Earth Day
Date
Sunday, April 16 | 9:30 am–5 pm
Location
Tickets
Earth Day Festival 2026
Celebrate the planet at NHM!
Join us for a full day of discovery, creativity, and connection during our annual Earth Day festival on Sunday, April 19.
From ecosystems of the past to today’s environmental challenges, Earth Day Festival invites visitors of all ages to explore the planet’s past, present, and future in meaningful and captivating ways.
Festival Highlights:
- Explore NHM’s world-renowned exhibitions, including Dinosaur Hall, Gem & Mineral Hall, and Mammal Halls featuring iconic dioramas
- Wander the Nature Gardens and enjoy outdoor performances and activities
- Discover L.A. Underwater and learn how Los Angeles was once beneath the waves of the Pacific Ocean
- Participate in hands-on art and science activities, including LEGO® Build the Change
- Connect with scientists, educators, and environmental organizations
- Shop nature-inspired merchandise
- Enjoy free Green Screen: Our Planet on Film screenings in the Commons Theater
- And so much more!
Featured Screening Series
As part of Earth Day Festival, NHM presents Green Screen: Our Planet on Film, a series of free film screenings in the Commons Theater.
Through documentary film and post-screening conversation, Green Screen explores diverse ecosystems, environmental histories, and urgent challenges facing our planet today–offering moments of reflection and dialogue within a full day of celebration.
Festival Exhibitors
- Annandale Garden Center: Sale of plants, including California natives.
- Citizens' Climate Lobby: Check out CCL's booth to learn about our 'electrified dollhouse' and answer climate quiz questions for a chance to win fun prizes!
- Driving Clean Assistance Program (DCAP): Educating vulnerable populations on the climate and health benefits of clean air and electric vehicles.
- Fish Contamination Education Collaborative: Through outreach to impacted communities, anglers and businesses, the FCEC provides education on the dangers of consuming contaminated fish, as well as recommended portioning and preparation guidelines.
- Friends of the LA River: Learn more about the LA River, local events, volunteer opportunities, and other ways to get involved in protecting and restoring the LA River!
- HeadCount: HeadCount will be registering voters and helping folks double check if their registration status is correct and up to date, as well as answering any voting-related questions.
- Latinx with Plants: A small woman of color owned business in Boyle Heights whose focus is to uplift people of color in the plant world. We hope that through plant parenthood, people will be able to deepen their connection with nature and tune into the healing that caring for plants can offer us.
- Lil’ Libros: Lil’ Libros celebrates cultural diversity and bilingual literature in English and Spanish to ignite the imaginations of children everywhere!
- Malibu Creek Ecosystem Restoration Project: We offer activities showing how urban watershed ecosystems connect hundreds of different species of plants, terrestrial and aquatic animals, and human beings.
- Mineralogical Society of Southern California: Learn about rocks and minerals with MSSC!
- Raptor Events: Come and meet live animals and learn about the importance of supporting conservation.
- Urbano Strategies: We partner with nonprofits and mission driven companies to advance community-led development. We empower communities to be invested in community ownership of public spaces, policy processes, and urbano development because everyone deserves a voice in the future of our neighborhoods.
- WaveMakers: Hands-on outdoor education adventures (i.e kayaking, tidepooling, coastal nature walks) led by a marine biologist expert, in hopes of inspiring curiosity, confidence, and care for our coast.
Schedule of Events
Commons Theater
11 am & 2 pm | Green Screen: Our Planet on Film
Through powerful storytelling, this special program highlights diverse ecosystems, environmental histories, urgent challenges facing our planet today, and more.
Timed Programs
10 am–3 pm | LEGO® Build the Change: Protecting Pollinators
We have the power to make change for our planet and the creatures we share it with. Use your imagination, creativity, and LEGO to build solutions that help pollinators thrive! *Great for kids!
11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm | Masanga Marimba Performances
Enjoy the music of Masanga Marimba as they perform traditional and popular music from Africa and Latin America! *Great for kids!
11 am–3 pm | Planting Native Seeds with the Horticulture Team
Plant narrow-leaf milkweed and common sunflowers in a hands-on activity with the Nature Garden's Horticulture team. Learn about these seasonal plant species and the insect life they attract. *Great for kids!
11 am–4 pm | Museum Collections
View collection displays from NHM’s Echinoderms, Entomology, Herpetology, Ichthyology, and Marine Biodiversity Center departments.
11:30 am | Lil’ Libros Storytime & Book Signing
Join Lil’ Libros author Cynthia Gonzalez for a reading of her book, The Life of Llort / La vida de Llort.
Limited free copies of the book will be available on a first come, first served basis. *Great for kids!
12 pm, 2 pm, 4 pm | Raptor Events Presentations
Join our friends from Raptor Events to meet some live animals and learn about the importance of conservation. *Great for kids!
Keep A Lookout For…
Performing Arts Pop-ups
Keep a lookout for our Performing Artists as they bring nature to life through art. *Great for kids!
Masanga Marimba
Masanga Marimba performs traditional and popular family-friendly music from Africa and Latin America on giant marimbas from Zimbabwe along with vocals, drums, percussion, trumpet and saxophone. The word "Masanga" comes from an African word that means the coming together of rivers or roads representing the meeting of African, Latin, and American traditions in this group.
Cynthia Gonzalez, Author
Cynthia Gonzalez was born in El Salvador and raised in South Los Angeles. She's multi-faceted with talents as a writer, poet, activist, and community leader. Cynthia has served as an executive board member for non-profits in Los Angeles and Long Beach. Her passion for seeing a positive representation of the Salvadoran community led her to establish Salvies Who Lunch, a non-profit organizational platform that connects and uplifts Salvadorans of all backgrounds through empowering and supportive events. Her work for the Salvadoran community led her to be named 2023 Honoree of Women’s International Day by the Salvadoran Consulate Ambassador in Washington D.C. Cynthia is also the author behind Lil' Libros' title, The Life of / La vida de Llort, which received the America's Awards Commended Title 2023 for authenticity and cultural portrayal of Latin America, and most recently, the Award for Best Board Book by The Latino International Book Awards.
Founded in 2017 by master falconer Jonathan Gonzalez with the goal of supporting conservation through education, we offer a variety of unique, memorable raptor and reptile experiences for fairs, school, weddings, and private parties. Learn more about our team of animal ambassadors HERE.
Horticulture Team
The Museum has a dedicated staff of horticulturalists that oversee the care and maintenance of our gardens. The Nature Gardens has over 600 kinds of plants, including California natives and others from around the world, that are home to a variety of birds, butterflies, lizards, squirrels, and more! This amazing team enjoys sharing their love for horticulture and gardens with the local community.
Follow Nature Gardens on Instagram @nhmla_naturegardens
Museum Educators
The Museum Educator team at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County are the knowledgeable staff that enhance the visitor experience through personal interaction. Through research and training, Museum Educators create and facilitate educational programs for general museum visitors, for school groups, and for special events, both in-person and virtual.
Performing Arts
The team behind the Performing Arts department at the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County creates live theatrical performances based on our exhibits, research, collections, and events.
Research and Collections
The Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County protect and share more than 35 million specimens and artifacts, the largest natural and cultural history collection in the western United States. The Research and Collections Department is the research institution within the museums. They create new knowledge through academic scholarship in history and science. Visitors can get up close to these fascinating objects and specimens, which are sometimes displayed in exhibitions and during museum events.