COVID-19 Update: Our museum is temporarily closed until further notice. Learn more.

The Nat @ Home

Continue exploring natural history with online resources and at-home activities for all ages.

Lesson plans and guides

Looking for educational activities for kids? The Nat has lesson plans, online activities, and more for teachers and parents. While many were designed to be used during a museum visit, they contain good background information that is easily accessible for parents offering lessons from home. More.

Explore the region—from home

San Diego is known for its incredible diversity of life. The Explore the Region from Coast to Cactus website offers users an easy way to journey through coastline, mountains, and deserts, to learn more about the plants and animals that call this region home. Don’t miss our related lesson plans that focus on pollinators, endangered species, wildfires, and other topics.

Science blog

Our scientists are out in the field—and working from home—to document and identify specimens, survey wildlife for existing research projects, and more. Learn about what we’re up to—our science blog will keep you up to date. More.

Activities you can do at home

Stay busy—and learn something along the way. These family-friendly activities can be done at home or throughout your neighborhood. More.

Nat TV

Join us as we take you behind the scenes of the Museum, out in the field with our researchers, or along for the ride as we explore nature at its best. View videos.

Digital library of life

Scroll through hundreds of historic texts, images, field notes, and art with our digital library resources, including our new Flickr feed. For the paleontologist in your life, 3D models of select specimens in our paleontology collection are online (just check the box at top and click “submit”).

Free desktop & mobile wallpapers

Tired of the boring wallpaper on your computer screen? Want a virtual background eye-catcher? These stunning wallpapers will turn your device into a nature-inspired knockout. More.

Nature in your backyard

If you’re watching wildlife from your window or out for a neighborhood walk, you can identify local plants and animals. Online resources like our atlas projects and Coast to Cactus website help you identify what’s what. Plus, check out Nature Bytes, our online library of three-minute videos that deliver content on natural history topics in an easy-to-understand way. Don't recognize something you've seen? Snap a photo and share it to iNaturalist, where fellow nature lovers can help you ID it.

Stay connected

We hope you'll join our digital community! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to check out educational content, behind the scenes glimpses, inspirational nature photography, videos, and blogs featuring our latest research. Because science never stops.

Water conservation resources

Find resources, partner websites, and facts about water use in Southern California on our web pages from the past exhibition, Water: A California Story.

The Nat @ Home

Science Never Stops

From Fishery to Museum: Impressive Tuna Skeletons Being Prepared for Display

San Diego's Results: City Nature Challenge 2020

Nearby Nature with City Nature Challenge 2020

Natural Selection in Action

Nearby Nature: Where are the bumblebees?

Return of the Frogs

April is Citizen Science Month

Identifying New Treatments for Dementia from the Museum’s Plant Collection

Helping Save the Ringtail

Some Birds Moving South in a Climate Changing World

Our Mission