iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 8h

Did you know that dripping water can grow minerals? These malachite specimens all formed from water flowing underground! Water absorbs chemicals from surrounding rocks as it trickles through cracks. New minerals grow with each drip once it seeps out into a cave. 📍 Unearthed: Raw Beauty, Level 1

Malachite specimen on display at NHM's Unearthed: Raw Beauty exhibit.

05014

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 01/10/2026

🔎 Friday, October 16, join us at NHM to celebrate @blackmammalogists.bsky.social with a special one-day, hands-on event honoring the incredible contributions of Black scientists and conservationists in the field of mammalogy! Free with admission. View full event details: go.nhm.org/black-mammal...

A variety of taxidermy mammals from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County diorama halls bathed in a cool, violet hue with text, "Black Mammalogists Week Celebration / Oct 16" with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and Black Mammalogists logos.

0184

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 30/09/2026

Every intrepid inquiry, whether it be far afield or in L.A., offers the chance for our museums to become better stewards of our natural and cultural worlds. From islands off the Southern California coast to the mountains of Antarctica, see what wonders we’ve found: go.nhm.org/our-global-f...

Screenshot of the Our Global Footprint interactive map featuring numerous expeditions, fieldwork, findings, and more from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

062

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 28/09/2026

👻 Calling all ghouls and ghosts… Haunted Museum is just two weeks away! Saturday, October 10, satisfy your thirst and sip on brews, dance the night away to monster-mashing tunes, and grab a bite of delicious sweet treats from local food trucks, all after hours at the Museum! nhm.org/hauntedmuseum

0132

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 26/09/2026

💙🦋 Don’t miss #NightTales select evenings beginning November 12! nhm.org/nighttales

052

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 26/09/2026

Interrupting your doomscroll to bring you more stunning NHM specimens courtesy of featured #NightTales artist Maggie West. instagram.com/maggiewest

Amethyst Quartz Scepters from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County collections. Artwork by Maggie West.

A peacock feather from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County collections. Artwork by Maggie West.

Zinna from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Edible Garden. Artwork by Maggie West.

A longhorn beetle from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County collections. Artwork by Maggie West.

14715

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 26/09/2026

🫱 Did you know all mammals, including killer whales, have the same bones humans have in our forearms and hands? Amanda Killian, Assistant Collection Manager, shares just one of many fascinating things about orcas. Dive deeper with our new exhibition “Orcas: Our Shared Future”, now on view at NHM.

0174

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 25/09/2026

Thursday, October 1, uncover the compelling stories behind the featured objects in our special exhibition, “The Declaration in Progress”, and see how individual actions have continually shaped our nation's history in a fascinating virtual conversation—Free to RSVP: go.nhm.org/declaration-...

Digital scan of a portion of a draft copy of the Declaration of Independence, courtesy of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

081

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 25/09/2026

We honor the thriving, diverse Native American tribes that call Los Angeles home and proudly celebrate their living cultures, history, resilience, and leadership through storytelling and programs with community partners. go.nhm.org/native-ameri...

Exterior view of NHM Commons at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County with native plants and a commemorative plaque acknowledging the Native American and Indigenous peoples of Los Angeles.

080

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 25/09/2026

Today, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County recognizes the 59th annual California Native American Day, a statewide observance honoring California Native peoples. californianativeamericanday.com

3175

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 23/09/2026

This embryo fossil from 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘺𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴 provides us with the most reliable evidence of the identity of the eggs and the dinosaur that laid them. 📍 Dinosaur Hall, Level 1

Close-up of the embryo of 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘺𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴

1263

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 23/09/2026

Would you believe these eggs are from a dinosaur that lived approximately 200 million years ago? Although identifying which species of dinosaur laid a particular egg is quite difficult, the surest way is to find an embryo inside an unhatched fossilized egg, which is a rare find.

14415

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 22/09/2026

We’re pleased to offer special discounts of $5 off General Admission for Adults and $3 off General Admission for Children, Students, and Seniors. Simply show your Lucas Museum ticket to on-site staff to save.* *Valid within 30 days of your visit. Offer ends December 31, 2026.

An exterior shot from Exposition Park featuring NHM Commons at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, South LA Cafe, and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.

1123

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 22/09/2026

👋 Hello there, #LucasMuseum! Extending a warm welcome to our new neighbors across the way at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art! Featuring galleries celebrating visual storytelling, NHM is happy to share common threads of stories, community, and imagination with a fellow cultural institution.

