The EcoTarium's museum building features three floors of hands-on, interactive exhibits that explore the natural and physical sciences and our New England environment. Each year, the museum welcomes dynamic traveling exhibits, as well as houses permanent installations that make creative use of the museum's natural history collection and living wildlife. Our exhibits make learning fun and are designed to engage a family audience.

Temporary Exhibits

Building Buddies

Opening January 25 - Building Buddies provides a discovery environment that encourages the development of science and process skills at an early age, as well as promotes social interactions between visitors!

Community Curators: Local is the New Global

Through natural history collections such as ours, scientists and researchers can glean insight into its effect on a variety of animal species and our ecosystem.

Permanent Exhibits

City Science: The Science You Live

Discover the hidden science stories all around us at the EcoTarium’s hands-on interactive exhibit, City Science. This immersive exploration of the modern city allows visitors to investigate the science we encounter every day but rarely stop to consider.

Alden Planetarium

Explore the far reaches of the universe in our planetarium. Be inspired by the breathtaking visuals and state-of-the-art graphics.

Secrets of the Forest

Uncover what's living. Unlike the forests in your neighborhood, this one has plenty of comfortable places to sit... and a small stage.

Natural History Collection

Specimens from the natural world! Although a large portion of the collection can be seen on display, the EcoTarium also has many materials in storage.

Natural History Showcase

The EcoTarium owns a natural history collection of over 50,000 specimens. Each quarter, we will pull one of the hidden gems from our collection to put on display.

Curator’s Workshop

Enter the office of an 1820's natural history curator! This touching-approved area allows visitors to handle and investigate real seashells, gems, fossils, and bones.

Mineral Dome

The Mineral Dome contains 100 rare crystals and stones displayed under beautiful hand-painted skylights.

The Arctic Next Door: Mount Washington

The Arctic Next Door takes visitors on a virtual journey to explore the weather and geology of Mount Washington.

Water Planet

Explore how one of our most vital resources shapes our planet.

Preschool Discovery Area

Enrich the minds of young visitors. The EcoTarium has a dedicated space for preschool-aged children to play, create and investigate science and nature.