April 17, 2008 - Oct. 2008 (TBA)
First Floor, West Wing, Special Exhibit Gallery (near Mammals)
Black-and-white photographs of the Amazon River and adjacent regions -- including portraits of people, landscapes, and plants -- taken in the field in the 1940s by Dr. Richard Evans Schultes bring together natural history science and photographic art. Schultes was one of the most important ethnobotanists of the 20th century.
February 15, 2008 - New Permanent
2nd Floor, Southwest Wing, near Insect Zoo (Hall 30)
This exhibition shows how butterflies have evolved, adapted, and diversified with their plant partners over millions of years. Housed within this exhibition is be a special Butterfly Pavilion where visitors can walk among hundreds of live butterflies and pesticide-free plants to observe butterfly behaviors ranging from flying and sipping nectar at flowers to roosting and emerging from chrysalides. These butterflies will hatch from pupae raised on farms in Africa, Asia, and North and South America.
Note: To maintain an environment conducive for butterflies, the temperature inside the Pavilion will be 80-85 degrees with high humidity.
Note: On Sat., May 10, the Butterfly exhibition will open to the public at 12:15 PM due to a special event.
Butterfly Pavilion Ticketing:
To cover operating costs and for crowd control, timed tickets for admission will be required daily. Timed tickets for entry on Tuesdays are free; see below for details.
• First timed ticket entry at 10:15 AM; last timed ticket at 5 PM.
• On heavy visitation days, line forms within the exhibition.
• Free Tuesdays:
Free, timed, same-day tickets required for individuals and groups and are distributed beginning at 10 AM on the day of visit only at the special Box Office within the exhibition. There is no limit to the number of tickets requested, but only 40 tickets are distributed for each 15-minute time slot. There must be one adult for every 10 children or students.
• Individual tickets available as follows:
-- $6.00 Adults
-- $5.00 Youths (ages 2-12)
-- $5.50 Seniors (60+)
-- $5.00 Members: National, Resident, Contributing, Air and Space/Society members "in person" with valid membership card (limit 4 tickets per person)
-- $5.00 Add-an-IMAX Show (when purchasing a Butterfly ticket at full price)
• Group tickets available by phone only: 202-633-4629 (IMAX) or 1-877-932-4629 (IMAX) (toll-free) (10 AM-5 PM)
-- $5.00 Groups of 10 or more, no complimentary tickets
-- $4.50 Groups of 10 or more with advance reservations (1 complimentary ticket allowed per 20 paid)
• Payment Options:
Cash, personal checks with proper I.D., travelers checks, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Card, JCB, and VISA.
• Ticket Sales (Same Day and Advance):
Tickets can be purchased same day and up to 2 weeks in advance (except Tuesdays, see above) as follows:
-- In Person: At any Smithsonian IMAX Box Office and special Box Office within the exhibition
-- By Phone: Call 202-633-4629 (IMAX) or 1-877-932-4629 (IMAX) (toll-free) (10 AM-5 PM). A small handling fee applies.
-- By Web: At butterflies.si.edu/tickets. A small handling fee applies
• Pickup of Pre-Paid Tickets at Box Office:
Note: No tickets will be mailed, but can be picked up as follows:
-- Pre-paid tickets (same day or advance) for individuals or groups can be picked up at any Smithsonian IMAX Box Office or special Box Office within the exhibition
Free brochure (available TBA)
See Smithsonian magazine, Dec. 2007, "From the Secretary" (p. 28) and Feb. 2006 (p. 10)
Photography permitted
Wheelchairs permitted in Pavilion, but no strollers allowed
January 15, 2008 - May 30, 2008
Ground Floor, Constitution Ave. Lobby, East Side
The Hawaiian Islands were one of the last places on Earth to be settled by humans. The first people arrived on the islands between 1,300 and 1,000 years ago and brought major ecological changes: Forests were cleared for agriculture, and more recently, non-native species have been introduced, including the mongoose (which eats birds) and the mosquito (which carries avian malaria). These changes have led to the decline of Hawaiian native birds; at least 55 species have gone extinct since the arrival of humans. The Hawaiian honeycreepers exemplify this decline.
