#  Exhibitions 

 



#  Glass Flowers 

See one of Harvard's most famous treasures, the Glass Flowers



 

 [See More chevron\_right](/glass-flowers) 

 

       ![Glass Flowers](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_28_10__1920x685/public/2025-01/hero-exhibitions_apple_blossom.jpg?itok=ecvyvH-m) 

 

 



 

 



 

##  In the Galleries 

 



  [### Africa

 ](/africa-gallery)Visitors can see impressive mounted specimens of African wildlife collected over a century ago, including a hippopotamus, lion, ostrich, hyena, gorilla, and a variety of rare animals from the island of Madagascar. An interactive video display highlights endangered species.



 

   ![rhinoceros in gallery. ](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hmnh/files/rhinohmnhwebbychrisdevers_0.jpg?itok=iWBOyI6K) 

 

 

 

  [### Arthropods: Creatures That Rule

 ](/arthropods-creatures-rule)Featuring hands-on activities, dramatic specimen displays, colorful video and graphics, and even live specimens, this exhibition draws on the latest scientific research to explore arthropods' extraordinary evolutionary success and their impact on our lives.



 

   ![multiple butterflies of different types on display.](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-01/vertcard-arthropods%202.jpg?itok=pLu7FE5b) 

 

 

 

  [### Asia

 ](/asia)This gallery features mounted wildlife specimens from Asia. It includes a rare Indian rhinoceros, Siberian and Bengal tigers, and a cheetah.



 

   ![peacock displaying feathers in gallery.](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hmnh/files/asia_gallery_peacock_exhibit_page_0_0.jpg?itok=D-eakhT1) 

 

 

 

  [### Birds of the World

 ](/birds-world-gallery)On the balcony encircling the museum's Great Mammal Hall, the *Birds of the World* gallery captures the extraordinary diversity of birds with many hundreds of stunning specimens that represent over 200 different bird families.



 

   ![hummingbird in flight.](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hmnh/files/dsc_0063_1.jpg?itok=lSCV57oP) 

 

 

 

  [### Cenozoic Mammals

 ](/cenozoic-mammals)This gallery features fossils from the Cenozoic Era, also known as the Age of Mammals. It was marked by the extinction of dinosaurs 65 million years ago.



 

   ![Cenozoic gallery](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hmnh/files/cenozoic_exhibit_image.jpg?itok=eaDAS_Y-) 

 

 

 

  [### Central and South America

 ](/south-america)This gallery features mounted wildlife specimens from Central and South America. The exhibit includes a jaguar, tapir, sloth, giant armadillo, a large wall of hummingbirds, and a seven-foot Amazon *pirarucu*, one of the largest ever caught.



 

   ![jaguar face in gallery.](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hmnh/files/south_america_gallery_jaguar_exhibit_page.jpg?itok=zFUp8z-T) 

 

 

 

  [### Climate Change

 ](/climate-change)Recently redesigned and updated, this exhibition draws on the latest scientific information about our warming climate, the global and local consequences, how to reduce fossil-fuel emissions that cause it, and how to prepare for its effects.



 

   ![Climate Change](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hmnh/files/climate_change_exhibit_page.jpg?itok=Q4s8uDjY) 

 

 

 

  [### Collecting Wonders–Tomorrow’s Discoveries

 ](/collecting-wonders)*Opening June 27, 2026*

Since the early days of Harvard University, collections have been central to teaching and research. People continue to study these collections and uncover knowledge. Come explore some treasures of the collection!



 

   ![Two taxidermy pheasants](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-03/Pheasants.jpg?itok=kcYy5WDn) 

 

 

 

  [### Earth & Planetary Sciences

 ](/earth-planetary-sciences-gallery)This expansive gallery displays thousands of rare rock and mineral specimens, sparkling gemstones, a 1,600-pound amethyst geode, meteorites, and much more about the processes and events that have shaped Earth's evolution.

