Don’t just look – touch
Originally housed in the Dodgers VIP lounge, the towering stuffed polar bear that now stands in the second-floor Discovery Room at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles was donated by the baseball organization “for the enjoyment of children” – according to the worn brass plaque at the bear’s feet. And enjoyed it has been. Unlike most museum exhibits, visitors are welcome – even encouraged – to touch the furry mammal. The bear, rearing up on its hind legs, is a little worse for wear thanks to the many fingers that have lovingly stroked it over the years.
The polar bear is just one of many unexpected “hands-on” experiences offered by the museum, which first opened its doors in 1913. Almost a century later, it underwent an extensive renovation and reinvigoration of the traditional natural history museum model. The north side of the campus opens to a urban wilderness garden full of native plants and official “get dirty” areas. Patrons are invited to dig through compost and discover what lives in the soil. Inside the museum, Dinosaur Encounters vividly brings to life the infamous Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops. Puppeteers wear elaborate costumes designed by the same artists who created the dinosaurs for the movie Jurassic Park. The realistic-looking puppets stalk the North American Mammal Hall with blinking eyes and attention-grabbing growls, demonstrating the perceived hunting habits of the late Cretaceous beasts.
Info
Address 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90007, +1 213.763.DINO, www.nhm.org, info@nhm.org | Public Transport Expo Line to Expo/Vermont Station, then a .2-mile walk | Getting there Paid lots and metered street parking | Hours Daily 9:30am–5pm. Admission: $12 adults, $9 students & seniors, $5 kids ages 3–12.| Tip The Space Shuttle Endeavor made a dramatic entrance when it was flown into LAX on the back of a 747 and was towed via city streets to its new home at the neighboring California Science Center (700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90007).
On the first Friday of the month from February through June, the Natural History Museum morphs after hours into what may be LA’s coolest nightclub. The diorama halls are recast as a performance space for bands and a bar features a live DJ and illuminated coffee tables and sofas. First Fridays admission is $18 to $20 for non-members and free for members, but tickets must be reserved in advance.
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