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Exhibitions Past Exhibitions
Past Exhibitions
The Log from the Sea of Cortez: Marine Life Images by Raúl Gonzalez
Sixty plates illustrate the magnificent marine life that John Steinbeck and naturalist Edward Ricketts chronicled during their historic journey there in 1940. Steinbeck’s book of the excursion, The Log from the Sea of Cortez, remains a tribute to Baja California and an important scientific study of marine biodiversity that is used by travelers and biologists alike.
Dino Jaws
From the infamous flesh-eating T. rex to the plant-munching Iguanodon, what do YOU know about dinosaurs and their food? Sometimes gruesome, even gory, Dino Jaws will combine fun hands-on (with no danger of being bitten!) exhibits with scientific insights. See lifelike spectacular animatronics and learn what paleontologists know about what that dino had for dinner! Become a dino detective as you solve clues like a real paleontologist.
Dr. Entomo's Palace of Exotic Wonders
Let Dr. Entomo be your guide as you explore the wonderful world of bugs in all their strange splendor. From glow-in-the-dark scorpions to the world’s biggest bird-eating tarantula, Dr. Entomo’s living examples will fascinate visitors of all ages! Resembling an old-fashioned circus sideshow, Dr. Entomo's Palace of Exotic Wonders explores the truth, myths, and mysteries surrounding some of nature's most curious creatures—many of them alive and on view.
On the Trail of Ansel Adams
View magnificent black-and-white, nature-based imagery inspired by famed photographer Ansel Adams. Photographers with work in the exhibition include: Charles Cramer, William Neill, Aaron Chang, Abe Ordover, Louis Montrose, Will Gibson, John Clark, James Bourret, Steven Bundy, Lew Abulafia, Tom Scott, John Ford, Gary Zuercher, and Joe Nalvin. Admission to the show is included with general admission to the Museum.
Chocolate
Chocolate will engage your senses and reveal facets of this sumptuous treat that you've never before considered. From seed to sweet, unwrap the story of chocolate!
BOLD
Joseph Rossano’s interactive BOLD sculpture series is inspired in cooperation with leading biodiversity scientists, including Dr. Daniel H. Janzen of the University of Pennsylvania. BOLD shares the acronym of Barcode of Life Datasystems, the Canadian repository for the International Barcode of Life project.
The Horse
The horse-human relationship started as a prey-predator dynamic. With domestication, humans harnessed horsepower—hence the term—to travel greater distances, expand crop acreage, and be more effective in battle. Horses were bred for specific sizes and qualities that produced everything from tiny ponies to pull ore carts in mines to tall, powerful draft breeds to till the soil and drag lumber from forest to mill. The horse-human bond extended to the equestrian sports with athletic pairs competing together just as they worked together. The bond has been chronicled in literature and portrayed on film. The beauty, strength, and spirit of horses continues to awe each new generation of horse lovers.
Vavra’s Vision: Equine Images
Robert Vavra is universally recognized as the world’s premier photographer of equines. This exhibition showcases the vivid, fresh, and very personal way that Vavra photographs horses. It delves into the world that Vavra had created through his lens for the past 60 years while circling the globe. In photographs, in film and in print, Vavra’s images capture the strength, beauty and wisdom of the horse.
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition
Visitors to the highly anticipated Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition will receive a replica boarding pass granting them permission to “board” the White Star Line’s R.M.S. Titanic, and from there the journey begins. The galleries focus on the legendary Titanic’s compelling human stories as best told through authentic artifacts recovered from the ocean floor and extensive room re-creations. Perfume from a maker who was traveling to New York to sell his samples, china etched with the logo of the elite White Star Line, even pieces of the Ship itself, these and many other authentic objects offer haunting, emotional connections to lives abruptly ended or forever altered.
Exquisite Miniatures
Of the 50 watercolors in Exquisite Miniatures, all but four were created in an area that is 9 square inches or smaller. Wes and Rachelle Siegrist are an American husband-and wife-team who create miniature paintings so expertly crafted that they are often mistaken for tiny photographs. The exhibition consists of landscapes, portraits, still lifes, wildlife, and more.
Ends of the Earth: From Polar Bears to Penguins
Discover the unique nature of the Earth’s polar regions, the science undertaken there, and how these regions are indicators of climate change on Earth. Visitors will relive polar expeditions though the eyes of great explorers, learn about the formation and size of icebergs, and conduct experiments. Discover polar bears and penguins and the impact that global warming is having on their icy homes in the Ice Cave Theater.
All That Glitters
Gems seduce us with their sparkle. But did you know that every glittering ruby, sapphire, diamond, and opal has a history as old as the Earth itself? A gem isn’t just a pretty bauble—it’s a rare and wonderful by-product of the tremendous forces that have shaped our planet.
Working on Thin Ice
La Jolla-based scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) travel to Antarctica each year to study its vital ecosystem. See striking photographs taken by NOAA researchers of breathtaking landscapes, up-close interactions with Antarctic predators, and scientists at work in this land of extremes. Real Antarctic zooplankton specimens and research gear are also on display.
Lizards & Snakes: Alive!
ART AND THE ANIMAL—50th Anniversary Exhibition of the Society of Animal Artists
Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries
William Neill: Intimate Landscapes
Charles Cramer: Lyrical Landscapes
DARWIN: Evolution | Revolution
Wild California
Baja California
Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS & The Brain–Our Three Pound Gem, The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies
Best of Nature Photography Show
The Osa: Where the Ocean Meets the Rainforest
Buddhist Earth: Sacred Places/Sacred Work, Tibet and Other Lands
The Art of Robert Bateman
Water H2O=Life
Cool Globes
Autumn
Spirits in Stone—Art & Animals of Africa
Enraptured: Works by Mitch Dobrowner
A Day in Pompeii
Contemporary Israeli Photography
Dead Sea Scrolls
Playing with Time
Earth, Wind & WILDFIRE
Dinosaurs: Reel & Robotic
GENOME: The Secret of How Life Works
Backyard Monsters
Wildlife Art
Fossil Hunters San Diego
Natural Treasures: Past and Present
Chocolate: The Exhibition
Feathered Dinosaurs and the Origin of Flight
Plant Portraits: The California Legacy of A.R. Valentien
Spirit of the Mountains: Images by Thomas D. Mangelsen
The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition
Spirits in Stone: The New Face of African Art
Glow: Living Lights
Rare Places in a Rare Light: The Wildlands Photography of Robert Turner
DOGS!
FORE! The Planet
T. REX on Trial
California's Native Grandeur
Animal Eyes
After the Dinosaurs: When Crocodiles Ruled
Monarca: Butterfly Beyond Boundaries
Epidemic! The Natural History of Disease
BEARS: Imagination and Reality
The Dinosaurs of Jurassic Park: The Lost World
Desert and Sea: Visions of Baja California
The Nature of Diamonds
SHARKS! Fact and Fantasy
REPTILES! Real and Robotic
Cats! Wild to Mild
Shona
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- Current Exhibitions
- Upcoming Exhibitions
- Past Exhibitions
- Chocolate
- Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition
- Dr. Entomo's Palace of Exotic Wonders
- Ends of the Earth: From Polar Bears to Penguins
- The Horse
- All That Glitters
- On the Trail of Ansel Adams
- Vavra’s Vision: Equine Images
- BOLD
- Working on Thin Ice
- Dino Jaws
- Exquisite Miniatures
- The Log from the Sea of Cortez: Marine Life Images by Raúl Gonzalez
- Chocolate
- Current Exhibitions
