When I think of the Academy of Natural Science I immediately visualize the large Tyrannosaurus skeleton in the Dinosaur Hall. I often only think of the Tyrannosaurus, and the other dinosaur skeletons, forgetting about the dioramas, butterflies, auditorium, and library. I think the Tyrannosaurus stands out and trumps the dioramas because it is the largest exhibit in the museum, and unlike the dioramas, visitors can walk around it in awe and see it from every angle. The Dinosaur Hall is also home to a cast skeleton of a Tylosaurus. This skeleton is suspended swimming through the air, and there are even water sound effects as you get closer. In fact, throughout the Dinosaur Hall visitors here the roars of dinosaurs, creating an eerie effect, especially for the younger visitors.
The majority of the museum appears to be focused on children and teenagers. The dioramas make up the bulk of the first and second floor, while The Big Dig and Dinosaur Hall occupy a portion of each, and the third floor is an interactive area for young children called Outside-In. I think that the museum focuses on gaining an audience of younger children because it will begin to encourage an interest in natural science early in their education. The museum is visually stimulating and also encourages children to participate, especially in The Big Dig and the Outside-In.
The dioramas range from North American, Asian, and African. The darkly lit halls and glowing display windows live up to the comparison of window shopping. Hall after hall, the animals are posed in their constructed habitat to evoke a sense of amazement in the viewer. I think that the interest in dioramas is in the excitement of the viewer to be able to stare at a tiger in his (glass) eyes. It is almost like time has frozen and the viewer is able to witness and experience something exotic and rare. The scientific aspects of the displays go easily unnoticed. For example, the various positioning that shows different views on the animals, the incorporation of young animals, and the specific plants used to fill the window. The background paintings of dioramas always seem like they are down by the same artist. They all have a scientific quality to them, making sure each plant is recognizable, and each mountain rage is accurate to the habitat. The curved back to these paintings help to envelop the viewer in the small constructed world. I think that these elements of scientific observation can go unnoticed because it is easy for the viewer to take the dioramas for face value, looking at it for a few moments, and then moving on to the next continent. This of course, is the negative side of dioramas. I do think that the Academy of Natural Science is aware of this, and try to combat the negative with interactive displays that will, hopefully, encourage children to take natural science out of the museum and into their own life.