American Museum of Natural History Review

The American Museum of Natural History was our last destinations during our stay in New York City recently. Most will think this is a must see Museum. I agree however my husband loved the Museum; I liked it. If you have children it is certainly a must do.

The museum is too large to see in a day. You might want to plan out what you want to see before you go. There are special exhibits which will cost you extra.

The Museum is located at 79th Street and Central Park West. We went by public transportation which left us off essentially inside the Museum. The main entrance to the Rose Center for Earth and Space is located at 81st Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue.

The museum is open every day from 10:00 to 5:45p.m. There are so many things to do that giving you one price doesn’t make sense. The general admission is $10.00 and $6.00 for children.

“There are four floors of gallery space and the building is spread over an area of several city blocks. Inside there are 42 permanent exhibits and several temporary ones covering everything in creation from the beginning of time to the present, every discipline of human science: biology, ecology, zoology, geology, astronomy, and anthropology. The museum presents its collection of millions of artifacts with detailed information about the cultural, scientific, or historical importance of the pieces. It’s quite possible to spend hours just in the Halls for Asian, African & South American Peoples.”

http://www.ny.com/museums/american.museum.of.natural.history.html

What we did and what we missed

We started with a free tour which was great because we learned things we would never had known on our own. We had to duck out a bit early because we had tickets to what the website calls “the breathtaking new Space Show, Cosmic Collisions.” I didn’t interview any children as we left this 20-minute show but I would think they would either have been bored or terrified. If we hadn’t paid extra for it I would have taken the opportunity to nap. The best part of it was that it was narrated by Robert Redford.

One of our best choices was the room the Anne and Bernard Spitzer Hall of Human Origins. It showed the history of human evolution from our earliest ancestors millions of years ago to modern Homo sapiens. The innovative Spitzer Hall combines the most up-to-date discoveries in the fossil record with the latest in genomic science to explore the most profound mysteries of humankind: who we are, where we came from, and what is in store for the future of our species. I would really recommend this.

We didn’t have time for the Gem Gallery but people have said it’s excellent so if you can give yourself time for this room.

Don’t miss the Fossils Hall. That’s where we spent a lot of our time because my husband is fascinated as am I by fossils. The Museum has the world's largest collection of vertebrate fossils, totaling nearly one million specimens. More than 600 of these specimens, nearly 85 percent of which are real fossils as opposed to casts.

We really enjoyed the Butterfly Conservatory. It’s too bad it is leaving on May 28 however I’m sure something wonderful will take its place. This was an extra charge. Exotic butterflies from all over the world were in an 80 degree room. It wasn’t unusual for one to land on someone. Too bad one didn’t land on us. What a great picture that would have been!

You’ll find plenty of places to eat in the Museum. We ate in a small restaurant whose name changes as the exhibit next to it changes.

You’ll definitely want to check your coat and wear comfortable shoes.

Jo's Viewpoint

I like it!