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View Odd Historical Artifacts During All-Night Event at the Explorer's Club

By Shaye Weaver | January 21, 2016 12:21pm
 Atlas Obscura is hosting an all-nighter at the Explorer's Club, which has a slew of artifacts from expeditions dating back to the early 20th century.
You Can Spend the Night at the Explorer's Club with Atlas Obscura
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UPPER EAST SIDE — A "yeti scalp," a stuffed sperm whale penis and an intricately carved chair rumored to belong to a Chinese Empress are just some of the artifacts from history's greatest and most dangerous expeditions that will be on display during an all-night event at the Explorer's Club next month.

"Up All Night at the Explorers Club" gives New Yorkers an opportunity to spend a night (12 hours) at the wood-paneled, museum-like Explorers Club on East 70th Street — which was founded in 1904 to further scientific field research through exploration and has since accumulated an extensive collection of historic artifacts.

The Feb. 5 event — organized by Atlas Obscura, a group dedicated to exploring the world's little known wonders — will give visitors a rare glimpse of the club's past and some of history's most impressive expeditions, like the first trip to the moon, the first trip to the summit of Mount Everest and the first discovery of a pirate ship, through a series of lectures and screenings, according to the organizers

Visitors will also get to tour a trophy room filled with taxidermy animals and animal parts, including a penis from a sperm whale. Not much is known about this particular artifact, but some reports say it was gifted to the Club in 1977 by a Mr. and Mrs. Frederick S. Schauffler.

The room also features a large globe from a 1947 trip to the Polynesian islands, and what two explorers of Everest described as the "scalp of a yeti" but is actually hair from a goat-like creature, according to Atlas Obscura.

The Explorers Club boasts a host of alumni members who've achieved incredible feats, including zoologist Dian Fossey, astronaut Neil Armstrong and journalist Walter Cronkite.

Many club members who go on an expedition carry the club's flag with them to their destination. The flag has been flown at both of the earth's poles, on high mountains and even on the lunar surface, according to the club.

The Explorers Club regularly holds film screenings and lectures from its 1910 Jacobean townhouse at 46 E. 70th St. The club opened its first headquarters on West 67th Street and moved to the Upper East Side in 1965.  

The club was only open to men until 1981, when it inducted its first 16 women.

The all-night event costs $200, starts at 9 p.m. and will include cocktails, hors d-oeuvres and breakfast. For more information visit the event page.