Discover who lives in the neighborhood when you visit a freshwater pond, a saltwater beach, an urban woodland, and a community garden.
At the freshwater pond, get a "fish-eye view" when you crawl inside the pond aquarium to watch fish and turtles swim among aquatic plants. Special cameras and listening devices let you be field scientists, watching and listening for animals hidden throughout the diorama.
Running near the pond is a stream, which cascades down a series of waterfalls. Along the stream, you can find fish, muskrats, raccoons, and birds—and see how animals interact with and depend on water.
In the community garden, dig, plant, and harvest play plants. Become an environmental DJ by mixing the unique rhythms of man-made and natural outdoor sounds at the a kid-friendly mixing board; or climb inside a hollow log in the urban woodland to get an up-close look at underground organisms and live toads, snakes, and turtles that live in the forest.
With help from Museum educators, you can touch live horseshoe crabs and sea stars at the tide pool in the saltwater beach. Create your own marine animal models and test how they move in the wave pool; or in the sandy dunes, sift for clues to marine life in the area and then check nearby specimen samples to identify what you’ve found.
Nearby, the Greenhouse and outdoor Garden are filled with common and exotic live plants, insects, and animals—see how many you can find!
In the Science Inquiry Center, you can find field guides and other resources for eco-adventures in your own neighborhood, or say "hi" to Fantasia, the Museum's famous, 20-foot-long albino Burmese Python.