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American Museum of Natural History
Rating Details »
- Nearest Transit:
-
81st St (B, C)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
304 reviews for American Museum of Natural History
I love museums. In a past life, I was probably a paleontologist. This place was pretty much everything I dreamed it would be. Tons and tons of exhibits and endless amounts of information to absorb. My favorite part was (of course) the dinosaur exhibit. It really brought me back to my childhood years and I watched "We're Back!" and the dinosaurs came to life and parade through Manhattan. If you're going to visit, schedule at least 3 hours to explore the place. I'm a huge nerd, so perhaps this review is biased, but if you love to learn, you will love this place too!
Logistical information: The subway system will literally drop you off here so it's really easy to get to (I believe it is the B and C trains). Also, if you work for a large corporation, they probably sponsor the museum, so check with the information to see if you can get in for free. I am so glad I did which let me avoid the super long lines, get in for free, and use the money I saved to attend one of their special exhibits at a discounted price.
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If you:
- are a 20-something who does not enjoy hitting on single parents
- do not enjoy high-pitched screams that echo throughout the museum
This is not the place for you. I will stop by the museum if they have an interesting exhibit but sorry Upper West, you might as well jump ship to the East side.
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This is one of the museums that I have gone back to on several occasions, each time I come here I can't but to feel a little pang of nostalgia. This is a good museum for those who have never been to one it and a wonder for children who adore animals.
This establishment is huge, if you spend a day here your feet will be sore and numb, and then you realize that you still have yet to discover every nook and cranny that this entity has to offer. This is one of those museums that doesn't sound as enticing as the Museum of Sex, but it shines on its own.
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This place is outdated and the diaramas were probably from the 50's or 60's. This place is in dire need of some updating. I was looking forward to the Planitarium, but once the show started, I could see the roof design during the entire show. Luckily they have whoopi narrating, which brings the rating to 2 stars.
Maybe I'm biased, because I visited the California Academy of Sciences (http://www.calacademy....) a few months before going to New York. Brand New Aquarium, Real rain forest, Planetarium, etc.
What is up with this museum? I mean, it's disheartening to spend $24 on a ticket and watch 30 mins. of rudimentary astronomy in the planetarium (I get so much more awe-inspiring, in depth information watching discovery and history channel for free).
Well, after that I thought, at least the $24 covers admission to the rest of the museum. So, I walk around only to find I have traveled to the ruins of the 1960's where there's a lingering musty smell, the rugs are yellow, thin and stained, the stuffed animal displays are heavy with dust, the interactive displays encourage me to interact only to find that they don't work anymore, and the hall of people (aka Africa, South Asia, Meso America) still reflect the "wisdom" of an era before the civil and women's rights movements.
They get a lot of visitors everyday and the majority are probably paying full price even though they only ask for suggested admission for the main museum. Why can't they update these outdated exhibits? At least change the carpeting and do some dusting, update the placards of information and fix the broken interactive elements. How much does that honestly cost?
It's sad that the experience I had recently was almost the same as I had when I visited as a five year old and that was 25 years ago. I guess it's good for the kids but I wish they had an Advanced Natural History museum for adults.
Spent the afternoon here last month. I wish I had more time to really explore this place, but this museum is full of dinosaur bones, stuff about the earth/rocks and tons of exhibits/displays about animals in their natural habitat (think taxidermy at it's best.)
Some of the exhibits are very true to life (think orca whale eating seal type of exhibits) but that made them more interesting to see.
I recommend taking a whole day to explore this museum. Even with the afternoon that we spent, we didn't really have time to really read about each exhibit thoroughly.
Overall, I highly recommend this museum if you're visiting. The only thing that I somewhat regret is not checking out the butterfly conservatory. I'll check it out on my next visit.
I was probably about five or six the first time I ever set foot in this museum, and I think from that day forward it owned my heart. Sure we learned about people in foreign lands and saw really gigantic, interesting rocks - but when we walked into the dinosaur I think something in me was transformed. From that day on, I always felt a connection with this place. I go every now and then to make that connection again with wonder, knowledge and beauty that this museum represents.
If you're looking to fully experience this museum, I honestly believe you need to set aside at least two days. If you just want to run through the highlights, you can do that in a matter of hours. But if you rush, you can't stare at the majesty of the dinosaur bones in awe, you can't lie under the gigantic whale on the ceiling and feel your heart pound as you look up at something so gigantically wonderful.
The staff is always courteous, and there are tons of stores all over the museum where you can buy everything from rocks, to magnets, to guide books to my personal favorite - *Astronaut Ice Cream*!!! Melts in your mouth, not in your hand dontcha know. For food however, I'd suggest one of the nearby restaurants since it's a tad overpriced and not so tasty.
I could go on and on but I'll leave this review by saying this museum is worth a visit any day of the week. Just be warned it gets crowded fast so I recommend getting there early and wearing your walking shoes.
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The Dinosaur Museum!
The male companion and I are in NYC for a few days and decided to head over here with a borrowed membership card. We got to see EXTREME MAMMALS. Did you know that 5 species of mammals lay eggs? Or that the inside of a marsupial's pouch is really gross?
