This game-changing project sets a new benchmark for cultural attractions globally. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s transformation redefines exhibit culture—moving from static display to dynamic dialogue.
It introduces immersive, question-led galleries, the Sears Dynamic Earth Wing, the Ames Family Curiosity Center, and the reinvented Nathan & Fannye Shafran Planetarium—designed to turn visitors into participants in the scientific story of life, Earth, and the universe.
Immersive, Question-Led Design
Traditional museums organize content by chronology or discipline. CMNH embraces fundamental questions: Why do stars shine? What are fossils? How did life move from water to land? Visitors explore connections between ancient science and contemporary issues like climate change, biodiversity, and human health. This approach transforms passive learning into active inquiry, inspiring guests to be part of science’s unfolding story.
Immersive Galleries: Inspiring Connection
The Immersive Galleries blend science with personal relevance. Visitors uncover stories linking Northern Ohio to the broader universe, exploring relationships that tie humanity to nature. These galleries are living classrooms—spaces for reflection, conversation, and inspiration—ensuring that visitors, regardless of background, find meaning in natural history.
A World of Possibilities: The Planetarium
The Nathan & Fannye Shafran Planetarium, reinvented with Digistar 7 software, a Spitz NanoSeam dome, and movable seating, offers a flexible, awe-inspiring environment. Connected to the Messages in Light Gallery, it enables time travel across billions of years and exploration of celestial objects in multiple wavelengths. The planetarium doubles as a community venue for weddings, yoga, and storytelling under the stars—expanding the definition of a museum experience.
The Sears Dynamic Earth Wing: Shaping the Earth
This 26,000-square-foot wing reveals Earth’s story from Ohio’s ancient sea floor to today’s changing climate. Extraordinary fossils—including entire sharks preserved with soft tissue and stomach contents—immerse visitors in geological and biological wonder. The theme, We Are All Stardust, ties cosmic origins to human existence, showing how cycles of stars, oceans, and life interconnect.
Ames Family Curiosity Center: Ask, Explore, and Make a Difference
This empowers visitors to become citizen scientists. Designed for accessibility and interactivity, it encourages all to experiment, test ideas, and see science as a tool for problem-solving. It fosters curiosity as a cultural value—linking science learning to civic engagement and innovation.
You Are Here: Connecting Health and Humanity
Supported by the Ingalls Foundation, this gallery explores evolution and human health through genetics and epigenetics. Visitors investigate how environment influences traits and wellness through humorous, hands-on exhibits—seeing how choices connect to science in action. Artifacts like Lucy and early human tools link discovery to lived experience, making evolution personal and relevant.
Special and Complementary Exhibits
- Wildlife Photographer of the Year (through October 26, 2025) highlights the intersection of art, conservation, and culture through breathtaking international photography that deepens empathy for the natural world.
- T.REX 3D Movie (through November 16 2025) offers an immersive cinematic experience that merges entertainment and science, complementing CMNH’s paleontology legacy.
- Jane Goodall – Reasons for Hope inspires audiences to take positive action for people, animals, and the planet, aligning with CMNH’s mission to link science with purpose and optimism.
Impact and Collaboration
The transformation is not only architectural—it is philosophical. CMNH worked with architectural and design firms, group, scientists, and curators including Dr. Caitlin Colleary, Dr. Nicole Burt, and Dr. Linda Spurlock to create experiences grounded in research yet emotionally resonant. Generous support from the Shafran Family, Ingalls Foundation, and Ames Family helped realize a vision where exhibits become catalysts for understanding, empathy, and action.
This transformation elevated CMNH’s role as both scientific institution and community gathering place. Attendance has grown substantially reopening, with visitors citing the new galleries as inspiring, inclusive, and thought-provoking. It serves as a nexus for collaboration among educators, artists, and civic leaders—advancing science literacy and sparking cross-disciplinary innovation.
CMNH’s renewed campus embodies sustainability and adaptability, offering flexible, multi-use spaces for research, learning, and events. It supports cultural programming, positioning it as a model for 21st-century exhibit culture where science and humanity meet.
Why It’s Innovative
- Cultural Integration: Blends science, art, and community experiences to redefine what an exhibit represents.
- Engagement: Replaces timelines with interactive, question-driven storytelling.
- Relevance: Connects fossils, stardust, and evolution to today’s issues.
- Technology: Uses cutting-edge systems for learning and adaptability.
- Accessibility: Invites visitors to see themselves in the story of science.
