Southern California Landscape at the San Diego Natural History Museum
Exhibits make up the bulk of the Nat’s floor space. They are the first thing you’ll see when you enter the doors, and likely the last thing you’ll see when you leave. There are hundreds of different displays, each one featuring some part of the natural world; many of them including specimens recovered in the San Diego area.
The majority of the exhibits at the San Diego Natural History Museum are permanent, but there are also rotating attractions that help keep the museum fresh for repeat visitors. These include specially themed displays, exciting looks at new research developments, and presentations by real scientists and researchers.
Occasionally, exhibits are retired in favor of new ones. One such exhibit was the Insects Face to Face photography gallery. However, plenty of new exhibits are always in the works.
Some of the rotating exhibits currently on display or planned for the near future include:
- Art of Science (July 26, 2023 through May 27, 2024)
- Nature Trail at The Nat (Opening Spring 2024)
- Action from the Archives: The Nat at 150 (Opening May 24, 2024)
- Caught on Camera (November 18, 2022 through April 21, 2024)
Fossile Mysteries at the San Diego Natural History Museum
Fossil Mysteries
The Fossil Mysteries exhibit is the centerpiece of the museum.
It showcases the incredible paleontological discoveries that have been made and the different kinds of creatures that once walked the Earth, swam in the seas, and soared in the skies. This exhibit includes creatures from the age of the dinosaurs all the way to the Ice Ages, which spans 75 million years of evolution and significant global changes.
The fossils in this exhibit are primarily ones that have been uncovered in and around the San Diego area. They provide a peek into what the world might have looked like millions of years ago in the very same spot visitors stand to view these creatures.
Fossil Mysteries is a very interactive exhibit. While the dinosaur bones themselves are only for display, many include educational diagrams, voice overs, and models that are all safe to interact with and sure to delight younger visitors.
You can touch real fossils, practice your fossil identifying skills, and use your imagination to picture what these beasts would have looked like when they roamed.
One especially notable fossil in the museum is Al the Allosaurus, who stands tall and ready to welcome visitors. The Allosaurus is an older relative of the T. rex, so it’s quite the impressive sight to see.
The Fossil Mysteries exhibition also contains a life-sized replica of the extinct Megalodon shark. It is a recreation based on ancient teeth recovered from California by museum staff. Many guests enjoy snapping a picture in front of the display, all while sporting their own matching toothy grin!
Extinct Whale Like Mammal at the San Diego Natural History Museum
Skulls
The Skulls exhibit contains over 200 different animal skulls that come from all different eras of the world’s history. It includes the skulls of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds from all around the world.
This exhibit stands out thanks to the incredible variety of the skulls on display. Some skulls are hardly bigger than your thumb, while others may be as large as your torso!
The Skulls attraction also contains information about the different bones that make up the skull in all kinds of animals, as well as how these bones work together to make a fully functioning skull.
Non Venomous Snake at the San Diego Natural History Museum
Living Lab
While many of the creatures on display at the Natural History Museum are fossils or replicas, the Living Lab is full of living, moving specimens. The Living Lab focuses on creepy crawly critters like snakes, bees, arachnids, scorpions, and lizards. This part of the museum isn’t for the faint of heart, but for those who are unafraid of these less cuddly animals, there is plenty to discover.
While all of the animals in the Living Lab are native to the San Diego area, they are rarely seen due to their size and reclusive nature. Learning about the adaptations these creatures have made to survive without detection is just one part of what makes this part of the museum so interesting.
The exhibit blends science and storytelling, creating a lasting impact that is sure to leave an impression on all visitors.
The San Diego Natural History Museum’s team of professional animal handlers keep these animals comfortable and well cared for, year-round.
Spring in the Desert Habitat at the San Diego Natural History Museum
Coast to Cactus in Southern California
The Coast to Cactus exhibit is dedicated to showing off the incredible biodiversity that can be found in Southern California. San Diego’s terrain and landscapes are incredibly diverse, and this diversity is reflected in the animals and plants native to the region. In this exhibit, you’ll take a closer look at the region’s different habitats and their residents.
