Sink Your Teeth into Shark Science with a Fin-tastic Exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science!

Sharks! The Meg, The Monsters & The Myths

Sharks The Meg, The Monsters & The Myths | Credit: ©️HMNS

The Houston Museum of Natural Science is launching a new interactive exhibit, Sharks! The Meg, The Monsters & The Myths, opening to members on May 26, and to the general public on May 27. The exhibit aims to challenge the many misconceptions and fears that surround these ancient and fascinating creatures.

Despite their long history, sharks are often portrayed in a negative light, with films such as Jaws exacerbating public fears. In reality, more people are struck by lightning or killed by infected mosquitoes than bitten by sharks.

The exhibit includes six galleries with live animals, life-sized models, and interactive displays exploring shark biology, history, and conservation. Visitors can also learn about the threats that sharks face, with over one-third of all species now facing extinction. Sharks are essential to maintaining the balance of the oceans, with coral reefs and other marine ecosystems relying on them to control the populations of other marine life. The shark exhibit is supported by Novum Energy and The J.W. Couch Foundation, and entrance requires a separate ticket. Purchase tickets here.

“Sharks very well might be the most misunderstood animals on earth, with the possible exception of their close cousins – lawyers and museum directors,” Joel Bartsch, President & CEO of HMNS, says with a laugh. “In general, audiences love to be scared, and scared by sharks in particular. And there is no shortage of myth merchants and movie makers that are more than happy to meet that demand. This exhibit explores those myths, along with matters of fact, in a much broader and deeper context to help our visitors understand how marvelous and diverse these ancient animals really are.”

Also read our story on the Cockrell Butterfly Center

About Houston Museum of Natural Science

The Houston Museum of Natural Science—one of the nation’s most heavily attended museums—is a centerpiece of the Houston Museum District. With four floors of permanent exhibit halls, and the Wortham Giant Screen Theatre, Cockrell Butterfly Center, Burke Baker Planetarium and George Observatory and as host to world-class and ever-changing touring exhibitions, the Museum has something to delight every age group. With such diverse and extraordinary offerings, a trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, located at 5555 Hermann Park Drive in the heart of the Museum District, is always an adventure.

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