Objects on view include:
• a specimen of a Hawaiian honeycreeper, Kaua'i'Akialoa (Hemignathus procerus), last seen alive in the 1960s
• an image of examples of Hawaiian honeycreepers
• a book about Hawaiian birds from 1890-99
• a journal article about a newly identified extinct honeycreeper from 2003
• an image of museum scientist Helen James, Division of Birds
November 2, 2007 - November 7, 2008
1st Floor, Northeast Wing, African Voices Focus Gallery (Hall 7)
Featuring rare photographs, artifacts, and ephemera, this exhibition moves beyond the popular Jamaican music known as reggae to explore the origins and practice of the Rastafari religion in Jamaica and the movement's subsequent spread across the Caribbean and around the world.
Video footage featuring male and female Rastafari of different ages, nationalities, ethnicities, and socioeconomic classes highlights the unity of the movement. An overview of the three major "mansions" (organizations) reveals the diversity of Rastafari and the core of sacred practices that guide the daily lives of its practitioners.
October 30, 2007 - April 27, 2008
2nd floor, Northeast Wing, Special Exhibit Gallery (Hall 23)
On view are winners in 15 categories from the 2007 Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice Awards and winners in 9 categories from the National Wildlife Photography Awards. The awards honor the best amateur and professional nature photographers from around the world.
September 26, 2007 - April 20, 2008 (new closing date)
2nd Floor, Northwest Wing, Special Exhibit Gallery (Hall 25)
On view are approximately 150 color photographs of the religious festivals of 30 Indigenous communities from across Mexico taken by the Mexican-American photographer George O. Jackson de Llano between 1990 and 2001. These dramatic images illustrate the diversity of these festivals at the turn of the 21st century and the complex interplay of Indigenous and European cultural traditions expressed through them.
August 24, 2007 - TBA
Ground Floor, Constitution Ave. Lobby, East Side
Now extinct, the great auk (Pinguinus impennis), a flightless bird, once inhabited the shores of the North Atlantic by the millions. The wings of the great auk were specialized for "flying" underwater but not on land; to escape its enemies on land, it needed islands free from predators to nest. Humans probably began hunting the great auk on islands close to shore in prehistoric times, and as maritime technology improved, went to islands farther out to sea to hunt this bird for food, oil, feathers, and even fish bait. By 1800, most great auk colonies had been wiped out; the last known pair was killed by collectors in 1844.
Objects on view include:
• A specimen of the great auk collected in 1834 and an egg
• 2 journal articles on the great auk from 1893 and 2007
• A photo of Storrs L. Olson, the museum's senior zoologist and curator of birds.
June 8, 2007 - Indefinitely
2nd Floor, Center, North Corridor (Hall 24)
To celebrate the country's distinctive art, culture, and 2,000-year history, on view are some 85 objects, including Korean ceramics, wooden furniture, stone and wooden sculptures, paintings, and textiles.
November 15, 2003 - Permanent
1st Floor, West Wing, Mammals Hall (Halls 14, 15, & 16)
This hall explores the diversity of some 274 mammals and how they originated and adapted to changing landscapes and environments over the last 225 million years -- from polar to desert regions and from dry to humid environments. The exhibition addresses such questions as: What is a mammal? Why do some mammals live in groups while others live alone? How many kinds of mammals are there and what are their habitat preferences? How are mammals related? How and why do scientists study mammals? The exhibition also shares information about the unusual -- the oddest specimens (including egg-laying mammals), the rarest specimens (an okapi from Africa), and the oldest known mammal (Morganucadon) from 210 million years ago.
