Museum of Natural History
The Museum of Natural History is a museum located near Downtown LA. It's a large imposing building, with a staircase leading to the main entrance flanked by large columns, with the building topped by a dome.
From October to December 2004, the Museum featured a special exhibit on dinosaurs, and were planning an exhibit on ancient insects for January 2005. There was also a featured exhibit on human sacrifice during this time.
The main hall has a model of what seems to be a diplodocus skeleton, with passages leading to different wings. A second floor balcony encircles the hall, with a crossover bridge above the diplodocus. The balcony contains different dioramas of various ancient creatures. An access corridor circles behind the dioramas, with a number of doors providing access so museum workers can change out the diorama displays.
One velociraptor model had been removed from a display and left in the access corridor, apparently as a prank to other workers.
The staff offices lead to the research and restoration facilities in the basement, in which were found a Fetish Statue and the Ankaran Sarcophagus in adjacent rooms, until both items were stolen.
Staff
- Janice Corning
- JJ Elmster
- Pam King
- C. Marshall, an administrator or possibly head of security
- Daryl, who was working on the Fetish Statue
- Larry, owner of lost keys
Quests
- Patron Of The Ancient Arts
- Occultish Personality
Background Information
- The Museum of Natural History is based on the real-world Natural History Museum. However, some exterior signage at the NHM does still use the "Museum of Natural History" phrasing.
- To add to the confusion, some (but not all) computer systems refer to the building as the "Natural Museum of History," and email addresses use the nmh.vtm URL. The signage both on the interior and exterior of the museum uses the MNH name, however, as does LaCroix.
- The interior entrance hall seems to be inspired less on the Los Angeles NHM's, and more on the entrance hall at London's Natural History Museum, given the staircase, the second floor balcony, and the floor model of "Dippy" the diplodocus.
- The building exterior wasn't present in the base game, although it was intended to be present. It was restored for the Plus version of the Unofficial Patch based on alpha screenshots. The design seems to be a combination of the real LA Natural History Museum (in particular the dome), and the American Museum of Natural History in New York.[1]
- At the beginning of the Patron Of The Ancient Arts quest, LaCroix attempts to give you the front door key, which he acquired from Gary. It's later revealed that, prior to turning over the key, Gary also provided access to the Giovanni. So the question of who had access to the museum leads to the entire back half of the game. Despite this importance, since the exterior area was cut from the final release of the game, when the prince offers the PC the front door key, you simply tell him you'll find your own way in and are placed just inside the museum's roof access area.
- In the Plus version of the Unofficial Patch, jumping from the bridge onto the wings of one of the suspended pterosaur models will yield a Money Clip.
Gallery
LA's real-world Natural History Museum exterior
NY's real-world Museum of Natural History exterior- The reconstructed Bloodlines version
The MNH entrance hall
The entrance hall of London's Natural History Museum