So many wonderful exhibits I remember:

At the Provincial Museum in Victoria (British Columbia) the exhibits have
wonderful attention to detail, and are not behind glass.  The rocky shore
diorama has seabird cries and surf sounds, and also water splashing ashore
and receding.  The forest diorama has woodpecker drilling and other forest
sounds and a creek running across the front.  There's a 19th century kitchen
with the smell of the fresh-baked gingersnaps that are cooling on the table.

At USNM, I'm embarrassed to say, what I remember best from 40 years ago is
the doll house.  It had a "bear skin rug" made from a white mouse.  That's
when I decided I wanted to work in a natural history museum when I grew up.
My career goals changed many times before reaching adulthood, but now here I
am!

At AMNH (30-40 years ago) there were several.  The gigantic shark jaws in
the marine hall; the elephant stampede in Africa Hall; the spiral history of
the universe, showing human arrival as the last little sliver.


Two exhibits at Carnegie Museum that attract a lot of attention:

The camel driver being attacked by now-extinct desert lions.  One lion is
dead but the man's pistol is on the sand beside it.  The other has its claws
in the camel's rump and camel and driver are both pretty panicked.  It has
been immortalized in a novel.

The small case on cultural icons in Bird Hall, with the species they
represent.  There's the "Fruit Loops" bird (toucan), Tweety Bird (canary),
Opus (penguin), the Roadrunner, and so on.  The kids (including teens) love
seeing their characters' alter egos.

Robin

Robin K Panza                         [log in to unmask]
Collection Manager, Section of Birds          ph:  412-622-3255
Carnegie Museum of Natural History       fax: 412-622-8837
4400 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh  PA  15213-4008  USA

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