Dragons, Unicorns, and Mermaids: Mythic Creatures

A couple looks at a giant model of a purple kraken head and tentacles that appear to be rising out of the floor
Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids: Mythic Creatures reveals the relationship between science and legend, tracing the origins of mythic creatures and their enduring hold on the imagination.

For thousands of years, humans around the world have brought mythic creatures to life in stories, music, and works of art. Uncover the origins and significance of legendary creatures of the air, land, and water such as sea monsters, mermaids, unicorns, griffins, dragons, and more.

Highlights

This exhibition combines dramatic models, cast fossils, cultural objects, and absorbing multimedia and interactive technology to tell the stories behind the alluring mythic creatures that continue to fascinate visitors of all ages. 

A large model of a European dragon bathed in dramatic red light
This 17-foot-long dragon with a wingspan of over 19 feet guards the entrance of the exhibition.
© Robb McCormick
A "life sized" model of a traditional European white unicorn.
A traditional European unicorn, 10 feet long from tail to tip of horn, are among many of the mythic creatures featured in the exhibition.
© Robb McCormick
A woman looks at a case display of a Protoceratops skull and skeleton
Some believe that the dinosaur Protoceratops may be the inspiration for tales of the legendary griffin.
D. Finnin/© AMNH
A model of an enormous Roc bird hangs from the ceiling and appears to be flying toward to viewer
This11-foot-long Roc with large, sharp talons swoops above the heads of visitors with a wingspan of nearly 20 feet.
D. Finnin/© AMNH
A group of children surround a group of digital display screens and look up while pointing at a monitor showing animated dragons
Visitors can build their own dragon in an engaging touch-screen interactive and then watch as it comes alive before their eyes in a virtual environment.
D. Finnin/© AMNH
A woman looks at a stone statue of a knight in armor holding a sword with his foot placed on top of a dragon's head
This European sculpture made out of sandstone shows a dragon being crushed by St. George, who wears the cross of a Christian Crusader. Images of the dragon slayer St. George are popular in many countries in the Christian world, from England to Ethiopia.
D. Finnin/© AMNH
A vibrant Chinese parade dragon fixed to the ceiling is viewed from below
A 120-foot-long Chinese parade dragon, used in New York City’s Chinatown to perform the traditional dragon dance at the Lunar New Year, is mounted over the exhibition.
D. Finnin/© AMNH

Key Concepts

  • Mythic Creatures Teach Us About Cultures Around the World
  • Many Mythic Creatures Reflect Attempts to Describe the Natural World
  • Mythic Creatures Are a Medium of Cultural Interaction
  • Mythic Creatures Take Shape Through Human Imagination
  • Cultures Keep Mythic Creatures Alive Through Art and Literature

Reviews

“A brilliant curatorial idea.”
– The New York Times

“On a scale of one to ten…a mythical ten.”
– The New Yorker

“An intriguing blend of the surreal and the scientific”
– The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

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The first page of the Mythic Creatures case study, showing text and an image of the exhibition's sign in Danish

Case Study: Mythic Creatures helps Holstebro Museum re-position as a place for everyone

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Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids: Mythic Creatures is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org) in collaboration with The Field Museum, Chicago; Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau; Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney; and Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Atlanta.