Monsters!

This exhibit is now closed.

About the Exhibit

See beasts familiar and strange, real and imagined, kind-hearted and troublesome, from across the span of human history and culture! You’ll learn where they come from, what they look like, how they behave, and how to defeat them!

We’ve reached into our vast collections to bring out unusual monster artifacts you can see and touch, and we’ve borrowed a few from other museums, as well, just to make sure the exhibit is chock-full of cool stuff. This brand-new, one-of-a-kind exhibit is loaded with interactive fun for the whole family:

• Make a monster of your own.
• Put on a play with strange creatures.
• Find out how to defend yourself from monsters’ wily ways.
• Learn the truth about monster legends.
• Explore monster habitats, including caves, the sea, under the bed, and elsewhere!

Which real creature’s skull was thought to belong to an imaginary monster? Whose giant tentacle was mistaken for something far more mythical? What were people smelling when they thought they were smelling Bigfoot? Find out!

Exhibit Images

Supporters

Thank you to our supporters:

The Donald C. and Elizabeth M. Dickinson Foundation

Dr. Suess Fund

Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Foundation

The Barrera Family

Jason S. Hartley

San Diego Commission for Arts & Culture