1203

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 21/09/2026

Final weeks! Don't miss the October 1 deadline for the NHM Student Collections Study Awards, open to all undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in an accredited degree-granting program. Apply today: go.nhm.org/student-coll...

Students work on a jacketed fossil in the Dinosaur Institute at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

0128

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 20/09/2026

An experience inspired by our collections and the natural world, #NightTales is more than a light show, sparking curiosity and delight at every turn. Artist Maggie West shares more of her work, noting, “So thrilled I got to photograph this rare black jaguar before it went on display in the museum.”

A taxidermy black jaguar from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County's collections. Photography/Artwork by Maggie West.

Artist Maggie West poses for a photo with a taxidermy black jaguar from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County's collections. Photography/Artwork by Maggie West.

Live blooms from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County's collections. Photography/Artwork by Maggie West.

Textured minerals from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County's collections. Photography/Artwork by Maggie West.

1131

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 20/09/2026

⚡ Ground Control to Major Tom... To celebrate the opening of our annual Spider Pavilion, we need your help naming our newest resident: a David Bowie Huntsman spider! With a lot of star power, Heteropoda davidbowie deserves a stage-worthy name! Drop your suggestions in the comments below. — 🧵

3143

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 19/09/2026

Educators! Next Saturday, join us for our Educator Open House where you'll hear about our School Programs offerings for 2026 - 2027, enjoy table displays and activities, and enter to win fabulous prizes—including a bus scholarship for a trip to NHM! Register for free today: go.nhm.org/eoh-0926

Education professionals enjoy a round of laughs at a Natural History Museum Workshop/Open House.

0114

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 19/09/2026

This Sunday, September 20, join us for the 12th Annual #BobBakerDay at L.A. State Historic Park! Snap a photo with our adorable P-22 puppet, greet the NHM Performing Arts Team, and enjoy a free all-day festival of fun, puppetry, music, and more! RSVP required: go.nhm.org/bob-baker-day

Illustrated art featuring various puppets upon a train with text, "12th Annual Bob Baker Day / Sunday September 20th 10am - 5pm FREE all day Carnival".

Performing Artist Oscar Nava brings life to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County's P-22 marionette puppet.

A P-22 mountain lion cut out beside the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County's marionette puppet P-22.

081

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 19/09/2026

⚠️ Early Closure Advisory: Today, Saturday, September 19, the Natural History Museum will close at 3pm due to nearby events and road closures in Exposition Park. nhm.org

A variety of visitors enjoy "Orcas: Our Shared Future" at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

040

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 18/09/2026

Porteous' rockfish was a shallow-water fish related to the rockfishes commonly found along the Pacific Coast today. Near-complete skeletons of 𝘚𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘪 can reveal important details about the extinct fish, such as numbers of vertebrae, scale patterns, and fin shapes.

1217

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 16/09/2026

🎬 Next month, join us for “Movies Under the Microscope”, a special series of screenings featuring expert-led discussions, lively pre-screening receptions, and a fun look at what 80s sci-fi got both right and hilariously wrong! go.nhm.org/movies

140

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 15/09/2026

Saturday, October 10, join us for our annual Haunted Museum—our after-hours, Member-exclusive event that transforms NHM into a world of thrilling experiences with nocturnal animals, hidden curiosities, and wonders of the natural world! Become a Member and save your spot today: nhm.org/hauntedmuseum

0102

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 13/09/2026

Using shovels, scrapers, sieves, nets, and their bare hands, our scientists have been sampling tide pools for the California Intertidal Biodiversity DNA Barcode Library Project—a "biolibrary" that helps identify inhabitants of the coast's precious ecosystems: nhm.org/stories/barc...

This gorgeous snail, Simnia vidleri, lives by eating the polyps of gorgonians, and is quite likely to turn up in the near-intertidal under floating docks in Southern California. Courtesy of Amanda Bemis and Eve Moore.

Tiny ostracods like this Leuroleberis sharpei, just a few millimeters long, are among the (literally) thousands of species swimming around, usually unnoticed, in California’s intertidal zone. Courtesy of Amanda Bemis and Eve Moore.

This cute “Globe Crab” lives just below the water on sandy beaches, burrowing in the sand for protection, launching out to forage for food. Courtesy of Amanda Bemis and Eve Moore.

