Webs Shall Be Weaved at the Spectacular Spider Pavilion

Summer's exit, and fall's arrival, can put an enterprising craft-minded person in a must-make-things mood.

For when the latter half of September arrives, a talented maker may want to knit, weave, needlepoint, and crochet all the things, from cozy hats to pretty potholders to merry mufflers (even if Southern California isn't exactly famous as a place to muffler-out).

If you count yourself in this creative class, be cheered, for there are other makers out there fashioning fantastical works of art, pieces that are both beautiful and necessary.

We speak of spiders, of course, those iconic eight-legged artists, the inventors of webs so perfect they almost look as if a complicated computer program provided some back-end support.

But no: These amazing arachnids are spinning sublime structures on their own, without any help from humans or human-built devices.

Which leads us to say, always and forever, the following: Whoa.

What is a human to do, though, when she wants to admire these lacy, seemingly delicate wonders from up-close, or at least from a spot that is sort-of-kind-of nearby?

She makes for the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, which will again present Spider Pavilion, one of its most popular autumn attractions.

Hundreds of spiders, of all sorts, will again be crafting breeze-catching beauties from Sept. 26 through Dec. 5, 2021.

The area, which will brim with oodles of cephalothorax-rocking superstars, will be located outside the Exposition Park museum, giving both people and critters plenty of fresh-air'd space.

Spider-smart pros'll be on-hand to discuss the "natural pest control" provided by these web-making wonders, as well as their important place in the larger natural picture.

Some of the Spider Pavilion residents will be behind glass, including the wolf spider and jumping spider. And tarantulas? They'll be in the hairy-legged house, too, and ready to be admired through a glass partition.

The webs being spun each and every day in Spider Pavilion aren't for nabbing people, so breathe easy: Call them a plate of sorts, a way for these multi-legged spinners to nab their supper.

Once the prey arrives and can't depart, the spiders handily wrap 'em up, "a silken doggie bag" they'll revisit later.

"To a spider you're Godzilla," says Forest Urban, manager of NHM's live invertebrate program, which runs the Pavilion. "Most don’t even know you're there. They don't care for people as food or regard them as a threat."

Such a comforting notion instantly de-eeks the eekiness that spiders can too often inspire by their mere presence.

Get to know these major players in our ecosystem, and admire their incredible craftiness from a nearby vantage point, during your falltime stroll through Spider Pavilion.

Tickets? You'll want to sling your web and book yours in advance.