Fall's bounty

The fall season is bustling with many exciting activities at the museum, such as Virtual School Workshops, our newest Virtual Open House, the launch of a special interactive exploration of our research and collections, and even a spooky scavenger hunt.

Advance ticketing is required, so be sure to book your tickets online before you come. Note: visitors ages 12 and older must show proof of vaccination to access our indoor eating areas. Read more.

We continue to regularly post new content on our social media channels. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Discover more on nature.ca.

Highlights

New series
Virtual Open House

Step into our collections with us in our new Virtual Open House. This year, we've selected some special specimens for you to discover in a four-part thematic series called "Opposites", beginning with "big and small". Which dinosaur, Triceratops or Troodon, had the biggest braincase relative to its body size. Click below to find out!

Play video

Finalists announced
Nature Inspiration Awards

Meet the finalists of the museum's 2021 Nature Inspiration Awards and discover their outstanding efforts and accomplishments to help protect the planet. Read about Ken Jewett, this year's Lifetime Achievement honouree: https://bit.ly/3BEXYfs – and join us for the virtual gala and awards ceremony on November 24. Thank you to our sponsors: Facebook, BDO, Mosaic, NASCO, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Ontario Power Generation, and Polar Knowledge Canada—and to our media partners, The Globe and Mail and The Walrus.

Finalists

Seasonal fun
Spooky scavenger hunt

Our popular spooky scavenger hunt is back! Nature is full of creatures that inspire weird and wonderful stories. Download our instruction sheet and clues, and then bring the kids to the museum for a fun family adventure.

Learn more

Nature After 5
Enjoy free visiting hours thanks to Canada Life

What better way to spend a fall evening than a visit to the museum to explore Canada's natural wonders? What's more, admission is free on Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.! Reservations are still required. Tickets are released each Monday at 8 a.m., with a limited number of additional tickets available on the Thursday. Nature After 5 is supported by Canada Life.

Tickets

Collections Corner

From our live collection
Purple sea urchin

Purple sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) are remarkable creatures that inhabit tide pools. A tide pool is a shallow pool of salt water left in a rock basin by the ebbing tide. Sea urchins, and their tide-pool neighbours, need to be hardy in order to survive the vigorous action of waves in the intertidal zone. The image on the left shows a dried specimen, and on the right, one of our live creatures cared for behind the scenes at the museum. Sea urchins have five sharp teeth which helps them carve holes in rocks. They can detect light by using their tube feet. Discover more about the sea urchin, and see one up close, in this recent presentation at our museum for Science Literacy Week.

Play video