*Photo © Tony Rinaldo*



 

   ![people looking at mineral specimens with more behind them on the wall.](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2024-12/I%20Heart%20Science_TonyRinaldo_5141.JPG?itok=UJcUQLiW) 

 

 

 

  [### Evolution

 ](/evolution)*Evolution* offers a behind-the-scenes look at ongoing evolution research at Harvard, from exciting new discoveries about human origins, to surprising insights from new genetic and developmental studies on Darwin's finches.



 

   ![chimp skeleton on display.](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-01/vertcard-evolution%201.jpg?itok=tlhadAJ6) 

 

 

 

  [### Glass Flowers

 ](/glass-flowers)One of Harvard University’s most famous treasures is the internationally acclaimed Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants, better known as the “Glass Flowers." This unique collection was made by Leopold (1822-1895) and Rudolf Blaschka (1857-1939), a father and son team of Czech glass artists. Over fifty years, from 1886 through 1936, the Blaschkas produced 4,300 glass models that represent 780 plant species.



 

   ![glass flower branch of peach blossoms.](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hmnh/files/glass.flowers.preview.peach_.16.jpg?itok=ExfgyKGs) 

 

 

 

  [### Great Mammal Hall

 ](/great-mammal-hall)The Great Mammal Hall, an expansive two-story space, is the most dramatic gallery in the museum. It displays a large selection of mammals from a full-size giraffe and whale skeletons suspended from the ceiling to the smallest of creatures. The second-story balcony houses the *Birds of the World* exhibit.



 

   ![two antlered creatures in mammal hall.](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hmnh/files/alexjaffe_crimson-2.small__1.jpg?itok=THiOz4G7) 

 

 

 

  [### Marine Life

 ](/marine-life)This exhibit immerses visitors in the remarkable diversity and dynamic interplay among animals in marine communities just off New England shores.



 

   ![marine squid in gallery.](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hmnh/files/marine.squid_.jpg?itok=TYngQnmp) 

 

 

 

  [### New England Forests

 ](/new-england-forests)*New England Forests* in the Zofnass Family Gallery is a multi-media exhibition that explores the natural history and ecology of this region’s forests.



 

   ![snarling bear in gallery.](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hmnh/files/bear_1.jpg?itok=1YJpCbP6) 

 

 

 

  [### Romer Hall of Vertebrate Paleontology

 ](/romer-hall)This exhibition showcases the evolutionary history of vertebrates, including spectacularly preserved fishes, dinosaurs, and early mammals.



 

   ![A fossilized triceratops skull.](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hmnh/files/triceratopskronobynatedean.small__0.jpg?itok=5lvhdmDM) 

 

 

 

  [### Sea Creatures in Glass

 ](/sea-creatures-glass)Many years before they were commissioned by Harvard University to make the renowned Glass Flowers, father and son artists Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka meticulously shaped glass into lifelike models of marine and terrestrial animals for universities and museums throughout the world in the nineteenth century.



 

   ![sc72_detail2_after_copy.jpg](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hmnh/files/sc72_detail2_after_copy_1.jpg?itok=-GqYMTYd) 

 

 

 

  [### Swimming with Sharks: A Deep Dive into Shark Biology and Behavior

 ](/swimming-sharks)In this remarkable exhibition, discover why the most massive sharks prey on some of the ocean’s smallest critters. Learn how to decipher dietary clues from jaws preserved in Harvard’s world-class collections. Explore how miniature teeth on shark skin help them move efficiently through water.



 

   ![Sharks swimming](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hmnh/files/sharks-poster-22-07-05-1_0.jpg?itok=eYqiU-9a) 

 

 

 

  [### The Blaschkas at the Microscope: Lessons in Botany

 ](/blaschkas-microscope)*The Blaschkas at the Microscope: Lessons in Botany* is a new Glass Flowers exhibition that delves into captivating educational models that meticulously illustrate the life cycles of non-flowering, spore-forming plants and fungi.



