Disclaimer: there are gross things in this post (i.e., animal specimens, dissections, and the like). Do not click (or do not scroll down if you already clicked) if you do not want to see. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Also, sorry for the glare in the photos – the display cases were wholly uncooperative.
MD convinced me to join her at the Grant Museum of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy with this argument: “It’s supposed to be a little-known, out-of-the-way find that will either be incredibly cool or incredibly gross.” Of course, that sold me, and of course it was both. When we walked in, the very first thing we saw was a jar of moles; I knew I had made the right choice.
The free museum is part of the University College London and houses a collection of skeletons and specimens from creatures of all sizes and shapes, some 68,000 in fact. I don’t think all of those were on display, but it’s hard to say. The specimens are organized into broad categories (birds, mammals, etc.), all are labeled and strangely fascinating. There was also a Micrarium where you can see some of the smallest specimens the museum has by using the provided microscopes. The museum has the feel of a working library. There’s a little balcony that goes around the top of the museum, and the grad students (I assume) have draped a couple of skeletons up there, Statler & Waldorf style.
Title quote: Every teenage boy, ever
Things will get progressively grosser as you scroll down.
