If you’ve ever had a slightly macabre curiosity about the world around you, this fascinating new exhibition is for you. Making its highly anticipated debut at The Paperworks in Old Sac tomorrow, June 27, Death by Natural Causes offers an educational, eye-opening and wonderfully chilling look at all the ways our beautiful natural world can, well, take us out.
19 July 2026 10:00 + more dates
Unmasking the world’s silent killers
Despite its name, the exhibition is actually here to help. Developed by the world-renowned Houston Museum of Natural Science, Death by Natural Causes guides the brave and the curious through the unexpected and often misunderstood dangers lurking in plain sight.
You’ll finally learn the real differences between terms like poisonous, venomous and toxic, and debunk age-old urban legends and old wives’ tales using real scientific evidence. From killer mushrooms to common household items, it turns out the real horror house might just be your own!
From killer crystals to fatal foliage: the 3 danger zones
Presented through a collection of spooky specimens, insightful texts and interactive activities, visitors can explore the natural world’s biggest threats. The immersive experience highlights the three main types we need to watch out for:
🪨Malevolent Minerals – Think elements only cause trouble in the lab? Think again. This section dives into how beautiful but lethal minerals have quietly leeched into human life over centuries.
🐍Fearsome Fauna – While many think sharks and bears are our main concerns, there are actually around one million animal-related deaths each year—and the real culprits might surprise you. Look at humanity’s ancient struggle with beasts through fossilized bones, and discover how tiny invertebrates have evolved an incredibly complex, toxic arsenal of defenses.
🍄Poisonous Plants – Plants have spent millions of years mastering chemical warfare. Step into a greenhouse of horrors to get up close and personal with notorious, fatal foliage like hemlock, belladonna, strychnine and digitalis. Discover what trouble might be growing right in your own backyard!
Play detective: interactive science meets myth-busting
The exhibit features plenty of interactive activities. Visitors can play myth-busting games, guessing which everyday hazard causes more fatalities (like lightning strikes vs. taking a selfie), and try their hand at playing detective by uncovering a mock-victim’s cause of death.
Death By Natural Causes reviews:
Merely W. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ As a death investigator I found this exhibit to be both interesting and entertaining!
Darla A. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If the Death by Natural Causes exhibit wasn’t closing for the evening, we would have stayed much longer. We found this exhibit to be educational, full of transcendental ideas, and fun facts.
Eagle S. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ It’s not scary at all!! I love it! It’s actually more interesting than I thought. I would strongly recommend!
Plan your visit
Ready to confront your deepest fears?
📍The Paperworks (2nd Floor Exhibition Space), 1115 Front Street, Old Sacramento Waterfront
📅Open tomorrow, June 27 – January 1, 2027
⏰Monday – Thursday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM (last entry), Friday & Saturday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM (last entry), Sunday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM (last entry)
Recommended for ages 8+
Death by Natural Causes
19 July 2026 10:00 + more dates
