What exactly is inside the animals in the Academy’s dioramas? Are the plants and trees real? What does an antelope tongue feel like? Why did they make all those dioramas anyway?

Secrets of the Diorama, which is located on the second level across from the kiang diorama,  reveals the surprising answers to these and other mysteries while providing insight into the detailed fieldwork and painstaking artistry that brought our dioramas to life. Learn about the history of the dioramas through interactive activities and videos, and see how the plants, animals, and paintings were created.

Learn more about the making of a diorama: