JERSEY CITY, NJ, June 22, 2026 — Liberty Science Center invites guests to uncover the secrets of nature’s most potent toxins with the July 4 opening of The Power of Poison. On view through January 3, 2027, the immersive exhibit explores how poisons have shaped the natural world, inspired myths and legends, influenced history, and even contributed to groundbreaking medical discoveries.

The Power of Poison, a special exhibition organized by the American Museum of Natural History in New York, leads guests through 450 million years of evolution. Visitors will learn how toxic plants and animals have developed poisonous survival strategies and how humans responded to natural-found toxins throughout history — whether we sought to understand or fear them.

At the heart of the exhibition is the wide diversity of plants and animals that use toxins and venoms to survive. Guests will journey through an immersive recreation of Colombia’s Chocó Forest, encounter venomous and poisonous species, investigate some of history’s most famous poisoning mysteries, and discover how researchers are harnessing toxins to develop treatments for conditions ranging from diabetes to neurological disorders.

“The most surprising thing about poison is that it isn’t just a story about danger, but also discovery,” said Paul Hoffman, President and CEO of Liberty Science Center. “What makes The Power of Poison especially exciting at Liberty Science Center is that guests can connect those stories to up-close encounters with real animals and the experts who care for them.”

The exhibition is divided into five thematic sections combining immersive environments, interactive investigations, theatrical story telling, and real-world science.

● Poison in Nature: Explore the evolutionary arms race between predators and prey through an immersive recreation of Colombia’s Chocó Forest, home to a remarkable variety of toxic plants and animals.

● Poison in Myth & Legend: Discover how poisonous substances inspired centuries of folklore, fairy tales, superstition, and magic, from Shakespeare’s witches to the stories behind famous toxic plants.

● Villains & Victims: Examine some of history’s most notorious poisoning cases and learn how mysteries surrounding famous deaths continue to intrigue scientists and historians today.

● Poison for Good: Learn how researchers are transforming toxins and venoms into potential treatments for diseases ranging from diabetes and stroke to neurological disorders.

● Detecting Poisons Theater: Step into the role of investigator during a live theatrical presentation that demonstrates how early toxicologists helped solve real-world poisoning cases.

The lessons extend beyond the exhibition gallery thanks to the 110+species of animals that call LSC home. Special educational programming in the new Animal Encounters zone of the Center’s ever-popular Wild About Animals exhibition will feature live animal ambassadors to provide guests an even closer look at the science behind venom, toxicity, and survival. Guests can expect to meet the Gila monster–whose venom inspired groundbreaking diabetes treatment–as well as other fascinating creatures like tarantulas, black widow spiders, and rattlesnakes.

The Power of Poison will be on display at Liberty Science Center from July 4, 2026, through January 3, 2027.For tickets and information, visit LSC.org.

ABOUT LIBERTY SCIENCE CENTER (LSC)

Liberty Science Center (LSC.org) is a300,000-square-foot, not-for-profit learning center located in Liberty State Park on the Jersey City bank of the Hudson near the Statue of Liberty. Dedicated to inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers and bringing the power, promise, and pure fun of science and technology to learners of all ages, Liberty Science Center houses the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, 12 museum exhibition halls, a live animal collection with 110 species, giant aquariums, a 3D theater, live simulcast surgeries, a tornado-force wind simulator, K-12 classrooms and labs, and teacher-development programs. More than 280,000 students visit the Science Center each year, and tens of thousands more participate in the Center’s off- site and online programs. Welcoming more than 800,000 visitors annually, LSC is the largest cultural institution in New Jersey and the largest interactive science center in the NYC-NJ metropolitan area.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (AMNH)

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City, founded in1869 with a dual mission of scientific research and science education, is one of the world’s preeminent scientific, educational, and cultural institutions. The Museum encompasses more than 40 permanent exhibition halls, galleries for temporary exhibitions, the Rose Center for Earth and Space including the Hayden Planetarium, and the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation. The Museum’s scientists draw on a world-class permanent collection of more than 30 million specimens and objects, some of which are billions of years old, and on one of the largest natural history libraries in the world. Through its Richard Gilder Graduate School, the Museum offers two of the only free-standing, degree-granting programs of their kind at any U.S museum: the Ph.D. program in Comparative Biology and the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Earth Science residency program. Visit amnh.org for more information.