NightTales

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See L.A.’s Natural History Museum in a Whole New Light

Step out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary this holiday season with NightTales, a premium indoor-outdoor after-dark experience at the Natural History Museum, featuring artwork by Maggie West.

Wander through wonder with glowing installations, cinematic projections, and enchanting encounters throughout the Museum’s halls and gardens. More than a traditional light show, this immersive experience is inspired by the Museum’s diverse collections and the natural world, sparking curiosity and delight at every turn.

Highlights:

• See the Natural History Museum transformed after dark through glowing installations, cinematic projections, and immersive visual encounters across indoor and outdoor spaces.
• Discover new perspectives on the natural world as art, science, and technology come together throughout NightTales.
• Encounter NHM’s collections in unexpected ways as familiar specimens are reimagined using light, sound, and projected imagery.
• NightTales is open on select nights from November 12, 2026 through January 10, 2027.

Make NightTales your new dazzling holiday tradition! 

Please note: NightTales takes place in select Museum and garden spaces, with other areas closed during the event.

Photo by Maggie West

About Maggie West

Maggie West is a Los Angeles-based artist working with photography, video, and large-scale installation art. Photography and time-lapse are central to West’s practice. By documenting natural subjects over extended periods, she reveals movements, transformations, and patterns that are often invisible to the human eye. West combines these photographic techniques with light and technology to create heightened environments that blur the boundaries between documentation and fantasy.

For the inaugural season of NightTales, West transforms imagery of real specimens from NHM’s collections into luminous works of art.

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