EcoTarium

Mark your calendars... this year's mud day is almost here!!

Get down and dirty on Mud Day, Saturday, June 27th, with everything from mud pies and mud painting, to mud toss games and creature sculptures! Bring a change of clothes; this will be a delightfully messy event the whole family will enjoy!

Program Schedule:
11:00 am — Mud to the Rescue! Story, Puppets, and Dance with Lauren Duke
11:45 am — Cosmic Adventure (Planetarium full-dome movie)*
12:30 pm — Science Discovery: Creating Compost
1:15 pm — Astronomy Live! Our Night Sky (Educator-led program in the planetarium)*
2:00 pm — Astronomy Live! Tour of the Solar System (Educator-led program in the planetarium)*
2:45 pm — Science Discovery: Animals in Mud
3:30 pm — CAPCOM Go! The Apollo Story (Planetarium full-dome movie)*
4:15 pm — Afternoon Astronomy

Ongoing Activities – 10:00 am to 4:00 pm:
Mud Exploration
Mud Sculptures
Mud Paintings

*All events will take place in Nature Explore and are included with the cost of admission.

Learn more: https://ecotarium.org/event/mud-day/

EcoTarium summer camp is filling up fast! Register today to secure your spot!

Join us for extraordinary explorations and awesome adventures! Each week we’ll explore science and nature themes alongside friends new and old. Spaces fill quickly, so register today to secure your spot. If your preferred session is full, sign up for the waitlist, and we'll notify you as soon as space becomes available.

** Good news! We added another week of summer camp starting August 17! Campers explore a new STEAM theme each day with hands-on activities and museum adventures. Spots are limited! **

Learn More and Register: https://ecotarium.org/camp/

Please note: This camp complies with regulations of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and is licensed by the local board of health. Additional health and safety information can be found on our website. Need-based financial assistance is available on a rolling basis.

Join us in the planetarium TONIGHT to listen to this month's Astrophysics speaker, Mary Knapp from the Haystack Observatory!

She will be speaking from 5:00-5:45pm on "Exploring the Uncharted Sky at the Longest Wavelengths: Exoplanets, Solar Storms, and the Time Before the Stars".

We hope to see you there!

Learn more and get tickets on our website.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 201st Annual Meeting of the EcoTarium this past Tuesday, June 9th!

The evening began with a sneak peek into the amazing exhibit currently on display in the new Stoddard Exhibition Hall - “The Secret World of Elephants”. Then, during a lively cocktail reception, visitors enjoyed catching up with each other and visiting educational and zoo-related tables to gain insight into what we do everyday at the Museum.

After the reception, guests moved into the Alden Planetarium for the evening’s program. After a recap of our 200th anniversary year, the program included two highlights. Guests enjoyed a presentation about biodiversity by guest speaker, Thomas O’Shea, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game. Then, Noreen Smith, EcoTarium President & CEO, presented the the 5th Edward Howe Forbush Naturalist Award, which recognizes an individual or group for their lifetime achievements and leadership in conservation, environmental stewardship, and science education.

This year’s Edward Howe Forbush Award was presented to Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Elizabeth was selected for this award in recognition of her extensive, impactful work in international biodiversity, which reflects the EcoTarium’s mission to connect people with science and nature while inspiring action to protect the ecosystems which we all depend upon. Elizabeth joined the meeting live via Zoom from Nairobi, Kenya, where the United Nations Environment Programme is headquartered, and shared a captivating and motivating thank you speech.

Thank you to Senator Michael Moore and representatives from Senator Elizabeth Warren’s office for attending and accepting EcoTarium’s Legislative Hero Awards, recognizing the work they do in support of the EcoTarium’s mission.

Happy National Cougar Day from our cats!

Did you know that Mountain Lions are actually classified as Cougars? This animal has the highest number of common names of any mammal in the world: ghost cat, puma, mountain lion, cougar, catamount, and painter are just a few!

Their large variety in names stems from their vast range as they can be found from Canada to Chile. 🐈🗺️

Come see our Cougars Salton and Freyja to learn more about these cats!

Join us Saturday for our Astrophysics speaker: Mary Knapp from Haystack Observatory!

This month's topic: "Exploring the Uncharted Sky at the Longest Wavelengths: Exoplanets, Solar Storms, and the Time Before the Stars".

We hope to see you there!

Learn more and get tickets: https://ecotarium.org/event/speaker-series-astrophysics-june-2026/

Registration for the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Worcester Natural History on Tuesday, June 9th is currently closed - we are at capacity.

For those attending or who are interested, the agenda for the evening is as follows:

Sneak Peek – The Secret World of Elephants – 4:00 – 4:30 pm
Networking and Refreshments – Appetizers and drinks– 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Annual Meeting – 5:00 – 5:45 pm
Awards – Presentation of the Edward Howe Forbush Naturalist Award to Elizabeth Maruma Mrema and Promotion of Honorary Trustees – 5:45 – 6:30 pm

It's Homeschool Day at the EcoTarium!

Homeschool families are welcome to enjoy the museum and grounds between from 10am-3pm today. We hope to see you soon!

EcoTarium summer camp is filling up fast! Register today to secure your spot!

Join us for extraordinary explorations and awesome adventures! Each week we’ll explore science and nature themes alongside friends new and old. Spaces fill quickly, so register today to secure your spot. If your preferred session is full, sign up for the waitlist, and we'll notify you as soon as space becomes available.

** Good news! We added another week of summer camp starting August 17! Campers explore a new STEAM theme each day with hands-on activities and museum adventures. Spots are limited! **

Learn More and Register: https://ecotarium.org/camp/

Please note: This camp complies with regulations of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and is licensed by the local board of health. Additional health and safety information can be found on our website. Need-based financial assistance is available on a rolling basis.

Join us on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 for the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Worcester Natural History Society/EcoTarium. We are almost at capacity - Pre-registration is required.

Agenda:
Sneak Peek – The Secret World of Elephants – 4:00 – 4:30 pm
Networking and Refreshments – Appetizers and drinks– 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Annual Meeting – 5:00 – 5:45 pm
Awards – Presentation of the Edward Howe Forbush Naturalist Award and Promotion of Honorary Trustees – 5:45 – 6:30 pm

We are almost at capactiy. Please pre-register here: https://ecotarium.org/event/201st-annual-meeting/