Special Event: Summer Nights at the Museum

Thursdays, June 18, July 16, August 20, 5:00 - 8:00 PM

Join us for extended hours on three Thursday nights this summer to explore the galleries and participate in special programs. The museum will offer half-price admission (and a 15% discount in the Museum Shop) from 5:00 to 8:00 pm on the third Thursday in June, July, and August. Gallery Guides will offer informal tours of the Glass Flowers and each night will feature a special talk in the museum’s galleries, highlighting EVOLUTION, a new permanent exhibition. See specific gallery talk descriptions below.

To share this event with others, download the Summer Nights at the Museum flyer. 

Life’s a Niche

Gallery talk by Luke Mahler  

Thursday, July 16, 6:00 & 7:00 PM

One of the most amazing aspects of biodiversity is that no two species are exactly alike; each has carved out its own unique niche. Led by Harvard evolutionary biology graduate student Luke Mahler, explore the museum’s EVOLUTION and Language of Color exhibitions with a special focus on one of the most ecologically diverse vertebrates, the Caribbean Anolis lizards. Examining these creatures can provide insights into biodiversity at all levels, from rainforest plants to dinosaurs. Free with museum admission. Part of Summer Nights at the Museum. Photo of Anolis by Jonathan Losos. 

The Best Fossils Darwin Never Saw

Gallery talk by Ben Kotrc  

Thursday, August 20, 6:00 & 7:00 PM

The fossil record brought up many questions for Charles Darwin: Why did animal fossils appear so suddenly in the Cambrian Explosion? Where were all the transitional animals? In this gallery talk with Harvard earth and planetary sciences graduate student Ben Kotrc, explore the museum’s diverse range of fossil specimens, from the giant Ice Age mammals, which Darwin saw, to ancient microfossils discovered in recent decades. Free with museum admission. Part of Summer Nights at the Museum.