(2,500 square feet)
MASTERS OF THE NIGHT: The True Story of Bats
Masters of the Night Logo
Gothic Portal
An imposing bat gargoyle creates a mysterious mood for two girls entering the exhibit’s Gothic-style portal. The organ strains of a medieval fugue playing in the background reinforce the creepy curiosity most people have about bats when they enter the exhibit.
Gargoyle
The bat gargoyle above the exhibit’s Gothic entry reminds visitors of centuries of myth and superstition surrounding bats.
I’m All Ears
Giant bat ears–nearly 20 times their actual size–give visitors the sensation of hearing the way a bat hears. A bat’s own sonar system, called echolocation, uses sound as sight to help it navigate in nighttime flight.
Two Boys Viewing Lifesize Bat Model
The photographic images of family members in a suburb of Dakar, Senegal welcome visitors to their home. Museum-goers can observe modern domestic life through three-dimensional settings in the family’s courtyard and through videos of the actual courtyard activities.
Lifesize Bat Model
The lifesize reproduction of a grey-headed flying fox represents one of approximately 50 species featured throughout the exhibit. Nearly 1,000 kinds of bats-almost a quarter of all mammal species-inhabit the earth.
Bat-head Model
This bigger-than-lifesize model of a bats head gives these two children the rare opportunity to touch, as well as see, the unique facial appearance of a particular kind of bat. Similar models displayed in a recreated curator’s office also present a unique opportunity for the blind.
Now Showing At
Martinsville, VAVirginia Mus. of Natl. Hist.
2.10.24 – 1.12.25
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