May 25, 2001 - Permanent
1st Floor, East Wing, Dinosaur Hall (Hall 2)
The museum's 65-million-year-old treasure has received a 21st-century face-lift. A more accurate, dynamic cast skeleton of Triceratops ("3-horned face" in Greek) is now posed in a face-off with his rival T. rex. More relatives of Triceratops have been added to reveal the evolution and diversity of this dinosaur group, the Ceratopsians. An interactive video station explains the conservation of the original fossil, the laser scanning used to create the 1st digital dinosaur, the computer-aided creation of the new mount, and the computer animation of the new skeleton.
December 15, 1999 - Permanent
1st Floor, Northeast Wing, African Cultures Hall (Hall 7)
This exhibition examines the diversity, dynamism, and global influence of Africa's peoples and cultures over time in the realms of family, work, community, and the natural environment. Included are historical and contemporary objects from the museum's collections, as well as commissioned sculptures, textiles, and pottery. Video interactives and sound stations provide selections from contemporary interviews, literature, proverbs, prayers, folk tales, songs, and oral epics.
November 19, 1999 - Permanent (Refurbished)
1st Floor, Kenneth E. Behring Family Rotunda & 2nd Floor Balcony
In an updated and refurbished diorama, the museum's African elephant is in a setting that re-creates the Angolan bush. Important ideas in botany, entomology, mineral sciences, and zoology, as well as information on the ancestors of modern-day elephants and the elephants' importance in African cultures, are discussed.
September 20, 1997 - Permanent
2nd Floor, East Wing (Halls 18, 19, & 20)
This renovated hall features 2,500 minerals and gems, including the Hope Diamond, Hooker Emerald Brooch, and Star of Asia sapphire. It also explores the birth and evolution of the solar system and the earth's changing surface through computer interactives and video presentations
June 27, 1997 - Indefinitely
1st Floor, Dinosaurs Hall (Hall 2), south side of FossiLab
This showcase features a 11.5-meter tubular core sample that shows physical and biological effects of Earth's collision with a giant asteroid 65 million years ago, which resulted in the extinction of the dinosaurs. The sample, taken from 130 meters below the ocean floor east of St. Augustine, Florida, contains the best preserved Cretaceous/Tertiary sequence yet recovered. The exhibition highlights the work of Smithsonian micropaleontologist Brian Huber, who interprets past climate change by studying tiny marine fossils.
June 30, 1995 - Permanent
Outside along 9th Street between Madison Dr. & Constitution Ave.
The Garden has signage that identifies four habitats: wetland, meadow, wood's edge, and urban backyard. The signage discusses the connections between plants and butterflies and explains butterfly behaviors. As many as 30 species of butterflies may be attracted to the native plants in the Garden. The Garden is a joint project of the Horticultural Services Division and NMNH, with partial funding from the Smithsonian Women's Committee.
September 10, 1993 - Permanent
2nd Floor, West Wing, near Reptiles
The Insect Zoo focuses on insects and their relationships with plants, animals, and humans. The exhibition contains a section about the evolution of insects and showcases live insects and their environments, including:
• The Termites' Turf
• Water-loving Bugs
• Familiar Insects
• The Bee Hive
• Desert Dwellers
• Rain Forests--Home to Millions
May 18, 1990 - Permanent
1st Floor, East Wing (Hall 5), near Dinosaurs Hall
Fantastic marine fossils tell the story of evolution and extinction in the seas in three acts: the Paleozoic Era (540 to 250 million years ago), when odd prehistoric creatures such as trilobites abounded; the Mesozoic Era (250 to 65 million years ago), when marine reptiles such as mososaurs appeared; and the Cenozoic Era (65 million years ago to today), when the numbers and kinds of shelled animals increased, and when the primitive whale Basilosaurus took to the seas.
