Ever heard of Evotourism™? No? That's because the Smithsonian Institution just made it up.

This month's issue of Smithsonian magazine is all about Evotourism™, which they've decided to trademark so we all have to put that pesky trademark symbol after it. Not a user-friendly way to coin a new term.

As their new dedicated site says, Evotourism™ is the "Smithsonian's new travel-information service that will help you find and fully enjoy the wonders of evolution. Whether it's a city museum or suburban fossil trove, a historic scientific site overseas or a rare creature in your own backyard, we'll direct you to places and discoveries that figure in the science of evolution or offer eye-opening evidence of the process of natural selection."

The site lists a variety of places to learn about the evolution of life on our planet, from Dinosaur National Monument in Utah, where you and your family can pose for photos in front of a dinosaur still encased in rock, to Darwin's home just outside London. Each destination is given a detailed treatment with an accompanying article.

There are also some general articles on subjects such as the life and work of Charles Darwin. One important piece is an interview with Christián Samper, former director of Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History that clears up many of the misconceptions about evolution, such as the common misperception that belief in evolution and belief in God is an either/or proposition.

The site is organized by theme, so if you have kids in tow or are a photographer, you'll be directed to the sites that are best for you.

It's a good list to start with, but of course there are many more sites to visit and the folks at the Smithsonian will be adding to it. They were modest enough not to include their own Natural History Museum in Washington, DC, surely one of the best Evotourism™ destinations anywhere. I'd also suggest the Science Museum in London, the Natural History Museum in New York City, and the Natural History Museum in Oxford, England.

For adventure travelers who want to get to the source, there's the National Museum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which has Lucy, the famous 3.2 million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis, and a display of skulls from the earliest human ancestors to modern humans in chronological order to show how primate-like traits gradually gave way to a more human appearance. Other rooms show the evolution of other animals.

What other Evotourism™ destinations would you recommend? Tell us in the comments section!


[Photo courtesy Flickr user InSapphoWeTrust]

Filed under: History, Learning, North America, United States