Ready to swing on by? Our seasonal #SpiderPavilion is officially here! Walk among spiders and their magnificent webs in this unique, open-air experience featuring these marvelous, fragile creatures and their spectacular webs. 🕷 On view now through November 30. Tickets and details: nhm.org/spiders

From the Press Room | For the more than 242 million years that lizards and snakes appear in the fossil record, they show up as mostly pieces of lizard jaws and snake vertebrae. Exactly why these parts survive as fossils has been a mystery—until now: go.nhm.org/megafilters

🐘 At the Museum, practically 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 day is National Elephant Appreciation Day. Within our African and North American Diorama Halls, lifelike wild animals—like our iconic and majestic African elephant herd—roam their natural habitats in timeless glory.

🦀 Before crabs became beachside regulars, they were deep-sea drifters on an evolutionary odyssey. Their journey reshaped our understanding of crab evolution—and shows just how adaptable these ancient arthropods really were. Take a closer look at these crabby pioneers: bit.ly/OdysseyofCrabs

⚠️ Saturday, September 20, the L.A. Memorial Coliseum will host the USC vs. Michigan State football game with kickoff at 8pm. The event will impact traffic, parking, and wayfinding in the area due to street closures. Please consider riding the Metro E (Expo) Line and exiting at USC/Expo station.

#Educators, will you be joining us this Saturday, September 20, for our Educator Open House? Hear about our latest School Programs offerings for the 2025–2026 school year, explore the Museum, enter to win some fabulous prizes, and more! Free to RSVP. go.nhm.org/edu0920

The arrival of this new specimen highlights the crucial relationship zoos play in ensuring rare and endangered species are represented in museum collections like ours: go.nhm.org/white-rhino

🔍👀 Curious to see what's being kept behind the museum's closed doors? Yolanda Bustos, Director of Archives at #NHMLA, presents some pieces from the collections!

Calling all Educators! Join us this Saturday, September 20, for our Educator Workshop and hear about our latest School Programs offerings for the 2025–2026 school year! Explore the Museum, enter to win some fabulous prizes, and more. Free to RSVP: go.nhm.org/edu0920

Are you an undergraduate or graduate student whose research would benefit from visiting a collection at the @nhm.org? Apply now for our Collections Study Award! Deadline is Oct. 1; learn more at nhm.org/student-coll...

Inspired: at last night's dinner for the @nhm.org 's #Dinosaur Institute, this was the salad. [Hope those green dots aren't foreshadowing the Chicxulub asteroid that did in the dinos ... ]

Sandy Avila inspires a strong sense of sisterhood, motivating her Lady Lowrider Car Club to support one another in their builds. Beyond that bond, the club is deeply committed to giving back: organizing annual toy drives, food donations, and participating in community events. youtu.be/NqyVMO-ep0o

𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. Kick off the Halloween season at our Member-exclusive Haunted Museum event at #NHMLA! Join us after-hours as the Museum transforms into a world of spine-tingling and thrilling experiences on Saturday, October 4: go.nhm.org/hauntedmuseu... 👻 Thanks to our event sponsor Zolli Candy!

👀 How are #NHMLA dioramas created? Uncover previous concept art and sketches that aided in building the Museum's long-standing walrus diorama alongside our Director of Archives & Library, Yolanda Bustos.`

🦇 Outlined in a new paper published online in the Journal of Mammalogy, our Ranges Digitization Network will bring even more detail to digitized mammal collections in western North America, including biodiversity hot spots like L.A.: go.nhm.org/digitized-ma...

To celebrate a momentous 10 Years of #DinoFest, we’re looking back at a decade of discoveries from the Mesozoic—the period from about 252 to 66 million years ago, when dinosaurs evolved and then came to rule the planet: go.nhm.org/dinofest10 🦖 Will you be joining us this Sunday, September 14?

🦎 Dilophosaurus? Actually, it's a frilled lizard! Learn more about the frilled lizard with Collection Manager Nefti Camacho as we go behind the scenes in NHMLA's Herpetology Collection!

