Los Angeles, CA (June 3, 2025) — The Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC) announces its new community partner series, Partners in Commons. The new initiative—which is designed to bring communities and community partners together—will kick off on Sunday, June 8 with “Pride in Bloom,” presented in collaboration with Drag Arts Lab, Inc.
Events for the day-long “Pride in Bloom” celebration include “Natural HERstory: The Drag Musical” in the new NHM Commons Theater, museum collections pop-up presentations from NHM educators, a Progress Flag Scavenger Hunt, and the Pride in Bloom Resource Fair on the new Community Plaza.
The new Partners in Commons series invites community partners to share their work and reach audiences at NHM Commons, the Museum’s new wing and community hub. The series emerged through deep listening and collaboration with the NHM Commons Advisory Coalition, whose insights shaped both the vision and the need for this program. Now, with NHM Commons open, this initiative serves as a dedicated space for co-creation with and for the community—built in partnership with our community partners and facilitated through NHMLAC’s Community Engagement office.
Through this initiative, NHM can offer a space where community organizations can gather, connect and share their work with both their audiences and the broader public, ensuring the Museum remains a hub for dialogue, creativity and belonging.
The first Partners in Commons event takes place in June, aligning with L.A. County’s recognition of LGBTQ+ Pride Month and reinforcing NHMLAC’s commitment to creating a welcoming space for all communities. From the fierce resilience of creatures that transform and adapt to the dazzling diversity of our planet, this celebration invites visitors to embrace the beauty of change and self-expression.
Pride in Bloom Schedule
Performance | NHM Commons Theater | 12 pm, 2 pm, 4 pm
Drag Arts Lab Presents
Watch the magic unfold as Drag Arts Lab takes the stage, reimagining nature’s transformations through the art of drag. From dino discos and asteroid explosions to vogueing birds and arthropod eleganza, this show explores how natural history is reflected in personal experiences.
Discovery Cart | Dino Hall, Bird Hall, and Nature Lab* | 12-5 pm
Collection Connections
Join Museum Educators as they uncover stories of transformation and resilience in NHM's collections. Learn more about Thomas the T. rex and the process of fossilization, explore the culture of curating an ornithology collection, and discover the myriads of arthropods in our Nature Lab and the ways in which their bodies transition to accommodate for growth. (The locations of the Discovery Carts require paid admission to the Museum to access.)
Scavenger Hunt | NHM Commons Theater Lobby | 12-5 pm
Pride Flag Scavenger Hunt
Learn a brief history of the Pride Flag and find all the colors to connect the symbolic meaning of the Pride Flag’s colors to the Museum's collection! Physical copies will be available in the NHM Commons Theater Lobby while supplies last.
Activity | NHM Commons Plaza | 12-5 pm
Resource Fair
Come to the Pride in Bloom Resource Fair and visit with NHM Community Partners to learn more about who NHM partners with and how they support their communities. Partnering community organizations include Trans*Lounge, Queer Mercado, Ciclavia, Extraordinary Families, Ballona Wetlands, Los Angeles Public Library, Rainbow Lab, BienEstar, Bicycle Kitchen, Access to Prevention Advocacy, Intervention, & Treatment (APAIT), and Great Autos Car Club.
All Partners in Commons events are free and more information about the first event is available on the Pride in Bloom webpage.
About the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County:
The Natural History Museum (NHM) is one of Los Angeles’ oldest cultural institutions and anchor of the evolving cultural, educational, and entertainment nexus in Exposition Park. NHM’s collection ranges from 4.5 million-year-old meteorites to newly discovered species explored throughout immersive visitor experiences such as Age of Mammals and the award-winning Dinosaur Hall. The outdoor 3.5-acre Nature Gardens and indoor Nature Lab look at people’s relationship with the environment in L.A., while another beloved permanent exhibit, Becoming Los Angeles, examines how L.A. has changed over time. NHM also features industry-leading habitat dioramas, an exquisite gem and mineral hall, a hands-on Discovery Center, and behind-the-scenes experiences such as the Dino Lab, where fossils are prepared in public view. NHM recently opened NHM Commons, a new community-focused wing designed to open new doors to natural history and celebrate the intersections of science, nature, and culture.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Josh Chesler
213-763-3580
jchesler@nhm.org
Amy Hood
213-763-3532
ahood@nhm.org