Hidden Treasures Revealed
Find out how bizarre fish, ancient plants, DNA evidence, and some of the world’s most advanced technologies are helping scientists understand the origin of life and its diversity—and furthering our efforts to sustain it.
This fall, enjoy unprecedented access to some of the Academy’s most unusual and prized biological specimens and artifacts. Special programs from October 1 to November 26 will bring to light world-class research collections that make scientific discovery possible. What have we found, what have we learned, and what can you and your family discover on your own explorations?
Junior Scientist Adventure
Daily
Become a scientist for a day by checking out a field science backpack filled with tools and activities to guide your exploration. Navigate the museum floor in search of hidden treasures and track your progress using your own field guide! Then, make your way to the Naturalist Center upstairs on Level 3 at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm daily for a scientific wrap-up, where you can share your discoveries with an Academy presenter. Questions and observations are strongly encouraged! Recommended for families with children ages eight and older.
Science backpacks available at coat check on a first-come, first-served basis.
Specimen Spotlight: Cabinets of Curiosity
Saturdays at 2:00 pm
Embark on a guided exploration of the Naturalist Center to uncover its many hidden treasures. Encounter the bizarre and beautiful—oddities like mutant frogs, brilliantly colored beetles, and ancient plants. Discover why scientific specimens are studied and treasured, and what they can tell us about the diversity of life on this planet.
Behind-the-Scenes Academy Tours
Daily at 11:00 am, 2:00 pm, and 3:30 pm
Discover unusual specimens in our fish collection and view breathtaking geology specimens in the Gem and Mineral vault. Visit a working laboratory and get closer to the living roof, exploring the Academy from an insider’s perspective. During this one-hour behind-the-scenes tour, you’ll have a view into the Academy’s rich 160-year history and discover a wealth of scientific treasures hidden behind the museum’s walls—treasures that are helping scientists tackle some of the most pressing questions we face today.
The cost of behind-the-scenes tours is additional to regular Academy admission.
Connect with a Scientist
Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 pm
Join us for surprising and entertaining conversations with Academy scientists as they share exciting details about their work and discoveries made around the world, including specimens and live animals housed within the Academy’s walls. Learn the tricks of their trade through dynamic demonstrations and ask the questions you’ve always wanted answers to.
Science Scavenger Hunt
Daily
Pick up a programming guide in the Lobby and navigate through the museum in search of hidden treasures. Along the way, discover and observe some of the Academy’s most fascinating artifacts and live animals. Then, complete the secret phrase and earn a special reward for your exploration!
Hubble’s Hidden Treasures
Saturdays and Sundays, beginning October 5
Find out what one of the most important space missions in history is telling us about our own tiny slice of the Universe—and beyond. Providing far more than just stunning images, the Hubble Space Telescope’s scientific contributions have been profound. And yet, this fascinating mission almost never happened. This live 15-minute program, hosted by our planetarium presenters in Hohfeld Hall, explores some of Hubble’s most important discoveries and explains how they’re helping us better understand our own origins and the great beyond.
Project Lab |
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See scientists at work and find out what they're discovering right here in the Project Lab.
Research Collections |
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Browse digital records of specimens housed in the Academy’s Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability.
