American Museum of Natural History Presents 'Spiders Alive'

Spiders Alive! explores the fascinating and complex world of spiders. For centuries, spiders have inspired mythmakers from Ovid to E. B. White to the creators of the eponymous superhero, but their actual role in diverse ecosystems around the globe is just as captivating.

Among the most versatile animals on the planet, spiders inhabit every continent but Antarctica and are able to survive in environments that range from deserts to rainforests to crowded cities.

Visitors will explore spiders’ anatomy, diversity, venom, silk, and behavior, including little-known defensive mechanisms such as mimicry and noise-making. In addition to live spiders representing approximately 20 species, the exhibition will also include larger-than-life models of spiders, videos, a climbable spider model, and fossils.

Museum staff will be presenting live arachnids for visitors to see up close, and the exhibition will focus on debunking spider myths, such as: spiders need gravity to build webs, all spiders neglect their offspring, and all spiders are poisonous to humans.