Discover the connections among all living things—including you!
More than 3 billion years ago, the first known signs of life on Earth began to emerge. Since then, the world has filled up with animals, plants, fungi, and more. Even right here in Cleveland, the diversity of life is impossible to ignore. Birds soar across the skies, trees can grow taller than buildings, and tiny mushrooms dot forest floors.
How did such a variety of life come to exist? And how do we as humans fit in?
Uncover the answers to these questions in the Evolving Life Wing. You’ll trace the evolution of life on Earth, engage with interactive exhibits, and discover how all living organisms—yes, even you!—continue to shape the future of our shared planet.
Who lives in Ohio’s habitats? How has our landscape changed over time? And how can we work together to protect our region’s rich biodiversity?
Discover the answers to these questions and more in the Natural Areas Gallery, located near the Evolving Life Wing. Highlighting Ohio ecosystems, plants, and animals, this gallery explores some of the 65 diverse sites across northern Ohio that the Museum stewards and protects through its Natural Areas Program.
Since 1956, the program has grown to include more than 12,500 acres of fragile ecosystems, many of which provide ecological services critical to our well-being. The Natural Areas Gallery focuses on these unique preserves and the connections between humans, wildlife, and conservation—demonstrating how the stewardship of these ecosystems requires community partnership and constant innovation.
This gallery also serves as the entrance to the Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center & Woods Garden—Presented by KeyBank, where you can visit some of the flora and fauna native to our state.
