WASHINGTON.- A visitor observes a display showing how a bobcat hunts a bird at the Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. The Hall of Mammals, a 25,000 sq. ft. permanent exhibition, features 274 taxidermied mounts and a dozen mammal fossils in a variety of environments - from polar to desert regions and from dry to humid environments. The newly opened Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals invites visitors to explore the incredible diversity of mammals, including humans, and the processes by which they arose and continue to adapt. Featuring 274 exciting taxidermied mounts and a dozen mammal fossils in a variety of environments—from polar to desert regions and from dry to humid environments—the exhibit tells the story of mammal evolution through adaptation to changing habitats. This message is reinforced throughout - “You are a mammal; meet your relatives, past and present; all mammals evolved from a common ancestor and share common characteristics; as the world changed, mammals became more diverse; come find out how.”

Located in the museum’s restored west wing, this permanent, 25,000-square-foot interactive hall sets a new standard for museum biology halls in both content and design, by combining a passionate and detailed commitment to scholarship with fresh interpretive approaches custom-designed to meet the needs of our primary visitor audience - Families. The new hall is set within a dramatic and well-lit space that has been fully restored to its original Beaux Arts architectural intent.