We want to hear from you! Have a couple of minutes to spare? Weigh in on our #FirstFridays 2026 Event Season: go.nhm.org/ff26survey

Join us in celebrating #UNLAB Alum Moses Aubrey’s entry into the prestigious wildlife filmmaking and science communication program, the Jackson Wild Media Lab Fellowship! (1/2) 📷 IG / average__moe, jacksonwildorg

🐝 Discover one of the 1,600 species of native California bees and the intimate portraits in conservation photographer Krystle Hickman's forthcoming book, The ABCs of California Native Bees: go.nhm.org/poppy-bee

This #DinoFest, step into the world of six iconic dinosaurs and experience them walking the Earth once more with a screening of @pbs.org’s “Walking with Dinosaurs"! In episode "The Orphan”, an orphaned baby 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘴 must outwit a deadly 𝘛. 𝘳𝘦𝘹. Can she survive? Save your spot: go.nhm.org/df25

On this day in 1850, California joined the American Union as the 31st state. In 1848, the United States and Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, officially ending the Mexican-American War and ceding vast Mexican territory, including California, to the United States. (1/4)

A multimedia art piece that aims to bridge the gap between art, science, and technology, “The Ever-Changing Flow” breathes life into the ecological evolution of the L.A. River. Hear Artist Lauren Schoth discuss the installation, currently on view for a limited time. youtu.be/y466oLvw7iU #pstART

It's time to take a peek at our latest Purrrfect Portraits! Meet our top 5 contenders for August, and congratulations to our winners, “Da Kiss” a.k.a. Mila and Koda, who just scored a cat-themed prize pack! Who’s 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 top pick?

This #DinoFest, follow dino-obsessed youth James Pinto and his filmmaker father on a global journey as they interview world-renowned paleontologists about the latest dinosaur research with a special screening of the award-winning film, “Why Dinosaurs?”: go.nhm.org/df25 @whydinosaurs.bsky.social

Tune in as the hosts of Making #LosAngeles chat with our very own President and Director, Dr. Lori Bettison-Varga, discussing what it takes to stay rooted in science and community, and how she’s working to make the museum more reflective of the city it serves: go.nhm.org/lbvmla

💍 What exactly is an Old Mine Cut diamond? Let’s take a closer look at the gem behind Taylor Swift's own love story with Dr. Aaron Celestian, Curator of Mineral Sciences.

On Sept 4, 1781, El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula was officially established. Over half of the settlers that arrived to the pueblo 244 years ago were of African descent. “L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective” by Barbara Carrasco at @nhm.org: nhm.org/mural-rememb...

Join us on Sept. 14th for @nhm.org 10th Annual #DinoFest! Geologists from CGS will be on site with a table full of rocks, fossils, maps, and hands-on activities. Save your spot today: nhm.org/dinofest

October 1 deadline for @nhm.org Student Collections Study Award. Get some $$ to spend time collecting data in our collections, including @tarpits.org Open to: - current undergraduate and grad students - *not* local to Los Angeles (international applicants welcome) More: nhm.org/student-coll... 🧪

🦖 With our 10th Annual #DinoFest on the horizon, we’re looking back at just some of our favorite cinematic dinosaurs! Did yours make the list? www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHWi...

Local black bears—𝘜𝘳𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴—are hitting up pools as SoCal heatwaves extend beyond the summer season. According to Museum Associate Curator of Mammology, Dr. Kayce Bell, this isn't a seasonal summer behavior. It just depends on the weather: go.nhm.org/bearsun

🐾 This weekend, relax, play, and discover adorable cats looking for a forever home with our Fierce! Catio Lounge adoption event! Free for Members and exhibition ticket holders. Visit for additional details and hours: go.nhm.org/catio

Monday, September 8, KCRW, Film Independent, #NHMLA, and MUBI invite you to an advance screening of “The History of Sound”, followed by a discussion with Director Oliver Hermanus in the NHM Commons Theater. 🎵 Space is limited! Learn how to RSVP and save your spot today: go.nhm.org/kcrw-thos

#SpiderPavilion season is finally here! Beginning September 14, walk among spectacular spiders and their 𝘶𝘯𝘣𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 webs in our unique, open-air experience. Hurry—these marvelous creatures are only on view through November 30: nhm.org/spiders 🕷 Members, enjoy Preview Days on Sept. 12 and 13!

