The Secret World of Elephants! The EcoTarium’s Newest Exhibit running through September 2026.
Join the herd! Be among the first to experience this exciting new interactive exhibit standing in the brand new Stoddard Exhibition Hall!
This immersive exhibition brings you face-to-face with elephants past and present—from a life-size woolly mammoth shedding its fur to today’s African and Asian elephants that still roam our planet.
How do elephants “hear” with their feet, use 16 powerful muscles in their trunks, or reshape entire forests just by eating and walking? Step into The Secret World of Elephants and uncover the science, stories, and surprises behind these extraordinary animals. Through stunning models, touchable teeth casts, interactive exhibits, and video experiences, you’ll explore how elephants think, feel, and communicate. Discover how they engineer the very landscapes they live in, sustaining countless other species—and how people across the world have long revered and relied on them.
Once, elephants and their relatives roamed nearly every continent. Today, only three species remain. Yet their abilities continue to astonish: trunks strong enough to topple trees yet gentle enough to pluck a single blade of grass, deep family bonds, and intricate ways of communicating across miles.
Scientists are still unlocking their secrets—and sounding the alarm. The demand for ivory, shrinking habitats, and climate change are driving elephants toward extinction. As curator Ross MacPhee of the American Museum of Natural History notes, “If we don’t act quickly, elephants could be gone before we ever truly get to know them.”
The Secret World of Elephants invites you to explore, to marvel, and to imagine a future where these giants still roam the Earth.
Learn more about this exhibit!
A timed ticket is required for entry to the exhibition.
Exhibit Cost
- Come celebrate with us during the first week of the Elephants exhibition! From 3/7/26 – 3/15/26, tickets to the exhibition are included with general admission.
- Starting 3/17/26, on Tuesdays through Fridays, entry to the Elephants exhibition is included with admission.
- On Saturdays and Sundays, admission to the Elephants exhibition will be $7 per person.
- Members will always receive free admission to this exhibition. Non-members must also purchase general admission tickets to enter the EcoTarium.
The exhibition features a life-size model of an African elephant—the largest living land animal. A video projection on one side of the African elephant model shows the skeleton of this massive mammal and provides an inside look at how it processes the huge amount of food it eats—about 300–500 pounds per day—and elephant gestation, which can last for nearly two years, longer than any other living mammal.
Images Courtesy of EcoTarium
EcoTarium
222 Harrington Way
Worcester, MA
About The EcoTarium
The EcoTarium is New England’s leading museum of science and nature, an indoor-outdoor experience dedicated to inspiring a passion for science and nature in visitors of all ages. Founded in 1825 as one of the oldest natural history museums in the country, the EcoTarium has been a leader in informal science and nature education for nearly 200 years. Highlights of the 45-acre Worcester campus include the science center with three floors of interactive exhibits, Alden Planetarium, Science Discovery programs and extensive outdoor nature trails, wildlife zoo and habitats, the seasonal railroad Explorer Express Train, and extensive outdoor play exhibit, Nature Explore®. The EcoTarium is located at 222 Harrington Way, Worcester MA 01604. Parking is free and Museum admission tickets may be purchased online. The EcoTarium is open Tuesday – Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm. For more information, visit ecotarium.org.
