The Cocoon

School students working together on an interative image screen

Event information

Event type: Self-led

Location: Darwin Centre (Orange Zone)

Suitable for: Secondary School students (ages 11+)

Duration: about 45 minutes

Ticket prices: free

No booking required

The Coocon is currently closed due to lift issues.

Take your students on a journey through the Darwin Centre's Cocoon. This interactive gallery will inspire your students to learn more about the diversity of life.

Find out how we store, care for and use our 20 million entomology and botany specimens, and hear some of the stories from behind the scenes.

Our interactive exhibits will provide students with the answers to questions such as:

  • Who were the first collectors and how did their methods differ from those of modern-day scientists?
  • How do scientists organise, classify and name specimens?
  • Why is our collection so valuable for research and how do we share it with the world?
  • What do molecular techniques tell us about our specimens and how is this helping in the fight against malaria?

How to find the Cocoon

The Cocoon is located in the Darwin Centre.

Essential information

Everything you need to know for a smooth-running day, from where to go for lunch to completing a risk assessment.

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