Across cultures and centuries, dragons have taken many forms: feared monsters, wise guardians, and powerful symbols of nature. By connecting global dragon legends to real animals, past and present, this exhibition reveals how observation, imagination, and cultural storytelling transformed reptiles, fossils, and unfamiliar species into the legendary creatures we know today.
DRAGONS MYTHS
MADE REAL
Download a printable PDF about this exhibit.
This exhibition also is available for smaller footprints as a Wild Wonders exhibition.
Features
Themes
Through live animals and scientific interpretation, visitors discover that many “dragon traits”—scales, flight, venom, immense size, even fire-like abilities—have parallels in the natural world. At the same time, the exhibition highlights how humans attempt to explain the unknown. By comparing myth and biology, visitors develop a deeper appreciation for both scientific inquiry and storytelling as ways of understanding the world and are encouraged to ask, “How do we turn what we don’t understand into stories—and what can science reveal about them?”
Square Footage
5,000 - 10,000 sq. ft.
Potential Featured Animals*
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Sub-Adult Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman
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Asian Water Monitor
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Gila Monster
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Kimberly Rock Monitor
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Carpet Python
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Green Tree Python
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Asian Water Dragon
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Bearded Dragon
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Short-Tailed Python
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Red Tegu
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Spiny-Tailed Skinks
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Giant New Caledonian Gecko
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Mythical Dragon
*Featured animals vary by venue and gallery size
Key Components
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Tactile Interactives:
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The Phoebe Project at each animal habitat
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Climbable Sculptures: Megalania and Komodo Dragon
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Build Your Own Dragon Magnet Wall
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Coloring Station
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Sculpture: Saltwater Crocodile and Sarcosuchus
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Live daily shows and animal encounters
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Fully staffed
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Bilingual exhibition
