More Exhibits
Captain Cook's Cannon
This cannon is one of several jettisoned from the H.M.B Endeavour by Captain James Cook and his crew when the ship ran aground in Australia's Great Barrier Reef on the night of June 10, 1770. Nearly 200 years later, several cannons and some other artifacts from the incident were discovered during an Academy expedition to collect fish in the reef.
This cannon was presented to the Academy by the Australian government and now resides on the Second Floor outside the Library.
Egyptian Mummies
The Academy's two mummies are inside a reconstructed Egyptian tomb, which incorporates some aspects of several styles of tombs built in ancient Egypt. One of the two mummies is a woman about 2200 years old and the other is a man who was a priest in Egypt about 2800 years ago. The bodies you see are real. More than 2500 years ago, these were living, moving, talking people. Their remains have been preserved through a drying process called "mummification".
The Egyptian mummies are located in African Hall on the Second Floor.
Living Downstream
We all live in a watershed but most people don't realize that their actions affect the quality of water, and the health of plants and animals, in that watershed. Visit this exhibit's website at www.urbanrivers.org to learn more.
Living Downstream is located on the Ground Floor and First Floor.
Marveling at Mollusks
This new exhibit showcases nearly a hundred specimens of clams, scallops, conches, cowries, land snails, chambered nautiluses and many other mollusks from the world-class scientific collections of the Academy's Malacology Department.
Marveling at Mollusks is located on the mezzanine above the main entrance.
Robert Peary's Greenland Flag
The Academy of Natural Sciences sponsored Robert E. Peary's 1891–1892 expedition to Greenland. It was a pivotal, career-building opportunity for Peary, giving him his first experience in the Arctic and preparing him as nothing else could have in his quest to reach the North Pole.
The Peary Flag, planted in the far north of Greenland on July 4, 1892, is a valued possession of the Academy's archives. It's now on display on the second floor, across from the Library.
Science at the Academy
Science at the Academy is an exhibit showcasing some of the world-class science conducted at the Academy. View videos, photos and specimens from our research involving birds, fish, fossils, insects, microscopic diatoms, mollusks and plants.
Science at the Academy is located in the Independence Foundation Gallery which is in front of the auditorium.