Fossils. Frogs. Beetles. Bones. Something for every nature lover. Our newest experience offers a rare “backstage” glimpse into the Museum’s collections and a peek into the brand-new Paleontology Center.
This stunning exhibition transforms beach trash into larger-than-life art, highlighting the peril of plastic pollution in our oceans. Meet Dexter the Dungeness crab, Eli the eel, and more as you admire spectacular sculptures crafted from ocean debris.
What do tiny foxes, elusive monkeys, and famous crabs have in common? They were brought back from the edge of extinction through bold conservation efforts. Travel to three remote regions and discover how these remarkable species were saved in Back From the Brink.
Three isolated atolls hold vital clues to repair our planet. In these wild areas, scientists study untouched ecosystems to better understand how to heal damaged oceans worldwide. Discover places few have ever seen in Ocean Paradise.
From dinosaurs to mastodons, discover the rich fossil history of our region. In this major exhibition, created by the Museum.
Learn and explore the natural world through play. This new space invites our youngest visitors to play under a shade tree, search for hidden secrets along a wooden fence, or read their favorite book in a cozy potting shed.
This permanent exhibition revolves around the history—and the future—of citizen science, the idea upon which the Museum was founded in 1874.
Take a journey through the unique habitats of Southern California, from the coastal wetlands and urban canyons to the high mountains and the desert.
Skulls contains close to 200 skulls from theNAT’s research collections of animals from all over the world, from the tiny to the spectacular.
The Nat has a Vivarium—a facility in which we care for our live animals—in the basement of the Museum. We’re bringing these animals out and into the public gallery located on Level 1 just off the Atrium.
The Baja California Peninsula: our neighbor in nature. Explore towering mountains, desert flats, and isolated islands, and follow along with researchers working to conserve the peninsula’s wild beauty in our newest permanent exhibition.
Fossils. Frogs. Beetles. Bones. Something for every nature lover. Our newest experience offers a rare “backstage” glimpse into the Museum’s collections and a peek into the brand-new Paleontology Center.
Nature surrounds us—literally. Explore pocket gardens and interpretive trails surrounding the Nat's building with living displays of native and low-water plants that provide habitats for pollinators and other wildlife.
Come observe the evidence of the earliest human activity in North America, found at a site here in San Diego by museum paleontologists.
