Museum of Science and Industry

DISCOVER THE FANTASTIC WORLD OF ANTS
AT THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY, CHICAGO

Chicago, Ill. (Feb. 2, 2012)—Small yet abundant, with complex and wildly diverse lifestyles, ants are everywhere—living lives mostly hidden from our view. What if we could see into their world and at their level? Be transported into the fascinating life of ants in Farmers, Warriors, Builders: The Hidden Life of Ants at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI) from Feb. 2 through July 8, 2012.

With the aid of a macro lens and the insights of ant expert and photographer Dr. Mark Moffett, the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History present the captivating world of ants through large-scale, realistic photographs giving guests an up-close and personal view of these curious creatures.

Moffett’s 39 large-scale photographs tell incredible stories about the lives of ants—hunting, communicating, dealing with disease—and chronicle the work of entomologists in the field. A three-dimensional aluminum cast of a wood ant nest, along with live ant farms added by MSI, will be available for guests to view.

Volunteers from MSI and the University of Illinois Extension master gardeners program will add something special—an activity cart brought into the exhibit on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 to 2 p.m. The cart will feature a bronze model of a leaf cutter worker ant enlarged to 50 times its actual size, to demonstrate how it uses its body to work and survive in the colony, and other live insect specimens in addition to the permanent ant farms on display. 

Farmers, Warriors, Builders: The Hidden Life of Ants is included in general admission: $15 for adults, $14 for seniors and $10 for kids 3-11. In February and March, the Museum offers free general admission to Illinois residents on the following days: Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and March 5.

The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI) offers thousands of fun and interactive exhibits and one-of-a-kind, world-class experiences to inspire the inventive genius in everyone. Through its Center for the Advancement of Science Education, MSI also aspires to a larger vision: to inspire and motivate children to achieve their full potential in science, technology, medicine and engineering. Come visit and find your inspiration! MSI is open every day except December 25, and regular hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Museum is supported in part through the generosity of the people of Chicago through the Chicago Park District. For more information, find MSI online at msichicago.org or call (773) 684-1414 or (800) GO-TO-MSI outside of the Chicago area.

Press Materials

• Farmers, Warriors, Builders: The Hidden Life of Ants Press Release (PDF)

Images

To save an image, click on the "Download" link to open the full-size version in a new window.
Then right-click on the full-size image and select 'Save Picture As' to save to your hard drive.

Images presented here are for the express use for promoting the Museum of Science and Industry. All images must be properly credited. Images may not be reproduced by third parties without express written permission from the Museum of Science and Industry.