Learn about the vast river just outside our doors, and the creatures who live in it
NEW The Izzo Family Touch Tank
The Izzo Family Touch Tank lets you get up close and personal with some of the most fascinating creatures in the Hudson River estuary. LSC’s animal experts will guide you to safely touch horseshoe crabs, Forbes sea stars, knobbed whelks, sea urchins, and many more aquatic creatures.
At a rippling pool of water with a spectacular view onto the actual Hudson River, you’ll get a unique introduction to the Touch Tank residents and learn how our changing climate affects their habitat and future. LSC educators will help guests of all ages understand how we can take action to protect the future for these precious animals and for ourselves.
Species include:- Horsehoe Crab
- Forbes Sea Star
- Hermit Crab
- Knobbed Whelk
- Channeled Whelk
- Atlantic Purple Sea Urchin
- Quahog
Our Hudson Home
The Hudson River is home to thousands of species – including humans! In Our Hudson Home, you will discover the importance of this river as a means of travel and commerce, a source of food, and a place to play. In addition to the Touch Tank, the gallery includes giant tanks with Hudson River species that thrive in various parts of the estuary—the zone where the freshwater Hudson meets the salty Atlantic ocean water of New York Harbor.
The gallery is in the beginning phase of a transformation after which the entire experience will tell the story of the impact of climate change on the vital ecosystem and terrain of the Hudson River estuary. Stay tuned for more details as we update the gallery further in the next few years!
Visitor info
Location: 4th Floor
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Highlights
- Get a close-up look at horseshoe crabs, sea urchins, and sea stars in the brand new Izzo Family Touch Tank
- Say hello to the black drum fish, summer flounder, diamondback terrapin, and many other residents of the Hudson River
- Move water and sediments in a 14-foot-long stream table. Control water upriver and create dams and channels using sand to learn how sedimentation and erosion affect the river.
The Izzo Family Touch Tank is made possible by a generous gift from Ralph and Karen Izzo, longtime supporters of Liberty Science Center.
These generous partners sponsor the Our Hudson Home gallery: Charles Hayden Foundation, NASA, New York Shipping Association, The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, Victoria Foundation.
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