Plant reproduction is woven into a web that includes wind, water, and animals. The Pollinarium offers visitors a look at some of these relationships. Visitors will feel as though they have walked into a hive as they watch bees build their comb, care for their young, and produce honey. Visitors can also observe the mechanics of pollination by maneuvering a large model of a bee into an equally large flower. They can investigate insect vision, seeing flowers the way insects see them, within the ultraviolet range of the light spectrum.
Visitors can also explore unusual examples of co-evolution of plants and their pollinators.
Opening in the Spring of 1996, Pollinarium joins the Invertebrate Exhibit, Reptile Discovery Center, Think Tank, and Amazonia as one of the cornerstone exhibits of the National Zoo's BioPark. The BioPark focuses on the inter-dependence of life on Earth, combining the best of zoos, botanical gardens, and museums for a rich educational experience.