American Museum of Natural History

American Museum

of Natural History

travel wonder in America

Why the

American Museum

of Natural History

is special

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City is the largest and most famous of its genre in the world. This four-block long, four-story institute has several dozen natural science exhibitions designed to both entertain and educate. Some are computer generated.

Most popular

attractions

These lead the list:

Dinosaurs - The extensive collection of full-size dinosaur replicas (including an imposing Tyrannosaurus Rex) excites the mind and eye of adult and child alike.

Rose Center - This ultra-modern, fairly new addition houses a planetarium using a technically advanced projection system. It also comprises the Planet Earth and the Universe halls, which are highly regarded.

Blue Whale – Most visitors quickly become attached to the adorable replica of a 94-foot whale that is suspended directly over their heads.

Other must-sees at the museum include:

Discovery Room

Hands-on fun for kids with a sense of curiosity.

IMAX Theatre

Screens nature-related films on a super-sized screen.

Hall of Gems

Displays the famous 563-carat Star of India blue sapphire. The fact that it was stolen and recovered with much fanfare in the 1960s enhances its appeal.

Hall of Biodiversity

Walk through a recreated rainforest.

American Museum

of Natural History

tips & insights

Weekends can be crowded. If possible, come on a non-holiday weekday.

To mitigate the weekend crush, arrive at opening time.

Planetarium tickets go quickly. The same is sometimes also true for IMAX and special event tickets. Buy them as far in advance as possible, especially for weekend and peak-season performances.

The American Museum of Natural History has over 30 million specimens. It acquired most of them via its many sponsored scientific expeditions to all the continents. That quest has been going on since around 1870.