While Fossil Mysteries provides a look into San Diego’s past, Coast to Cactus focuses on San Diego’s present wildlife. Together, these exhibits are two halves of a still-developing story.
San Diegos Gem Tourmaline at the San Diego Natural History Museum
Hidden Gems
Hidden Gems houses the museum’s gemstone and mineral collection. Here, you’ll find over 100 different gems, many of which feature eye-catching bright colors, and some of which even glow in the dark. Hidden Gems highlights the gemstones native to the San Diego area, including topaz, quartz, and the hot pink tourmaline San Diego is known for.
Rather than being laid out in a more traditional fashion, this exhibit is right outside the elevator doors on each floor. This way, the first thing you see when you step out onto the new floor is another part of the collection.
Map of Baja California Inside Expedition Baja at the San Diego Natural History Museum
Expedition Baja
As part of the Natural History Museum’s focus on conservation, the Expedition Baja exhibit highlights the biological diversity of the Baja California Peninsula.
Get a closer look at a habitat that’s right next door to San Diego. This desert region is filled with plants and animals that have adapted to survive in an otherwise-hostile climate.
Native species guests can learn about at the exhibit include birds, insects, small rodents, and cardón cacti. Specimens and dioramas depict both extant and extinct creatures. The exhibit also includes murals and stories depicting the experiences of researchers on the Baja California Peninsula.
Ground Floor of the San Diego Natural History Museum
Unshelved: Cool Stuff from Storage
There are over 8 million specimens housed inside the building of The Nat.
With such a large collection, it would be impossible to display everything at the same time. Rather than keeping everything hidden in storage, however, the museum is highlighting the very best of their collection at the Unshelved exhibit.
Unshelved is a chance for guests to peer behind the curtain at The Nat without having to take a behind-the-scenes tour. The selections on display rotate often to give as many different specimens as possible their time in the sun. Come see the wild, the weird, and the wonderful.
Fish Out of the Water Exhibit at the San Diego Natural History Museum
Extraordinary Ideas from Ordinary People: A History of Citizen Science
What does it take to contribute to the field of science? While many people assume you need a degree and years of study, some of the most important breakthroughs in the scientific world have actually come from average, everyday people who had a question and sought answers.
Extraordinary Ideas from Ordinary People: A History of Citizen Science is a revolutionary exhibit that brings untold tales to the forefront. Learn how so-called “citizen scientists” have made discoveries, including contributions by San Diegans.
This is one of my favorite exhibits for kids, as it’s a great way to show them that anyone can love science and get involved, which is a meaningful message for kids interested in STEM.
Dinosaurs Resemblance to Modern Day Mammals at the San Diego Natural History Museum
Demonstration Lab
Learn how the scientists and researchers at The Nat preserve and prepare the specimens that make up their exhibits at the Demonstration Lab. This exhibit offers a look at the work done by museum staff every day to help bring the Natural History Museum to life.
At the Demonstration Lab, you can watch the preservation process and learn about the unique challenges that make preservation such a vital part of the museum’s work.
Megalodon at the San Diego Natural History Museum
Science Spotlight: Baleen Whale Evolution
The Scientist Spotlight: Baleen Whale Evolution exhibit highlights the work of the San Diego Natural History Museum’s own Dr. Tom Deméré in researching the history of the evolution of the baleen whale.
Look at real whale specimens and see a recreation of what these whales’ ancestors might have looked like - with teeth instead of their characteristic baleen. By highlighting the unanswered questions and theorizing about what could have been, this exhibit reminds guests that science is an ongoing process with many mysteries still being solved.
3D Theater
The giant-screen theater at the San Diego Natural History Museum is perhaps one of its most well-known installments. The theater can fit up to 300 guests at a time. Tickets to a showing are included with paid admission, as well as with admission through the Go City San Diego Pass.
The movies offered at the theater run on a rotating schedule, so check ahead with the website to see what’s playing. Most movies run between a half hour and 45 minutes, and all films are centered around educational, family-friendly content.