Past events
Create a Coral Colony: the Big Draw at the Museum of Zoology
Saturday October 22 2011, 11:00-16:00
To celebrate the Big Draw and the Festival of Ideas, the Museum will be building its very own coral reef! Come and add your favourite underwater animal, and discover the life of corals and the amazing sea creatures in the museum’s collections.
This event is open to all. Admission is free and there is no need to book. Children must be accompanied at all events.
Access all Archives
Monday October 24, 18:30-23:00
Museum of Zoology, The Polar Museum, Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, Fitzwilliam Museum and Whipple Museum of the History of Science
Live performances and sound installations provide the background for a special late night opening of the museum galleries. At the Museum of Zoology:
Hidden beneath the belly of a great whale lies a unique and exclusive club, where subterranean grooves bubble up amid the skeletons of exotic beasts. A unique mix of DJs and a live band of primordial bass, thundering drums and roaring horns will combine live sampling, improvisation and audience participation to create a one-off performance to stimulate mind, muscle and bone.
Ages 16+
Tickets £5.00. Booking is essential.
For further information and to book, visit:
http://www.mus.cam.ac.uk/events/festival-of-ideas
Underwater World
Tuesday 25 and Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:00-12:00 and 14:00-15:00
Journey through a coral reef to look at the amazing diversity of animals that live underwater. This interactive gallery talk will be illustrated with specimens from the museum’s collections usually kept behind the scenes. At the end of the talk, you can add your favourite underwater animal to the ‘ocean’ in the museum.
Cambridge Drawing together
Thursday October 20 2011, 10:30-14:30
We invite you to take part in ‘The Big Draw’ alongside students of Rowan as they use the museum collection to inspire new art work. No experience is necessary to participate in this free drawing project. Explore yout creativity, challenge your expectations and enjoy a warm and friendly welcome.
The Museum of Zoology is one of five locations for Cambridge Drawing Together. Other sessions will be taking place at the Polar Museum on October 12, Cambridge University Botanic Garden on October 21, New Hall Art Collection on October 24 and Museum of Classical Archaeology on October 25.
Rowan is a Cambridge City based charity and arts centre that was established in 1985 to bring artists and people with learning disabilities together in the production of fine artwork and crafts; while providing opportunities for self-expression and creative exploration. For more information, visit http://www.rowanhumberstone.co.uk
Life in the Trees
Tuesday May 31 and Thursday June 2 2011, 11:00-12:00 and 14:00-15:00
This interactive gallery
talk will explore the animal life of forests, from woodlands of the UK to tropical rainforests. This talk will be illustrated with specimens from the museum’s collections usually kept behind the scenes, and will look at adaptations for life in the trees. And at the end of the talk, you can add your favourite forest animal to the ‘tree’ in the museum.
Amazing Animals at Cambridge Science Festival
Saturday March 19 2011, 11:00-16:00
Got a burning question about something zoological? Have a mystery animal object you want identifying? Explore the kingdom of animals at the Museum of Zoology. Meet live invertebrates and discover our fantastic collection from the tiniest flies to the majestic finback whale. Learn about the incredible intelligence of some animals, the amazing size of others, and about animals you might find in the UK. Hands on activities will be running throughout the day, and zoologists will be on hand to answer your creature questions.
This event is open to all. Admission is free and there is no need to book.
Children must be accompanied at all events.
Bruce Gernand Coded Chimera Talk
Monday March 21, 19:00
Sculptor Bruce Gernand, inspired by the work of biologist D’Arcy Thompson’s transformational grids, has journeyed into the realms of biological dynamics to develop new sculptural forms. Using scans of animal specimens and new software tools developed for him by the Cambridge Computer Lab, he has morphed and blended digital meshes of different species to convey qualities of fluidity and mutability. At this talk he discusses the inspiration and methods for the sculptures on display in the museum galleries.
This event is open to all. Admission is free and there is no need to book.
More information about the exhibition can be found on the Temporary Exhibitions page
Twilight at the Museums
Wednesday February 23 2011, 16:30 – 19:30
Bring your torch and explore the museum after dark. Spooky sounds bring the skeletons to life, and with trails, competitions and hands on activities, there will be lots to do at the Museum of Zoology. This event is part of Twilight at the Museums, a magical evening of discovery at Cambridge Museums. Other museums taking part are: Fitzwilliam Museum; Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences; Cambridge University Botanic Garden; The Polar Museum; Whipple Museum of the History of Science; Cambridge and County Folk Museum; Museum of Classical Archaeology; New Hall Art Collection.
For full details of timings and events, visit www.cam.ac.uk/twilight
Admission is free, and there is no need to book.
Everyone welcome.
Children must be accompanied at all events.
Journey to the bottom of the ocean – half term gallery talks at the Museum of Zoology
Tuesday 22 and Thursday 24 February 2011, 11:00-12:00 and 14:00-15:00
From coral reefs to jellyfish to sharks to the creatures that live thousands of metres beneath the surface of the ocean… Come to the museum for these interactive gallery talks and handling sessions to expolre the sea-living animals from the world’s oceans.
These talks are open to all, and suitable for children over the age of 6.
Admission is free, and there is no need to book.
Children must be accompanied at all events.
