DISCOVER
Life is Amazing! This Exhibit serves as an introduction to the overall museum experience and encourages visitors to look closer and ask questions as they explore the natural world. Get an up-close look at some of the Museum’s live animals including an eastern hellbender, alligators, poison dart frogs, a green tree python, and more!
LOOKING UP
Explore the Earth’s unique place in space and its “just right” relationship to the Sun: not too close and not too far. Also, touch a real meteorite from outer space!
FOUNDATIONS
See how different conditions on Earth, including geology, geography, and weather disturbances, provide the “building blocks” for life on Earth. Experiment with a hands-on kinetic sand table highlighting a variety of biomes that could include an erupting volcano, snow-capped mountains, flowing rivers, and more. Discover the beauty in the Earth’s rocks and minerals.
RIVERS & STREAMS
Explore some of the various habitats across Alabama that are made possible by fresh water, including a 600-gallon freshwater aquarium. Ever wonder what’s inside a beaver lodge? Crawl into a reconstructed one and find out!
CAVES
Explore an authentically constructed cave based on Alabama caves. Look for hidden animals, crawl through walls, and watch out for bats and bears! Visitors learn about the creatures that live in different zones of a cave. This Exhibit is wheelchair accessible, even the squeeze.
ARCTIC/DESERT
The Arctic/Desert Exhibit compares the similarities and differences between the Arizona Sonoran Desert and the Alaskan Arctic. Did you know both environments are home to foxes and bees? How do they survive and thrive in the extreme heat or cold? Find out in the Arctic/Desert Exhibit!
OCEANS
Marvel at the amazing life of a coral reef in the 15,000-gallon saltwater aquarium. The 440-gallon aquarium is home to the type of jellyfish known as South American sea nettles. Discover live coral, as well as a digital shell interactive.
FORESTS
Wander through the forest and look up, down, in, and under. Climb “Big Tree,” explore Curiosity Cabin, and visit the Birds Exhibit on the second-floor mezzanine. Learn about the plants and animals of southeastern forests, including carnivorous plants that catch insects for food!
WONDERFUL WORLD OF INSECTS
Take a close look at both live and pinned insects. Terrariums on display include insects and arachnids that live on land, in water, and around the house. There is also an area for toddlers to play.