he David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth raises and explores key questions: How has the Earth evolved? Why are there ocean basins, continents, and mountains? How do we read the rocks? What causes climate and climate change? And, perhaps most significantly, why is Earth habitable?

The Hall combines touchable rock specimens with computer interactives, video, and soundscapes to convey the power and beauty of planet Earth. Displayed are a stunning collection of 168 geological samples collected by Museum scientists in dozens of field expeditions to such places as Mount Vesuvius, the Grand Canyon, and the Swiss Alps. Together with 11 dramatic, full-scale models of significant outcrops and geological features, the specimens create a hall that is as beautiful and varied as Earth itself. The oldest specimen in the hall is a strikingly beautiful red-banded iron formation that is 2.7 billion years old. The "youngest" is a piece of bright yellow sulfur that was collected by Museum scientists just moments after it condensed from clouds of gas emitting from an Indonesian volcano. Other exhibits include the suspended eight-foot-diameter Dynamic Earth Globe, which creates an entrancing, changing view of the planet as seen from outer space. The electronic Earth Event Wall broadcasts reports of global events, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and atmospheric conditions, as they occur.

Learn more about the Hall of Planet Earth.