The Hall of Mammals

One of my favorite things when I was a kid was the Halls of Animals at the LA Museum.  Could wander forever in there, closer to the animals that at the zoo.  Plus they weren't sad, like the zoo could be.
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In retrospect, perhaps the animals would have rather been annoyed in a zoo than dead and stuffed - but you can't really figure that out.
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Coyotes on the floor of Yosemite Valley.

Well, the New York American History Museum also has Animal Halls.  The Hall of North American Mammals has been completely redone as part of it's update of Teddy Roosevelt's contributions to the museum.  All the animals have been touched up; they were behind glass, but over time the florescent  lights washed out the colors of the animals so make up experts have corrected colors by hand dyeing / coloring the animals.  They has also restored all the diorama painting colors as well.  They might be a little too much, but you have to remember they were done at the turn of the Century to bring the west to life for people in New York.
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I can't wait to go up there (the hours have been skewed due to the Hurricane, now the Noreaster.

Mountain Lions (cougars) at the Grand Canyon