Age of Mammals at Natural History Museum: First new permanent gallery in over 10 years!

Kelly and I did not know what to expect since neither of us could pinpoint when we last visited the Natural History Museum. For me, all I could remember was taking my daughter there when she was about 12 years old. Don’t laugh now, but she is 37 and that sometimes makes me feel like I belong in a museum… on exhibit.

First off, it is so easy to find. It’s less than ¾ mile off the 110 Freeway on Exposition Blvd. This is pretty much in the center of Los Angeles proper and very accessible. It is directly across the street from the main campus of the University of Southern California (USC), sandwiched between it and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

As we entered for the members’ preview and reception, Courtney Tucker greeted us with a warm smile, excited to know that it was less than an hour’s drive from the Orange County Airport. Courtney gave us a brief introduction and got us headed in the right direction. As we entered the exhibit hall, we could not stop looking at all the incredibly lifelike zebra, lions, and leopards.

The Natural History Museum describes this new exhibit best: “Age of Mammals tells an epic evolutionary story that spans 65 million years! And the theme is distilled into just six words: Continents move. Climates change. Mammals evolve.”

This is not just for the kiddies, even though much of the interactive exhibits are directed to their level of intellect. I encourage you to plan on staying at least two hours or more to take it all in. Then, when you finish there, a must-see for real life animals are the Hall of African Mammals and North American Mammal Halls.

Take advantage of this Locals' TIP: You are less than two miles to L.A. LIVE! which is a great place to go afterwards for something to eat, and to take in some of the coolest LA vibes.

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is located at 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information, call 213-763-DINO (3466) or visit nhm.org