The Secret World of Elephants
Opens: Oct. 24, 2025
Closes: Jan. 25, 2026
Opens early to Museum Members on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025
Free with Museum Admission
Enter “The Secret World of Elephants” to discover the remarkable science behind nature’s most lovable giants. How do elephants “hear” with their feet? What animals are their closest-living relatives? How have elephants and humans coexisted for thousands of years? Through hands-on interactions, you will feel the low-frequency rumbles elephants use to communicate, explore how they reshape their environments and come face-to-face with some of their ancestors, including dwarf elephants. From the ancient Ice Age to the African savanna, get ready to be amazed by elephants’ incredible intelligence and fascinating history — and inspired to help protect their future. All exhibition content is bilingual in English and Spanish.
The exhibition is designed and produced by the American Museum of Natural History.
Exhibition Walkthrough
Evolution: Understanding Elephants' Origins
Visitors begin their journey in the Evolution section, where they’ll learn about the origins of elephants and their diverse family tree. Discover the ancient ancestors and living relatives of elephants and encounter a life-size model of a woolly mammoth and adorable life-size dwarf elephants.
Body: How Elephants Are Adapted to Their World
In the Body section, guests will explore the physical features that make elephants uniquely suited to their environments. Visitors will learn how features like huge ears, thick skin, sparse hairs and long trunks each serve specific functions that help elephants thrive.
Habitat: The Role of Elephants in Their Ecosystems
This section demonstrates how elephants play a critical role in their ecosystems. As keystone species, their activities shape the savannas and forests they inhabit.
Mind: Elephants' Complex Social Lives
In Mind, guests will delve into the complex social lives of elephants. This section is filled with interactive displays that teach visitors about the emotional and behavioral depth of elephants, from their intricate communication methods to their self-awareness, which allows them to recognize themselves in a mirror — much like humans.
Elephants and Us: Our Shared History
In the final section, Elephants and Us, guests will explore the profound relationship between elephants and human societies throughout history and across cultures. Through a variety of objects, images and videos, visitors will learn how elephants have inspired and shaped cultural practices, religion and human imagination.
Six Things You Didn't Know About Elephants
Think you know elephants? Think again. Discover surprising facts about these remarkable giants—how they hear with their feet, why their trunks are so powerful, and more—in "The Secret World of Elephants."