Museums provide opportunities for individuals, families, and groups to spend quality time together in an interactive environment that aims to foster a sense of community and enjoyment. However, museums can sometimes be overwhelming for individuals with autism. TheNAT recently received a grant to collaborate with high-functioning young adults with autism to co-create “social stories” for our Museum and six others in Balboa Park. Read more.
Nothing says “mechanics” more than gears. While we see gears in many man-made machines, intermeshing rotating gears were completely unknown in nature until just three years ago when researchers at University of Cambridge looked between the legs of a little plant-hopping insect called Issus. Read more.
Maker Faire San Diego (MFSD) is back for its second year and the San Diego Natural History Museum is a proud participant. The festival takes place on October 1 and 2 and will feature an array of fascinating displays for the public to enjoy. At theNAT, we will have a wide range of makers with interactive, hands-on activities and learning opportunities for adults and children to enjoy. Read more.
Dr. Jon Rebman, Museum curator and the Mary & Dallas Clark Endowed Chair of Botany, spent 10 months in La Paz, Baja California Sur as part of a work assignment. While there, he increased binational collaboration with Mexican scientists and students, conducted extensive botanical research in the southern part of the Baja California peninsula, and wrote a new bilingual, plant field guide for the Cape region. Read more.
Have you noticed something new on the Museum’s mezzanine above the third floor? This blog post describes the making of the griffin pediment that marks the entrance of Extraordinary Ideas from Ordinary People: A History of Citizen Science, our new permanent exhibition scheduled to open August 20. Dive into the details of what it took to sculpt and mount this iconic piece of the exhibition. Read more.
With our President and CEO Dr. Michael "Mick" Hager retiring this Thursday, June 30, we wanted to share a memoir he penned that details his early years at the Museum. Mick goes into detail on how he came to know the Museum so well, the most important initiative it has embraced during his tenure, and more. Read more.
For more than 30 years, Soames Summerhays has literally traveled from one side of the planet to the other while documenting the natural world. His newest 3D film is playing at theNAT. Read more.
In this guest blog, Adam Rosenberg, senior at San Diego High School, details his experience in volunteering for Summer Camp at theNAT. Read more. Read more.
Want to learn more about whales? Our limited engagement exhibition Whales: Giants of the Deep is just the tip of the iceberg. Our other exhibitions, films, and public programs help bring this subject matter to life. Read more. Read more.
This summer, the doors will open on a brand new exhibition space in the Museum, one that enables our visitors to "open the door" to our Research Library and archives for the first time. Read more. Read more.