Things to Do in Orlando

Skeletons: A Museum of Osteology

It’s my favorite time of the year and I can’t wait for Halloween with my husband, Scott, and our favorite little monster, our 7-month-old daughter Avery. We may not watch the leaves change here in Florida and the cooler temps are a long way off, but we can certainly get into some spooky fun all month long!

The skeleton museum in the ICON Orlando 360 complex is a fun way to get weird leading up to All Hallow’s Eve. The museum boasts over 500 real, complete animal skeletons held within 40 visually stunning exhibits.

There are several human skeletons as well, showing the contrasts between our and other creatures’ bodies. All of the animals died of natural causes and were donated to the museum by zoos, wildlife parks or researchers.

While this all may seem a little macabre, don’t get your bones in a bunch. The museum is actually a fascinating look at the inner workings of the human and animal form.

All of the skeletons are arranged in natural poses and animals are grouped together in their taxonomic orders (such as cats of all sizes grouped together, or whales and porpoises) to show their internal similarities and highlight the differences from other groups.

While you may know exactly what a bat looks like, do you understand how its skeleton moves? Have you ever taken an extreme, up-close look at its impossibly tiny bones? This museum lets you do just that.

We were asked upon entry what each of our favorite animals were, and assured that there would be a skeleton representing that species. While Avery’s current obsessions are unicorns and mermaids (sadly, no skeletons are available for those) she is also pretty partial to narwhals (or “sea unicorns” in our house) and sure enough, there was a skeleton for it.

At the end of the museum, you can watch live flesh-eating beetles pick bones clean and learn more about the assembly process of the skeletons. This museum is the largest natural history museum in Central Florida, and while it is fairly new as it was opened in 2015, it is only the second of its kind in the United States.

The museum regularly hosts homeschool education days throughout the month with different themes. On October 20, you can try your hand at forensics with a special Halloween edition, allowing you to examine replica human skulls to determine age, sex, physical trauma and/or illness, plus a special themed guided tour.

If this gives you the heebie jeebies, that same night there is a not-so-spooky Halloween party for all ages complete with scavenger hunts, trick-or-treating and “bone-chilling” activities. Don’t forget to come in costume!

Tickets are $19.99 at the door, but if you plan ahead and purchase online in advance, you can get them for as little as $5.99 depending on the day you choose to visit.

Whether you’re looking for an educational experience, or an eerie evening, make no bones about it, Skeletons: A Museum of Osteology is the place to be!

Skeletons: A Museum of Osteology

8441 International Dr. Suite 250

Orlando, FL 32819

(407) 203-6999

Open daily from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.

SkeletonMuseum.com