonardo da Vinci” exhibition at the Houston Museum of Natural Science explores the artist’s remarkable ability to master different subjects and fuse them together through observation, insight, and inspiration.
Photo by EMS Exhibits, Vienna |
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Houston
Houston Museum of Natural Science
Through September 14: “Leonardo da Vinci: Man, Inventor, Genius”
Dozens of custom-built wooden models—handcrafted in Italy from da Vinci’s drawings—help illuminate the life and work of the man who has come to epitomize the inquisitive spirit of the Renaissance era. Models, which visitors can touch, include a predecessor of today’s helicopter, a precursor to modern scuba-diving gear, an early design for a military tank, a gearshift similar to those now used in automobiles, and many other inventions in the fields of flight, hydraulics, military machinery, and mechanics.
One Hermann
Circle Drive
713-639-4629
www.hmns.org
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Museum staff prepare a Jefferson’s ground sloth model (nicknamed “Clawd”) for display near the “Uncovering Virginia” exhibition at the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville.
Virginia Museum of Natural History |
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VIRGINIA
Martinsville
Virginia Museum of Natural History
Ongoing: “Uncovering Virginia”
This new, permanent gallery tells the story of Virginia’s natural history over the course of the past 300 million years. Six exhibits focus on different geologic epochs, from the Permian to the Holocene, being studied by scientists in various locations around the commonwealth. Each exhibit describes the animals and plants that lived there in the past and features a laboratory-like environment where visitors can use the same tools scientists do to interpret fossils and archaeological items. See a tropical swamp from a time when Virginia was south of the equator, visit a site occupied by Native Americans both before and after Europeans arrived, and much more.
21 Starling Avenue
276-634-4141
www.vmnh.net
WASHINGTON
Seattle
Pacific Science Center
Ongoing: “Dinosaurs: A Journey through Time”
Step back into the Mesozoic Era, but don't be frightened by the moving, roaring dinosaurs—they're robotic! You can see the five-inch claw that made Deinonychus such a powerful predator, safely examine the menacing jaws of an Allosaurus, stand in the footprint of a giant duckbill dinosaur, touch a real dinosaur fossil bone, and much more.
200 Second Avenue North
206-443-2001
www.pacsci.org
WISCONSIN
Milwaukee
Milwaukee Public Museum
Ongoing: “Puelicher Butterfly Wing”
Stroll through an indoor tropical garden while native and exotic species“Body Worlds: The Original Exhibition of butterflies flutter around you; see young insects emerge from their chrysalides; and discover how artistic expression in other cultures and in other times has been inspired by the beauty and movement of butterflies.
800 West Wells Street
414-278-2702
www.mpm.edu
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See also Natural History Magazine’s Guide to Musuems and Institutions.
Copyright © Natural History Magazine, Inc., 2008
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Institutions marked with