The shockingly pink Corynactis corals live in cold water on the California coast. Closely related to the reef-building corals, these have no hard skeleton. Courtesy of Amanda Bemis and Eve Moore.

0264

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 12/09/2026

"The specimen pictured [here] is a tiger moth. They often have brightly colored hind wings in shades of red. When startled by a predator, tiger moths flash these vivid wings, creating a sudden burst of color intended to surprise or scare away whatever is trying to eat them." — 🧵

1100

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 12/09/2026

"I spoke with Assistant Curators of Entomology Megan Barkdull and Rodrigo Monjaraz Ruedas and asked them questions about butterflies, moths and the work the museum does in research and conservation." — 🧵

161

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 12/09/2026

"As part of #NightTales, I worked with the NHM Entomology Department to photograph specimens from the museum’s collection, using colored light to transform them into images for the show," says Featured Artist Maggie West. — 🧵

1316

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 11/09/2026

⛏️ 2026 marks a milestone at Ghost Ranch’s Hayden Quarry: two decades of ongoing exploration! See how the team dug deep into the origins of dinosaurs and their close relatives, all while equipping the next generation for even more discovery: go.nhm.org/ghost-ranch

The Ghost Ranch paleontological crew 2026. Photo by Tyler Hayden.

0101

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 09/09/2026

🎨 Friday, September 25, experience an intimate evening of conversation and creativity with Chicana artist Barbara Carrasco and her landmark mural, “L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective”! Free with advance registration and space is very limited: go.nhm.org/painting-la

1102

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 09/09/2026

Beginning Sunday, September 20, walk among spiders and their unbeweavable webs in our seasonal #SpiderPavilion, an open-air experience that gives you a rare glimpse into the secret life of spiders—from hundreds of orb weavers and their webs to enclosed habitats housing tarantulas: nhm.org/spiders

0125

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 06/09/2026

Considering spending the rest of your #LaborDay weekend with us? Browse featured experiences and save your spot before your visit—we’ll be open Monday, September 7, too! nhm.org/calendar 📍 Orcas: Our Shared Future, Ground Level

A couple explores "Orcas: Our Shared Future", a joint venture between and produced by the Royal BC Museum and MuseumsPartner.

0131

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 06/09/2026

Meet prehistoric high-flyer 𝘙𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪! This pterosaur was abundant in the islands that dotted an ancient tropical sea in what is now Central Europe. 𝘙𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴' sharp teeth may have been used to catch fish along the islands it inhabited. 📍 Dinosaur Hall (Upper Floor), Level 1

Skeleton cast of 𝘙𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪 displayed in NHM's Dino Hall.

07318

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 05/09/2026

Voyage alongside Dr. Tania Pineda-Enriquez, Collections Manager of Echinoderms, who recently returned from an epic expedition to document sea creatures inhabiting one of the most remote places on Earth—Antarctica: go.nhm.org/antarctic-ex...

Dr. Tania Pineda-Enriquez, Collections Manager of Echinoderms, photographed on a 2026 expedition in Antarctica.

0153

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 04/09/2026

⚠️ Today, September 4, the Natural History Museum will close early at 3pm due to the USC game at the Coliseum. Expect street closures, traffic, and limited parking in Exposition Park. Visitors are strongly encouraged to take the Metro E Line to the Expo Park/USC station.

061

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 03/09/2026

Dall's thinhorn sheep, or 𝘖𝘷𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪 𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪, are native to the high mountain ranges of northwestern North America. The species has notable horn types—males are known for their trademark curled horns, while females' are much shorter and slender. 📍 North American Mammal Hall, Level 1

Dall's thinhorn sheep displayed in the North American Mammal Hall at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

0181

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 01/09/2026

This holiday season, step out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary with #NightTales, an illuminated Natural History Museum experience featuring artwork by Maggie West. Tickets now on sale for select dates beginning November 12! nhm.org/nighttales

051

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 31/08/2026

The species belonged to the theropod group of dinosaurs, many of which had bird-like feathers. Evidence from theropods like 𝘊𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘹 help prove that birds originated from within this group. 📍 Dinosaur Hall (Upper Floor), Level 1

Close up of Skeleton cast of 𝘊𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘹 𝘻𝘰𝘶𝘪 displayed in NHM's Dino Hall.

