goSmithsonian - June 2008 - (Page 38)

SECOND FLOOR JANET ANNENBERG HOOKER HALL OF GEOLOGY, GEMS AND MINERALS Formed long ago by heat and pressure deep within the earth, minerals and gemstones delight us with their distinctive shapes and brilliant colors. Check out the two beautiful gemstones in the new acquisitions case: the unusual purple 40.10-carat elbaite, a member of the tourmaline mineral family, and the 15.93-carat grossular garnet that displays an exceptional blue-green color. Choose from two approaches to view the artifacts in these galleries. Science buffs may like the slow, studied route with opportunities to see, for example, a model of the 3-D molecular structure of NaCl—sodium chloride, or ordinary table salt. The fast route takes visitors directly to our best-known artifact, the 45.52 carat deep-blue Hope Diamond, the world’s largest stone of its kind. The museum houses the world’s most extensive meteorite collection. Some 20,000 of these space travelers are here, including many that you can touch. Don’t forget to visit the “Plate Tectonics Gallery” and use the interactive seismograph to create your own earthquake! “The Live Butterfly Pavilion” features hundreds of exotic butterflies from around the world. WESTERN CULTURES The “Hall of Western Cultures” features 2,500 artifacts depicting the rich traditions and multiple influences of societies that thrived around the Mediterranean Sea from 8,000 B.C. to about A.D. 500. See several 3,000-year-old Egyptian coffins and 3,500-year-old death masks. BONES AND REPTILES A group of primate skeletons greets visitors to the Bones Hall. Notice the shrew’s ribs: so tiny they look like bits of white thread. Can you spot the zebra’s broken rib? A Gila monster’s tail looks too big—it’s only slightly smaller than its body. A Komodo dragon looks like a monster from the past. (See a live Komodo dragon at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.) INSECTS In the “O. Orkin Insect Zoo,” watch as volunteers feed a tarantula. Or hold in your hand a Madagascar hissing cockroach, lubber grasshopper, tomato hornworm caterpillar and other live insects. BUTTERFLIES Discover how butterflies evolved, adapted and diversified in the new exhibition, “Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution.” In “The Live Butterfly Pavilion” (see p. 32 for admission charges) walk among hundreds of butterflies from around the world. THE KOREA GALLERY This exhibition features cultural objects and artifacts from the Smithsonian and other collections. Here, ceramics, paintings, textiles and sculptures—from the 6th century B.C. to the 21st century—represent more than two millennia of Korea’s history and distinctive culture. MUSEUM STORES In the two ground-floor stores, find unique items, fine and costume jewelry, home accents, toys, clothing and accessories for everyone on your gift list. Don’t miss the wonderful selection of multicolored amber necklaces. (Buyer beware: the bear skeleton and the cutlass fish are not for sale!) The Gem Store is on the second floor near the exit of the IMAX® theater. Hobbyists and jew- 38 www.goSmithsonian.com JOHN STEINER, NMNH (2); SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 2007 http://www.goSmithsonian.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of goSmithsonian - June 2008

goSmithsonian - June 2008 Contents Visitor Information Smithsonian Institution Building—The Castle The S. Dillon Ripley International Gallery Dining Guide Donald W. Reynolds Center Smithsonian American Art Museum National Portrait Gallery National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Discovery Theater, SITES, Folklife Festival and more National Museum of American History Map of the National Mall National Museum of Natural History National Museum of the American Indian Arthur M. Sackler Gallery/Asian Art Freer Gallery of Art/Asian and American Art Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden/Contemporary and Modern Art National Museum of African Art Renwick Gallery/American Art National Postal Museum Anacostia Community Museum National Zoological Park

goSmithsonian - June 2008

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