On Friday, I got the chance to visit the Museum of Natural History for the first time and I can honestly say that it was worth the wait. As soon as I saw the dinosaur skeleton in the entrance, I knew that this was going to be a great trip. I soon became lost looking for the Hall of Biodiversity but I didn’t mind. In fact, I wandered around the museum aimlessly, gazing at the sights in wonder.

Eventually, I made my way to the Hall of Biodiversity and my attention was drawn to the Spectrum of Life display along the wall of the room. This display was basically a trip through the evolution of life on Earth. There were hundreds of species on the wall, ranging from the smallest bacteria to the largest aquatic organisms. Just looking at the sheer diversity on the wall and realizing that the species on the wall are but a small sample of the total diversity on Earth left me in awe of the complexity of life on Earth.

During my 15 minutes at this section of the exhibit, I counted about 32 people come and look at the Spectrum of Life. I noticed that most of the people who lingered in this area tended to be older while the children just looked up at the animals and leave quickly. I feel that this was attributed to the fact that this section of the exhibit was not as interactive or lively as some of the other exhibits, which were complemented by vibrant videos. The older people took their time and actually tended to read through some of the descriptions of the life on the wall. Most of the comments that people made were positive in that they expressed learning and greater appreciation for life. I also noticed that very few people noticed that the exhibit was interactive. Nevertheless, the fact that children were not too interested in the Spectrum of Life was slightly disappointing to me because I feel that if children can come to feel wonder about life, they will have a greater appreciation for it as they grow older.

I feel that this exhibit could be improved vastly if there is a more explicit, interactive section to the Spectrum of Life. The small monitors that were located at each group of life were small and inconspicuous. They would have had a greater effect if the screens were a bit larger and had a much simpler interface. Nevertheless, the exhibit had a great effect on those willing to stay a little longer and read about each walk of life on the wall.

The second exhibit that I visited was the Dzanga-Sangha Rainforest exhibit. This exhibit was a wonderfully realistic representation of the Dzanga-Sangha Rainforest. Once I stepped foot in the exhibit, it was like I had entered a new world. The dim lighting and the abundance of trees, vines, and model animals made the exhibit come to life. While sitting down on the bench, I estimated that about 53 visitors took the liberty of walking through the rainforest. There were many more children in this exhibit than at the Spectrum of Life, though many of the children seemed to be on a field trip. Even so, the children definitely had a better time in the rainforest exhibit than the Spectrum of Life. One reason for this was that the displays were much more interactive, as there were many more videos, books that patrons could touch and flip the pages to, etc. Also, the rainforest setting seemed to excite the children and I could hear many cries of “This is so cool!” The adults in the exhibit seemed to feed off the energy of the children, making this exhibit one of the liveliest in the Hall of Biodiversity.

The museum has done a great job with the rainforest exhibit. It is so realistic that a person feels that he/she is instantly transported to a new, foreign place. The videos are informative and engaging and the general atmosphere of the exhibit is one of wonder and excitement. I don’t really think that there is much I can say to improve this exhibit.

My trip to the Museum of Natural History was one that I will surely remember for a long time. Every exhibit I visited was a wonderful experience and I learned a lot. I’m definitely going to go again soon!