1375

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 31/08/2026

Meet your new fine-feathered friend! Similar to its modern day descendants, 𝘊𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘹 𝘻𝘰𝘶𝘪 had feathers—but it wasn't a bird.

Skeleton cast of 𝘊𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘹 𝘻𝘰𝘶𝘪 displayed in NHM's Dino Hall.

210626

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 28/08/2026

What do these bats have in common? Simple: they’re all found in SoCal backyards! Ahead of International Bat Night, learn more about the Backyard Bat project and the various species we call neighbors: go.nhm.org/backyard-bats 📷 José G. Martínez-Fonseca

Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis). Photo by José G. Martínez-Fonseca.

Canyon bat (Parastrellus hesperus). Photo by José G. Martínez-Fonseca.

Hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus). Photo by José G. Martínez-Fonseca.

Western red bat (Lasiurus blosevellii). Photo by José G. Martínez-Fonseca.

1387

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 27/08/2026

Explore NHM like never before through #NightTales, an illuminated museum experience featuring artwork by Maggie West. Wander through halls and gardens where enchanting encounters bring our diverse collections to life. Member tickets now on sale! General tickets on sale Sept. 1: nhm.org/nighttales

091

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 26/08/2026

For centuries, birds have taken flight through myths and folklore. What's your favorite bird legend? 📍 Ralph W. Schreiber Hall of Birds, Level 2

0141

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 26/08/2026

The highly sought-after collectible speaks to Dolly’s business acumen, longevity, and diversity of her career—Dolly was famous enough 50 years ago to have her own doll, and she is just as famous, if not more so, today, nearly 50 years later. From here to the moon and back, #DollyParton. 🖤

Close-up photo of the 1978 Dolly Parton collectible doll in the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County collections.

0161

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 26/08/2026

It’s hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world, and #DollyParton sure was proof! In 1978, the Goldberger Doll Mfg. Company released the first commercially manufactured celebrity doll in the icon’s appearance, one of which made its way into the NHM Collections pictured here.

Photo of the 1978 Dolly Parton collectible doll in the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County collections.

1336

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 24/08/2026

👀 Meet the "doomsday fish". 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘯𝘦, better known as the oarfish, is a deep-sea giant that's rarely spotted near the surface. Living at depths of up to 3,000 feet, these elusive fish are known for floating vertically through the water in a unique heads-up position.

1294

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 24/08/2026

This holiday season, step out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary with #NightTales, an illuminated Natural History Museum experience featuring artwork by Maggie West. Select dates beginning November 12. Member tickets on sale August 27. General tickets on sale September 1: nhm.org/nighttales

1155

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 20/08/2026

At NHM, these rare shells are carefully preserved and studied in our Collections, helping researchers learn more about their diversity for years to come. 📍 Collective Knowledge from Our Changing World, NHM Commons

Cuban painted snail shells photographed by Craig Cutler.

070

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 20/08/2026

How much variation can exist within a species? Photographed by Craig Cutler, these 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘺𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘢 shells all came from the same region, yet their striking colors and patterns vary widely. Their beauty has made them highly sought after by collectors, contributing to their declining populations.

1224

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 14/08/2026

Found in Late Cretaceous deposits of southeastern Brazil, the newly described 𝘛𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘮 is one of the best-preserved and earliest-evolving snakes discovered, and may have helped uncoil the mysterious evolutionary origins of snakes: go.nhm.org/dino-age-snake 🎨 Gabriel Ugueto

Life reconstruction of the burrowing stem snake Tametara mirim against a background of sauropod dinosaurs and the enantiornithean bird Navaornis from the same locality in the Adamantina Formation, Late Cretaceous of Brazil. Illustration by Gabriel Ugueto.

0328

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 13/08/2026

🦖 What's been cooking in the Dino Lab? This fossilized skull of an extinct phytosaur was excavated in Ghost Ranch, NM. Look closely and you'll spot its osteoderms—bones embedded in the skin that create an armor to protect it from injury.

0202

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 12/08/2026

Sunday, August 30, don’t miss a special screening of NBC’s #SurvivingEarth episode 3, “When the Asteroid Fell”, during our 11th annual Dino Fest! Enjoy a pre-screening virtual Q&A with Tim Haines, Series Executive Producer, and Dr. Nathan Smith at the NHM Commons Theater: nhm.org/dinofest

160