American Museum of Natural History NY

• The Fossil Halls - The museum's two dinousaur halls house over 1 million species of fossils, the most spectacular of which are the reconstructed skeletons of the giant Tyrannosaurus Rex and the Stegosaurus.
• The Rose Center for Earth and Space - The newest part of the museum, this 120-foot high, 333,500-square foot space includes the reworked Hayden Plantetarium, the Hall of Universe, the largest glass curtain wall in the world, and a myriad of exhibits about space, the planets, galaxies, and beyond.
• The Milstein Hall of Ocean Life - Home to one of the museum's most popular exhibits -- the 94-foot blue whale -- this section also contains dioramas of other marine and aquatic life, including dolphins, porpoises, and giant squid.
• The Cultural Halls - The museum's cultural halls explore the work of anthropologists Margaret Mead and Frank Boas, among others, and give insight into the cultures of South America, Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific, with replicas of villages, authentic artifacts, and other cultural information.
• Bird and Mammal Halls - The bird and mammal halls feature a huge variety of local (New York), North American, and Global animals and birds in life-like dioramas, such as the bear exhibit pictured above.

Imax Theater

The IMAX Theater at the American Museum of Natural History brings the natural world alive through multi-media presentations and movies. Recent films have included Galapagos, a look at the unique creatures who inhabit that island and Charles Darwin's famous research there.

Visiting the American Museum of Natural History

The American Muesum of Natural History is easily accessible from all other New York City via taxi or subway. In fact, there's a subway station adjacent to the museum. The museum is open daily from 10am to 545pm, except for Thanksgiving Day and December 25. In addition, the museum is open until 8pm the first Friday of each month. Discounts are offered for seniors and students, and members and children under 2 receive free admission.

Hungry visitors will find many dining options at the Natural History Museum. There is a food court on the lower level, which serves salads, sandwiches, soft drinks, and coffee. In addition, Cafe on 4 features half bottles of wine and splits of Champagne as well as sandwiches, salads, and gourmet cheese plates. The Tapas Bar is open from 530pm until 8pm on the first Friday of each month and serves small, Spanish-style tapas plates, wine, and sangria, accompanied by live jazz.

The museum's store is noted in New York City for its unique gifts and children's learning toys and gifts. There are dinosaur board games, umbrellas with the blue whale, and jewelry designed after native South Pacific motifs. It's well worth a visit.

Contact Information

The American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West at W. 79th St.
New York, NY 10024
212 769-5000