The life sized whale and giant squid display at American Museum of Natural History is presented in near total darkness with no glass barrier separating visitors from the exhibit, creating the eerie illusion that the massive creatures are emerging from an endless black ocean. Because the edge remains completely open, an inattentive visitor could theoretically step straight into the dark void below. The sperm whale and giant squid diorama at American Museum of Natural History was first installed in the Hall of Ocean Life when the exhibit opened in 1933. The giant squid model carried particular fascination because complete specimens were extremely rare at the time, and to much of the public the creature still existed somewhere between science and myth, tied to sea monster tales and the legend of the kraken. Most scientific knowledge about giant squids then came from damaged remains that had washed ashore in places such as Newfoundland and New Zealand. The exhibit hall itself was intentionally kept very dark so visitors would lose awareness of the surrounding walls and ceiling, creating the illusion that the whale and squid were floating in a vast, endless ocean. Adding to the unsettling atmosphere, there was no glass barrier separating visitors from the display.(Historic Vids)