Entry No. 35 — the San Diego file — filed under: oddities

The Nat's Nature to You Loan Library

Tucked inside the San Diego Natural History Museum is a genuine library — with a card catalog and checkout system — for over 1,300 taxidermy specimens, skulls, and fossils; educators and members can literally check out a stuffed turkey or a lion pelt the way you'd borrow a novel.

The move: Tour The Nat together, then ask at the Nature to You Loan Program desk to see the specimen library up close — a room of taxidermy animals normally hidden from the main galleries, available for members/educators to actually borrow.

• 📍 Balboa Park
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: 1788 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101

Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: sdnhm.org · Atlas Obscura · listverse.com

last checked: 2026-07-19