BE ADVISED: Due to nearby events on Friday, April 4, parking and traffic around the Natural History Museum will be impacted. Parking for First Fridays is available at the Blue Visitor Parking Structure, located at 39th St and Figueroa St in Exposition Park. Please plan your visit accordingly, and consider using rideshare or public transportation.

Green border around a closeup of two taxidermy elephants with tusks

Upcoming Events

Explore NHM’s iconic 100-year-old diorama halls after-hours with Elephant in the Room, a bold new discussion series that tackles thought-provoking, and sometimes controversial, topics in the museum world and elsewhere. This year’s theme pulls back the curtain on the artistry, science, and controversies surrounding the museum’s beloved installations, providing a platform for dialogue and discovery. The inaugural series complements NHM’s latest exhibition, Reframing Dioramas: The Art of Preserving Wilderness, offering a fresh perspective on these iconic and historic displays. Through this lens, you’ll: 

  • Explore the evolving role of dioramas in addressing critical issues in biodiversity, ecology, and conservation––and their lasting impact on those fields.
  • Uncover how dioramas combine immersive art and scientific accuracy to educate and inspire while focusing on the ethical issues surrounding dioramas .
  • Gain behind-the-scenes insights from the artists and scientists who brought these scenes to life over the decades. 

*This is a past event. Check back for future events. 

pink frame around two gemsbucks with antlers
Reframing Dioramas: The Art of Preserving Wilderness

Experience immersive new installations that call attention to dioramas as a unique combination of art and science.

Visit the exhibition

PST ART Art & Science Collide Presented by Getty