Natural History

Woodman Institute Museum

A museum dedicated to "science, history and the arts" little changed since 1915

The thing about natural history museums is that they are usually concerned about remaining 'up-to-date' both scientifically and curatorially. This can make finding science museums that have the... »

Museums and Collections, Wonder Cabinets, Natural History, Unique Collections | Edited by Annetta

Down House

The Origin of On the Origin of Species

Charles Darwin (naturalist) left a formidable legacy for scientists, as well as for unsuspecting clergy. From 1842 til his death in 1882, Darwin and his cherished family live in Downe, England,... »

Natural History, Unique Collections, Eccentric Homes | Edited by M Rebekah Otto

International Cryptozoology Museum

The world's only international cryptozoology museum is host to an unrivaled collection of cryptid specimens

Loren Coleman first started pursuing unusual, often inexplicable animals in 1960, and has since become one of the world's foremost experts in the field of cryptozoology. The discipline, as... »

Fascinating Fauna, Museums and Collections, Strange Science, Natural History, Unique Collections, Hunting and Taxidermy, Strange Statues, Intriguing Environs | Edited by littlebrumble, wythe and others

Nantes' Natural History Museum

When science meets myth: The 'Rat King' of Nantes

Created at the end of 1800s, this beautiful museum has a rich collection of both minerals and animals (skeletons and taxidermy) and a nice vivarium. The collection of bird taxidermy is especially... »

Fascinating Fauna, Natural History | Edited by Quentin and ack sed

Foraminifera Sculpture Park

Unusual outdoor collection of sculptures

The Foraminifera Sculpture Park in Guangzhou Province officially opened in December 2009. Marine geologist Bilal Haq, of the National Science Foundation, got the idea for the sculpture park a... »

Natural History | Edited by Caspar Henderson

Wooden Books of Padova University

While most books are made of wood, these wooden books are truly made of, and all about wood

Once a collection of roughly a hundred, nearly half of these rare wooden books have been lost or destroyed since their creation in the late 1700s or early 1800s, leaving only 56 of these amazing... »

Extraordinary Flora, Strange Science, Natural History, Instruments of Science, Retro-Tech, Horticultural Marvels, Repositories of Knowledge | Edited by wythe

Neukom Vivarium at the Olympic Sculpture Park

A rotting tree in the middle of Seattle doubles as an elaborately controlled art piece

Exploring the woods inevitably involves detritus - a broken branch decaying on the ground, leaves slowly turning to dust, pine cones gone to seed. Perhaps you've stumbled across a behemoth of a... »

Extraordinary Flora, Natural History, Catacombs, Crypts, & Cemeteries, Horticultural Marvels, Incredible Ruins, Outsider Architecture | Edited by M Rebekah Otto

Bologna Zoological Museum

This zoological museum began as the first great curiousity cabinet

Monkeys with bared teeth and wild eyes, lumpy looking cheetahs, and a toothy looking polar bear are all residents of the delightfully unkempt Bologna Zoological Museum. Ferrets lay in taxonomic... »

Museums and Collections, Wonder Cabinets, Natural History | Edited by Dylan

Svalbard Seed Bank

Cold storage for agricultural biodiversity

Your grandma is right. The bananas that you can buy today in your local supermarket are not as sweet as the ones that she ate in her childhood. There are many types or "cultivars" of any given... »

Anomalous Islands, Extraordinary Flora, Natural History, Unique Collections, Instruments of Science, Long Now Locations, Horticultural Marvels, Repositories of Knowledge, Subterranean Sites | Edited by stanestane

Hunterian Museum, Glasgow

200 year old collection of oddities and medical paraphernalia

An extensive and eclectic collection of natural history specimens, ethnographic artifacts, and zoological items along with a plethora of miscellaneous oddities, the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow is... »

Strange Science, Natural History, Medical Museums, Unique Collections, Instruments of Science | Edited by Annetta

Obscura Day is coming!

Join us March 20th, 2010 in celebrating wondrous and curious places all over the world. RSVP for expeditions and tours at obscuraday.com.

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