The Harvard Museum of Natural History celebrated this spooky season by inviting friends and families to its Halloween night Oct. 23.
As a part of its ArtThursdays, HMNH opened its doors for free, giving visitors a unique experience, with stations around the exhibits.
From creepy crawlers, moths, bats, butterflies and more, HMNH is highlighting the importance of community education through this free event. As Halloween quickly approaches, staff at HMNH thought it was a perfect chance to get people, especially families and children, involved with the world of natural history.
“It’s staying on theme. There’s lots of really cool stories that insects and natural history can tell us,” said Crystal Maier, curatorial associate at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard.
Maier explained that insects and Halloween, believe it or not, are closely related. A lot of movies like “Alien” are based on the dramatic effect of insects. HMNH created a welcoming environment for visitors of all ages to draw these connections between fictional entertainment and the natural world that surrounds all of us.
In the glistening mineral gallery, visitors were encouraged to make a trick-or-treat bag to celebrate the spooky season. Here is where people took full creative liberty, from drawing cute bats to furry monsters; there was not a Halloween staple left undrawn.
Through the twisting turns of their Cenozoic Mammal Gallery is where Maier could be found, explaining to guests the backstory of moths, butterflies, flies and anything in between. Kids and families were found flocking to this station, as a beautiful, shimmering blue butterfly sat at the table.
“In teaching biology you get presented with, ‘Here’s a cell in a book. Here’s photosynthesis in a book.’ It’s really hard to understand that without seeing something concrete in front of you,” said Maier.
Maier hopes children are able to truly connect with natural history in another light. A light that is not just seen in textbooks or on the internet, but rather in person and in a way that is fun for all ages, like Halloween night.
As encased insects lined the table, Maier explained their past and meaning in nature. She invited visitors to play a game called moths vs. butterflies — a game where many players got tricked.
A few doors down at the Great Mammal Hall, a two-story gallery includes a variety of animals, even a towering giraffe. At the forefront of the gallery sat a station with stuffed bats, the spookiest animals of the season. Halloween-goers learned everything you need to know about the creepy mammals.
Trick-or-treaters were definitely in for a treat at HNHM. Almost every gallery provided a background lesson on the Halloween season.
The “Arthropods: Creatures That Rule” gallery, featured live tarantulas. Throughout the night, visitors were able to learn about the spine-shivering creature, while also having the chance to hold them at times.
Apart from the insightful table talks, visitors did not fail to come best dressed in their Halloween attire. Parents, kids, students and many others were seen head-to-toe in their costumes, which added to the fun of education.
Visitors were able to capture this trick-or-treat fun at HMNH with the dazzling photobooth surrounded by cased-in jellyfish.
If people missed this education-free opportunity, HMNH offers more to explore for everyone. Through their database, visitors are able to dive more into the world of natural history to gain a further understanding.
HMNH also moves past the textbook readings found in classrooms, through their events, like Halloween night and programs like ArtsThursdays, they are able to offer a welcoming and warm environment to all learners.
There was not a frown in sight at “ArtsThursdays: Halloween at the Museum,” as everyone was excited to learn about the world around us. For those who missed the creepy crawlers and spooky specimens at HMNH, the next ArtsThursdays event is Oct. 30, “Harvard Art Museums at Night.”
