Inside the dome, a magnificent neotropical rainforest stretches 90 feet above. Delight in the exploits of 1,600+ live plants and animals, including taxicab-like sun beetles, leafcutter ants hard at work, and a slithering Amazonian tree boa.
From the canopy, plunge (via elevator) four stories down for a beneath-the-surface view of an Amazonian flooded forest. At each stage of the journey, you'll come face-to-face with some of the incredible animals that call these forests home.
Please note: The rainforest will be closed for maintenance from August 21 through November 17, 2023. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Watch the life cycle of tropical butterflies and moths unfold before your eyes. In our butterfly emergence chamber on the top floor of the rainforest, you'll see shiny chrysalises and structurally impressive cocoons alongside butterflies stretching their newly formed wings.
Housed within a spectacular 90-foot-diameter glass dome, our rainforest exhibit is the largest of its kind in the world. With temperatures of 82–85 degrees and humidity at 75 percent or above, it will instantly transport you to some of the most biodiverse places on Earth.
The rainforest's living plants include trees like the Brazilian beauty leaf and West Indies mahogany, dozens of shrubs—including Theobroma cacao, the plant from which chocolate is made—and hundreds of flowering plants, from begonias and philodendrons to orchids and bromeliads.
More than 1,600 live animals reside in our rainforest dome, including 250 free-flying birds and butterflies and close to 100 exotic reptiles and amphibians. From the bright flashes of blue morpho butterflies to the jewel-like colors of poison-dart frogs, you'll see fauna at its most dazzling.
Surround yourself with hundreds of tropical, freshwater fish by taking the flooded forest tunnel, a transparent passage that plunges right through our 100,000-gallon Amazonian tank. See cichlids dart through the roots of a mangrove cluster while giant arapaima soar overhead.
Osher Rainforest opens 30 minutes after the museum opens Monday–Saturday.
Monday–Saturday, 10 am–4:45 pm
Sunday, 11 am–4:45 pm
Enter the rainforest on the Main Floor, across from the Giants of Land and Sea exhibit.
These tiny orange frogs secrete highly toxic chemicals for defense—toxins they amass by eating poisonous ants.
Grainy cochran frogs, known as "glass frogs," have translucent bellies that reveal bones and organs.
The Project Lab is closed to the public as we prepare the space for an all-new exhibit. Stay tuned for updates!
Discover how animals have evolved fascinating methods of living in and out of water.
Welcome to the Academy's hub for exploration, with books, games, specimens, and more. Open daily; hours vary.
The Oustalet’s chameleon has a spring-loaded tongue, a third eye, and is the second-largest chameleon on Earth.
Beautiful and social, these birds are even known to feed chicks belonging to other members of their flock.
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