It’s all in the bones – half term gallery talks at the Museum of Zoology
Tuesday 26 and Thursday 28 October 2010, 11:00 – 12:00 and 14:00-15:00
Sit amongst the fantastic skeletons of the museum for this intereactive talk looking at the different bits of the skeleton and how they are adapted for the lifestyles of the animals they are from.
This talk is open to all, and suitable for children over the age of 6.
Admission is free, and there is no need to book.
Children must be accompanied at all events.
Carmen Elektra: Opera Underground
Experience a night of live music and cutting edge theatre in the vaults of the Museum. With film projections, light installations and DJ sets: Carmen Elektra is putting an electronic charge through the backbone of opera.
Ages 16+
In association with the University’s Department of Music as part of the
Festival of Ideas.
Galapagos! The Big Draw at the Museum of Zoology
Saturday October 23 2010, 11:00 – 16:00
Come on an expedition to the Museum of Zoology to explore island life. As part of the Big Draw for the national Campaign for Drawing, and to celebrate Cambridge University’s Festival of Ideas, we are building a new island in the museum galleries. Come and fill it with all its incredible animals that swim in the sea, creep and crawl in the undergrowth, or bask in the sun. Discover what islands can tell us about evolution, and find out about the island invaders affecting these habitats isolated for so long by their surrounding seas. Quizzes, trails, crafts and fun for all the family.
Cambridge Drawing Together.
We invite you to take part in “The Big Draw” alongside the students of Rowan as they use the museum’s collections to inspire new art work. No experience is necessary to participate in this free drawing project. People of all ages are welcome to pick up a pencil, browse the collections and join in this free community event. Explore your creativity, challenge your expectations and enjoy a warm and freindly welcome. For more information about local charity Rowan, visit the Rowan website
For furhter information about other museums taking part, visit Cambridge University What’s On
Passport to Museum Treasure
July 10 – September 18 2010
Hunt the treasures in the Cambridge Museums this summer with this free family trail available from the Museum of Zoology and the 11 other venues taking part this summer. Visit at east five of the museums and answer the questions correctly and you can claim you very own bag of museum treasure! Tear your answer slip off, hand it in at one of the collection points marked in the trail andto receive your free goody bag. Also for the first time the museums are also offering some money-can’t-buy prizes including behind the scenes tours and signed books. To be in with a chance of winning one of the prizes you just need to fill in the feedback section on the answer slip.
The museums taking part are:
Kettle’s Yard
Whipple Museum of the History of Science
University Museum of Zoology
Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences
Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
The Fitzwilliam Museum
New Hall Art Collection
The Polar Museum at the Scott Polar Research Institute
Cambridge University Botanic Gardens
Museum of Classical Archaeology
Cambridge and County Folk Museum
Cambridge Museum of Technology
passport_to_museum_treasure_poster.pdf
Insect Day
Saturday June 26, 11:00 – 16:00
The museum opened its doors to the world of insects to celebrate National Insect Week. Visitors were able to follow the antics of a colony of leaf cutter ants, and see stick insects and giant hissing cockroaches, amongst other live insects in the galleries. With museum trails and hands on activities, it was a fun filled family day out.
Cambridge Science Festival at the Museum of Zoology
13 March 2010, 11:00-4:00 with displays up until 12 April
Colourful Creatures at the Museum of Zoology
See the world in a new light. From butterfly wings to peacock feathers, discover how and why animals produce their amazing colours, and find out how different animals see colours. Hands on activities, competitions and displays. Displays exploring animal colour will remain in the museum until 12 April.
Embrace your wild side with the Wildlife Trust
Get active in a wild way and find out more about where to encounter nature locally and how to protect and improve habitats for wildlife.
Admission free. Everyone welcome. Children must be accompanied.
Special Event: Twilight at the Museum
Wednesday 17 February 2010, 4:30-7:00
Visitors brought their torches to explore the museum after dark. With trails to guide them at twilight, and craft activities to make owl masks, they could discover amazing nocturnal animals and how they see the world at night.
For details of other museums that took part in this event, visit University of Cambridge Museums and Collections
Admission free. Family friendly. Everyone welcome. All children must be accompanied.
February half term 2010 activities
Feeding time at the Zoology Museum
Tuesday 16 and Thursday 18 February 2010, 11:00-12:00 and 2:00-3:00
How does a snake bite? Or a cow chew? With teeth and jaws galore, these interactive, hands on talks explored animal eating habits. But please do not feed the exhibits!
Admission was free. No need to book. Family friendly. Everyone welcome.
Explorer Packs
Explorer packs were available to borrow in the museum over the half term holiday (13-20 February), with magnifying glasses, animals specimens, trails and puzzles.
Special Event: Critter Tree – The Big Draw at the Museum of Zoology
Saturday 24 October 2009 11:00 – 16:00
Visitors to this special Big Draw event explored the amazing diversity of the animal kingdom on display in the museum. Then, with artist Alex Hirtzel, they drew their creatures, and cut them out to form silhouettes that were hung from the branches of the swaying tree of life built in the gallery.
This event is part of the University of Cambridge Festival of Ideas and the Campaign for Drawing’s Big Draw 2009
Twilight at the Museum
16:30 – 19:00pm, Wednesday 18 February 2009
Bring a torch and explore the museum after dark. Admission free. See the poster.