Background

Copied from the COSI (Center of Science and Industry exhibit website):

Stories of mythical beings have been with us for thousands of years. These legends, which were sometimes inspired by fossils or living animals, continue to inspire us today. Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids, traces the natural and cultural roots of some of the world’s most enduring creatures of myth. Mythic Creatures features unique cultural objects that highlight the surprising similarities and differences in the ways people around the world have envisioned and depicted mythic creatures. Organized by the American Museum of Natural History in New York, Mythic Creatures includes imaginative models and cast fossils of prehistoric animals to investigate how they could have – through misidentification, speculation, fear or imagination – inspired the development of some legendary creatures.

Featured in this Exhibition

This alluring exhibition features:

• 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
• A replica “Feejee mermaid,” of the type made famous by showman P. T. Barnum, created by sewing the head and torso of a monkey to the tail of a fish
• A 17-foot-long dragon with a wingspan of over 19 feet
• A 10-foot-long European unicorn
• An 11-foot-long Roc with large, sharp talons swooping above the heads of visitors with a wingspan of nearly 20 feet
• A dramatic model of a kraken, whose 12-foot-long tentacles appear to rise out of the floor of the exhibition as if surfacing from the sea
• An over-6-foot-tall, extinct primate called Gigantopithecus
• The largest bird ever to have lived, the over-9-foot-tall, extinct Aepyornis
• Paintings and textiles, along with cultural objects from around the world that bring to light surprising similarities and differences in the ways people have been inspired by nature to envision and depict these strange and wonderful creatures

Impression

The Mythical Creatures exhibit is free for members and part of the entrance fee for those non-members entering COSI.

The first thing you see when you walk in is the giant dragon, represented below.

Mythical creatures from many cultures are represented here. Organizers make the visuals come alive with well placed and described placards through out.

Above is a statue of St. George whom has one claim to fame as being someone that slayed a dragon. It is an interesting story and I invite anyone interested to look up the particulars.

Mermaids are maidens of the deep, many old and modern myths abound. This statue shows a representation (referred to as a figurehead) of a mermaid. These were often on the fronts of sailing ships in the 16th round 20th century.

Unicorns are favorites among the mythical creatures, horses that have horns growing from the front of their skulls. Some cultures believe that unicorns held magical powers.

My favorite mythical creature and also the representation of my families heraldry, the gryphon!

Below is a representation of the Chupacabra. It is a mythical creature from Latin American folklore, depicted as a reptile-like beast that supposedly attacks and drinks the blood of livestock, especially goats.

Next up is the Giganopithecus, believed to be the largest primate/ape to have ever walked the earth.

Pegasus, the fabled winged horse from Greek mythology. Most people know of Pegasus from the movies Clash of the Titans.

While this is a small exhibition, we recommend it if you like to see and learn about mythology. The displays are fantastic and the information is educational. Adults and kids alike are going to appreciate this. While you are here, you also get full access to the standard COSI exhibits!