Exhibit Essentials
- Ages:
- This exhibit is suitable for all ages.
- Location:
- Lower Level, Lower Court East - Lower Level, Lower Court West
Museum Map - Tickets:
- Included with General Admission
Ants dominate the small-scale world. We may seldom notice them, but ants affect their ecosystems as much as humans do. And much like us, ants achieve domination by being social creatures. They must cooperate with each other to meet their basic needs for food, shelter and defense. How they do this can look both strikingly familiar and bizarre—and never more so than through the striking close-up photographs of Mark W. Moffett, author of Adventures Among Ants. Get a look at life from an ant’s point of view. See a cast of an underground ant city and watch video of living ant colonies. And only at MSI, see it all happening live in the in-exhibit ant farm.
Meet the Ants
Fridays through Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Live ants will be available to examine and study. How different or similar are humans and ants? What do they do for the planet? You'll also learn about and discuss current science news about the ant and insect populations. Join us for this exciting "antsillary" feature of the exhibit, hosted by University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners and MSI volunteers.
This exhibit was developed by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and organized for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.
Photo this page: Mark W. Moffett/Minden Pictures. Photo on Exhibits page: Mark W. Moffett © National Geographic Magazine.
- Museum Hours
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- Daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas
- Museum Location
- Getting Here
- Happening Now
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Animal Inside Out
A stunning look inside the animal kingdom from the creators of BODY WORLDS.
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Space Junk
A visually stunning exploration of our planet's perilous ring of orbiting debris.
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Air Racers
Ride along as elite pilots fight for position, wingtip-to-wingtip, in the fastest motor sport.
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- Coming Soon
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Inventive Genius Lecture: Empires of Light
Jill Jonnes discusses the electric clashes between Edison, Tesla and Westinghouse.
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The Wooded Isle and Gardens of the World's Fair
Cathy Maloney discusses the gardens of the World's Fairs and tours the Wooded Isle.
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The Wooded Isle and Gardens of the World's Fair
Cathy Maloney returns to discuss World's Fair gardens and tour the Wooded Isle.
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can't get enough ants?
- The University of Illinois Extension has created the resource for you: "Everything You Wanted To Know About Ants."
Visit the website