Fernbank Fall Exhibits (saturdays)

From the venue:

Sunken Treasures, Ancient Seas

On view Oct. 4, 2025 – Jan. 11, 2026

Dive into a treasure trove of underwater exploration.

Journey beneath the waves with Sunken Treasures, Ancient Seas, an immersive exhibition that unveils the hidden discoveries beneath the Mediterranean Sea. Focusing on a selection of submerged landscapes that surround the island of Sicily and the Italian coastline, this exhibit is brought to life through modern video capabilities that transport the visitor below the surface on a voyage to retrieve ancient artifacts, buried treasures and historical evidence.

Guests will discover real artifacts like jewelry, amphorae (large storage jars), coins, ingots, helmets, and ship pieces and models, that were recovered from ancient shipwrecks. They can also explore the techniques archaeologists use to locate, excavate, and restore these remarkable relics. Developed in collaboration with Italy’s foremost underwater research organization, the Regione Siciliana - Soprintendenza del Mare di Palermo, Sunken Treasures, Ancient Seas transports you beneath the surface with high-definition video explorations, showcasing the breathtaking process of underwater excavation. Through vivid storytelling, visitors will witness the rediscovery of the past as modern equipment brings history to life.

Exhibit Page

Winter Wonderland: Celebrations & Traditions Around the World

Nov. 22, 2025 – Jan. 11, 2026
Celebrate cultures and traditions from around the world in this seasonal exhibit that features decorated trees and other displays. Each display uses rich, artistic expression, including art, craft, symbols and ornaments, to tell unique stories selected by local cultural partners.

Winter Wonderland will highlight cultural stories, including from the countries of Japan, Scotland, Kenya, Turkey, Ukraine, Argentina, Guatemala, Canada, Philippines, and many more.

See it gleam at night during Fernbank After Dark and WildWoods: AGLOW.

Exhibit Page

X-Ray Vision: Fish Inside Out

Opens Jan. 11, 2025

A Fish Exhibition That’s Bone Deep.

X-Ray Vision: Fish Inside Out invites guests to peek beneath the scales to explore the intricate bony skeletons of fish, stingrays, eels and seahorses through dramatic, black-and-white x-rays. Discover the secrets of fish evolution, anatomy and the impact of environmental changes on aquatic species in a level of detail reminiscent of fine engraving. Guests will learn about these creatures' evolutionary changes and the important role they have played in shaping our world.

Exhibit Page

Giants of the Mesozoic

Ongoing Exhibit

Stand beneath some of the world's largest dinosaurs as you enter this snapshot of life in prehistoric Patagonia (145-165 million years ago). Take in a scene of an epic dinosaur battle between Giganotosaurus and Argentinosaurus with a flock of pterosaurs scattering away.

Play the role of a paleontologist as you examine the terrain to discover buried and trace fossils of other plant and animal species, such as dinosaur tracks, an Araucaria tree, a crocodile and a turtle shell.*

Exhibit Page

Star Gallery

Ongoing Exhibit

Each star was carefully plotted on the ceiling, forming an illuminated star chart. The fibers used to create the stars vary in diameter, allowing them to shine with 22 varying degrees of brightness. More than 6 miles of fiber optic wires accurately portray the 542 stars twinkling above.

SkyWatch screens provide daily programming about constellations, planets and astronomical events.

Visitors can find the stars in the Star Gallery using the following guide:

• Stand facing the doors to the Giant Screen Theater, which is toward the south, to recognize the constellations in the appropriate direction.
• Antares in Scorpius and Arcturus in Bootes are located near the World of Shells exhibition.
• By moving away from The World of Shells exhibit toward the Great Hall, which is eastward, visitors will pass under stars visible in the early evening in the spring, summer, autumn, winter and spring again.
• Ursa Major (the Big Dipper) is easily recognized over the double doors to the Great Hall.
• Andromeda is near the center of the room.
• Orion nebula (M-42) is just below the belt stars of Orion.
• Aldebaran (in the constellation Taurus) and Betelgeuse (in Orion) are found among the winter stars on the side near the Great Hall

Exhibit Page