🦖 Sunday, September 14, join us as we celebrate our 10th Annual #DinoFest! Peek into the prehistoric past of dinosaurs, hear from world-renowned paleontologists, see unique Cretaceous era fossil collections, Special Screenings, and more: nhm.org/dinofest

Wonder what makes leaves feel soft and fuzzy? Tiny spiky plant hairs! These are images of a California native mallow plant, Abutilon palmeri, from #NHMLA's Nature Garden. (1/2)

Temple Street faced 5 name change proposals, with each instance embroiled in controversy. Learn the history of L.A.'s Street Names featuring historic photographs and documents from the Seaver Center for Western History Research: youtu.be/sRHWTXTaeVU?...

🦇 When bat-heavy areas see waves of extreme heat, these mammals can be put at significant risk. But with a little community assistance, our nocturnal neighbors can sleep safely during hot days in a comfortable bat box—which 𝘺𝘰𝘶 can easily build and install yourself: go.nhm.org/bat-box

Last month, we saw a significant amount of ocean-dwelling purple-colored snails—a species known as 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘢 𝘫𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘢—wash up on several Southern California beaches—the first time in a decade. Dr. Jann Vendetti, Malacologist here at #NHMLA, shares some details.

🦋 Time is flying, and so are our butterflies! Don’t miss the final days of our seasonal #ButterflyPavilion on view through this Sunday, August 24: nhm.org/butterflies

Thursday, August 21, join us at @nhm.org’s NHM Commons Theater for a special co-presentation with PBS SoCal: a screening of the series Human Footprint, episode “Vanishing Act,” featuring the #TarPits! Free with RSVP! View the event details and save your spot today: go.nhm.org/pbs-hf

😸 Make sure to keep an eye out for our resident house cat around "Fierce! The Story of Cats", now on view!

Wednesday, August 20, KCRW, #NHMLA, and Searchlight Pictures invite you to a special screening of “The Roses”, followed by a conversation with Ken Concepcion, Harry Posner and Natalie Dial, moderated by KCRW's Sam Sanders in the NHM Commons Theater. 👨‍🍳 Space is limited: bit.ly/KCRW0820

🪶 Feathers are complex, each one an elegant structure crafted through millions of years of evolution. As habitats shrink and climates continue to warm, understanding the why and how of colorful bird feathers could help us better protect them into the future: go.nhm.org/feathers-work

Meet Pterodactyl, Triceratops, T. rex, Sky, Rubble, and Yen—the first round of adoptable kittens from our “Fierce!” Cat Lounge events! 🐾 Special thanks to this event’s special rescue partner Annenberg Pet Space.

Thursday, August 21, join us at @nhm.org's NHM Commons Theater for a special co-presentation with PBS SoCal: a screening of the series Human Footprint, episode “Vanishing Act,” featuring the #TarPits! Free with RSVP: go.nhm.org/pbs-hf 🦏 Presented in collaboration with PBS SoCal.

By looking at specimens at the @nhm.org and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel, Philadelphia, we* found that this phenomenon is widespread across passerine birds! *the looking was really done by Rosalyn and @ajshultz622.bsky.social

A really fun project with Rosalyn, Ben Hogan, @ajshultz622.bsky.social & Cassie Stoddard. Made possible by awesome museums & curators (@nhm.org, ansp.org) and with lots of imaging help. Here's the paper, complete with a beautiful feather close-up taken by Rosalyn (if I remember correctly):

🔥 Due to increasing greenhouse gases that change their health and biochemistry, global ocean temperatures continue to rise. How are the Pacific’s flora and fauna faring, adapting—or not—and how can 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 help? go.nhm.org/hot-water