June 27, 1986 - Indefinitely
1st Floor, East Wing (1st half of Hall 4), near Dinosaurs Hall
Presented is an overview of the origin and early evolution of life. Included is the oldest fossil, a cabbage-sized, 3.5-billion-year-old fossil algal mat, as well as the earliest animal fossils, to relate a large portion of the earth's history known as the Precambrian era.
May 30, 1985 - Permanent
1st Floor, East Wing (Hall 3), behind Dinosaurs Hall
This exhibition focuses on the spectacular evolution of mammals as the dominant class of vertebrates following the extinction of the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago.
December 4, 1981 - Permanent
1st Floor, East Wing (Hall 2)
On view in the exhibition hall are all of the old favorites, such as the gigantic 90-foot long Diplodocus, the horned Triceratops, and the Stegosaurus model. Attractions include "Quetzalcoatlus," a huge dragon-like pterosaur with a 40-foot wingspan, posed in flight; and the fierce, meat-eating "Antrodemus" (also known as Allosaurus)--ten feet tall and 20 feet long, in full stride.
April 17, 1980 - Permanent
1st Floor, East Wing, (2nd half of Hall 4), near Dinosaurs Hall
This exhibition focuses on the earliest plants and animals to evolve the complex adaptations needed to live on land. In an animated video, evoking television coverage of the first lunar landing, characters Frank Anchorfish and Arthur Pod explain the characteristics plants and animals needed to pioneer the harsh, dry terrestrial environment. Just beyond an arbor formed by a diorama of the first forests are still more fossils: specimens of a 16-foot fossil of an early tree, Callixyon; other fossil trees and smaller plants from the ancient coal forests of North America.
Rotating Cases -
2nd Floor, East Wing, Gems Hall (Hall 18)
• New Acquisitions Case
April 11, 2007-New Rotating Case
This case displays gemstones acquired by the newly established Tiffany and Co. Foundation Endowment. The first two objects on view are:
-- a 40.10-carat Elbaite, a type of purple tourmaline
-- a 15.93-carat Grossular (variety tsavorite), a type of blue-green garnet
- Permanent
2nd Floor, West Wing (Hall 28)
Hundreds of skeletons of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes -- ranging from the gigantic extinct Stellar sea cow to the tiny pocket mouse -- are shown in characteristic poses and grouped by order to illustrate their relationships. Exhibits show how bone structures evolved in adaptation to environment.
- Permanent
2nd Floor, West Wing (Hall 29)
Life-size displays illustrate the eating habits, defenses, and locomotion of a variety of snakes and amphibians. Reptiles on view include a preserved king cobra, reticulated python, and boa constrictors from the Malayan and Amazonian jungles; Galapagos marine iguanas; sea turtles; crocodiles; and lizards.
- Permanent
2nd Floor, West Wing (Hall 26)
The institutions, traditions and ideals of North American cultures are deeply rooted in those of western Asia, northern Africa, and Europe. This hall explores some examples from various cultures in the western world including northern Iraq, ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome and the recent discovery of the Iceman, a Copper Age mummy found in an Italian glacier.
1974 - Permanent
1st Floor, East Wing (Hall 6)
This hall provides a glimpse of the Ice Age, one of the most extraordinary times in earth's history. Mounted skeletons of some of the largest Ice Age mammals dominate the hall: a towering giant ground sloth, a woolly mammoth, an Irish elk, a long-tusked American mastodon, a saber-toothed cat, the mummified remains of a big horned bison, and dozens of other Ice Age animals are displayed.
Join us for a family butterfly event on May 10th from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Purchase tickets >>
The Museum of Natural History store offers costume jewelry, home accents, tabletop items, toys, clothing, accessories, gems and evolutionary treasures. Don't miss the wonderful selection of multi-colored amber necklaces; some amber is 40 million years old.
Museum of Natural History cafes:
Add an IMAX® adventure to your museum experience.
Let the Johnson IMAX® Theater take you on an incredible adventure back through time to the days of pre-historic aquatic Sea Monsters.
Evening feature-length films often available.
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