Exhibits

Looking at Animals

March 13 – May 16, 2010

The snout of a pig. The streaming tentacles of a jellyfish. The eye of a Komodo dragon. These are some of the intriguing images of animals featured in Looking at Animals, a collection of 24 photographs taken by noted photographer Henry Horenstein. Abstract, haunting, and provocative, Horenstein’s photographs invite the observer to take a closer, more intimate look at animals, and examine details they haven't noticed before.
(more about Looking at Animals)

All photographs copyright by Henry Horenstein. Exhibition organized by Harvard Museum of Natural History. This show is managed by art2art Circulating Exhibitions.

Art of Science

Art of Science features changing displays of works of art that explore the interplay between science and art. The current show features botanical ink prints by Thomas Horsfield (1773–1859).
(more about The Art of Science)

Library Treasures: Illuminations of Nature
200 Years of Printmaking Techniques

Illuminations of Nature showcases many of the books and the printmaking techniques (including nature printing, engraving, etching, lithography, cyanotypes, and heliotypes) employed during the golden age of American natural history publication.
(more about Library Treasures)

Future Exhibits

• Looking at Animals (March 13 – May 16, 2010)
• Creatures of the Abyss (June 5 – September 6, 2010)
• Cruzin’ the Fossil Highway (October 23, 2010 – January 2, 2011)
• Bizarre Beast Past and Present (January 29 – April 23, 2011)

(more about Future Exhibits)

Butterflies!

Live butterflies from Central and South America, East Africa, and Southeast Asia inhabit our tropical garden.
(more about Butterflies!)

Dinosaur Hall

More than 30 dinosaurs and other Mesozoic reptiles are represented in Dinosaur Hall. In addition, budding dinosaur hunters can search for fossils in The Big Dig or meet with fossil preparators in the Fossil Prep Lab.
(more about Dinosaur Hall)

Dioramas

More than 35 dioramas present wildlife from Africa, Asia, and North America.
(more about the dioramas)

Live Animal Center

More than 100 live animals are used for educational programs, museum presentations, and special events. See where they live when they're not working.
(more about the Live Animal Center)

Outside In

Our indoor Nature Museum for Children features hands-on activities and close encounters with live animals.
(more about Outside In)

More Exhibits

See Captain Cook's Cannon, Egyptian Mummies, Marveling at Mollusks, Robert Peary's flag, Science at the Academy, and What Eats What.
(more about More Exhibits.)

Digital Collections

Digital Collections features natural history illustrations and archival materials from the collections of the Academy's Library.
(See the Digital Collections Online Exhibit.)

Joseph Leidy

This extensive online exhibit presents the life and works of Joseph Leidy, an influential 19th Century paleontologist, anatomist, microscopist, and teacher.
(See the Joseph Leidy Online Exhibit.)

Know Your Environment

Short publications on environmental issues are presented in Know Your Environment.
(See Know Your Environment.)

Thomas Jefferson Fossil Collection

Charles Willson Peale's “Mammoth,” Cuvier's “Revolutions,” Buffon's “American Degeneracy,” Jefferson's “Giant Claw,” and Big Bone Lick are parts of the story behind our third president's fossil collection.
(See the Thomas Jefferson Fossil Collection Online Exhibit.)