 

   ![Magnified male reproductive organs (antheridia) of the umbrella liverwort, Marchantia polymorpha. Model 326, Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, 1893.](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hmnh/files/lifecyclegf1.jpg?itok=lX14NVIQ) 

 

 

 

  [### The Rockefeller Beetles

 ](/rockefeller-beetles)This smaller-scale exhibit in the Arthropods Gallery features hundreds of specimens from banker and philanthropist David Rockefeller’s collection and recounts the story of a man whose childhood pursuit grew into a lifelong passion.



 

   ![Rockefeller Beetles main exhibit page](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hmnh/files/the_rockefeller_beetles_main_exhibit_page.jpg?itok=TA53R8OZ) 

 

 

 

  [### Velvet Worms: A Fierce Hunter with a Secret Weapon 

 ](/velvet-worms-fierce-hunter-secret-weapon)Velvet worms are not worms—or caterpillars. They are the closest relative to arthropods, and they have remained largely unchanged for 300 million years.



 

   ![A blue velvet worm.](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-09/velvet-worm-1-cropped.jpg?itok=r7vkVXIj) 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

##  Online 

 



  [### Glass Flowers: From the Hands of the Makers

 ](https://www.hmnh.harvard.edu/makers)Over the course of fifty years, Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, father and son, continually experimented with materials and methods that pushed the boundaries of glassworking.



 

   ![A glass flower model of Hypoxis hirsuta, also known as the Common Goldstar, showing subtle details and textures.](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-01/Image%202.8.jpg?h=55a2866a&itok=9wVfLu3v) 

 

 

 

  [### Face to Face

 ](/face-face)This exhibit showcases Jana Matusz's striking portraits of animal specimens, in which the use of color and texture gives a voice and life to them.



 

   ![Painting of a Lion Cub.](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hmnh/files/lion_cub_on_exhibit_page.jpg?itok=RpktFR7D) 

 

 

 

  [### What's in a Name?

 ](http://whatsinaname.hmnh.harvard.edu/)This exhibit includes four interactive kiosks embedded into existing exhibits. Explore how different organisms are named. Learn more on the [*What's in a Name* website](http://whatsinaname.hmnh.harvard.edu/) and download the free [e-book](http://whatsinaname.hmnh.harvard.edu/e-book).



 

   ![Lion's Mane Jellyfish](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hmnh/files/whatsinanameteaser.jpg?itok=dw7TKMEL) 

 

 

 

  [### Vida salvaje/Wild Life

 ](https://websites.harvard.edu/hmsc/vida-salvaje-wild-life/)Listen to ten audio reflections recorded, edited, and produced by the [Hear Me Out/Escúchame](https://hmsc.harvard.edu/hear)  
teens. Learn more about why some of the animals on display in the Harvard Museum of Natural History are important to us.

Escucha diez reflexiones grabadas, editadas y producidas por jóvenes del proyecto [Hear Me Out/Escúchame](https://hmsc.harvard.edu/hear). Descubre por qué algunos de los animales en el Museo de Historia Natural de Harvard son importantes para nosotros.



 

   ![A Latina high schooler next to an animal.](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hmnh/files/amanda_rodriguez_hmo_exhibit.jpg?itok=nCFW_j-n) 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 ![floor plan icon](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/hmnh/files/hmnh_floor_plan.png)

 

### [View the floor plan ](/file_url/2219)



 

  [### Exhibit Videos

 ](/exhibit-videos)Explore short videos featured in our galleries.



 

   ![Fungus Fair image](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/hmnh/files/fungusfair2018.jpg?itok=TN2wVtpM) 

 

 

 

  [### Past Exhibits

 ](/exhibitions-0?f%5B0%5D=hwp_c_exhibitionstatus%3A76131) 

   ![microbial life exhibit entrance with glowing microbial growth cylinder.](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2024-12/chimileski_microbial_life_hmnh.jpg?h=f65e1bc9&itok=KUUkP2WC)