The only thing I don't like about this museum is that it's HUGE and really difficult to see the whole thing at one time, but I guess the point is to come back.
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Yes, I am huge fan of this museum, then why take off the star? They charge a million and a half dollars to purchase a little fruit bowl at the cafeteria downstairs. A little small cup we paid $5 for. One slice of a vanilla pound cake was also $5!!!!!! WTF! What a rip off!
Take your own food and wear really good shoes. You will need both. We spend 4 hours in this place without even realizing it.
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What a fantastic museum! First off, I had been to the Natural History Museum in London, England so I expected the NYC version to be similar or even better but it wasn't, but that's okay.
It was a bit confusing to get around at first and some rooms were really stuffy but that didn't matter because the place is grand! It was my first time in NYC and it was in my list of places to go. I wish I had more time to explore the entire place but from what I saw, I was more than satisfied. I bought postcards at the gift-shop and took plenty of photos inside.
Tip: The admission charge is only a donation. Pay what you want, but don't be cheap and pay less than $5.00.
I have to say it was a nice way to close our my NY trip maybe its the nerd in me, but I could have walked around this place for hours.
I think it would take a couple of days to complete this museum. Plus with the different exhibition shows who know when you can complete it all.
Take a camera
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Can a Musuem truly get any better? I just don't think so. they basically have everything, you want to know about natural history. I really like the section about New York's natural history. My favorite section is the Dinosaur's.
they always very cool shows, that cost extra, but always worth it. My only disappointment was when I wanted to go to the Darwin Exhibit, two years ago. I got there late, and the tickets were all sold out, for the day. That upset me lots.
This museum is so prominent & popular that it has it's own subway stop. I was particularly amped to see this place because of "Night at The Museum," and seeing exhibits featured in that movie made me all giddy inside. The girls & I spent about almost 4 hours wandering, reading, learning, and enjoying a little piece of culture.
The dinosaur fossils, the gigantic blue whale, the large canoe-- it all makes me realize just how tiny we are in this world. The dioramas are so fun to see; everything looks so real. At one point, I could have sworn that grizzly bear was staring right at me.
One of the girls got lost from the rest of the group (I think she was very taken by the insects exhibit.) We got separated for about an hour & no one could reach her because we didn't have cell phone reception! If I *had* to get lost somewhere, I would pick this museum.
P.S. the day we went, there was no entrance fee; they just request a small donation.
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What an incredible museum!!! I wish I had more time to explore it, but I only had a few hours because I was in NYC for a daytrip. I will definitely go back someday!
There's a special exhibit on frogs right now which we went to. It was pretty freaking amazing. There were so many varieties of live frogs there and I learned a ton. If you are interested in biodiversity and frogs, I highly suggest you see it because you'll see frog species you may never see in person otherwise!
Studying about dinosaurs in the 3rd grade can be pretty cool...but seeing their fossils at the museum is even cooler. It's almost a surreal experience to see how mammoth and jurassic they are. This is a definite stop for any kid who is learning about history and any grown-up who's a kid at heart.
If you've seen the movie with Ben Stiller, you'll remember several exhibits, which makes the museum really come to life :)
I got a NY Times TicketWatch Advertisement in the email promoting "Journey To The Stars," an all new space show narrated by Whoppi Goldberg. The ticket allows me to see an IMAX movie for free when I buy a ticket to "Journey To The Stars." This offer may be found at http://www.amnh.org/ro... and is expiring August 31st, 2009.
Unfortunately, I started out late and only arrived to the museum by subway at 3:00pm. With the printed email in hand, I stood on line at the left side line. There were many people on line, but there were also many cashiers. When it was my turn to go up to one of the many cashiers available, the cashier told me upon seeing my flyer that I had to go to the special line at the right side of the museum, which has no line. I was mad because I stood on the left side of the line for no reason. They should have stated this on the flyer itself. I was a bit surprised to find out a museum ticket plus the "Journey To The Stars" show was $24. I paid $50 for two people, my husband included. I wondered how many regular movies I could have seen with $50 instead of these two short half-an-hour to forty-five minute shows. To help the museum, I forked over my credit card.
For IMAX movies, the only movie available the cashier can book at this point was the "Beavers" movie at 3:30PM. My husband wanted to see the "Wild Ocean" movie instead, but we had no choice. Then we would see the 4:30PM "Journey To The Stars" show.
With little time left, we rushed around the basement level looking for the IMAX theatre. The maps are sometimes confusing. When we finally found the theatre, people were walking out. My husband asked the usher if we were at the right place. The usher nodded and confirmed. A moment later, another family came and the usher asked them to stand on line. Apparently, there was a line at the side in the next room where there were space paintings. I was upset because the usher never told us we had to stand on line. I stood on line after the family. When it was time to collect our tickets, the usher ripped our ticket in half and politely asked us to go in.
We sat in the middle row in the middle section. The "Beavers" movie was so cute. These beavers make cute noises as they gnaw on trees and branches. There are a couple funny "timber" scenes. There aren't any tragedies shown nor is there any freaky mating action in the film. Though I like watching these beavers, I also noticed how much of the environment they destroy. They killed all the trees in the surrounding area to build a huge dam. In the end, I wasn't sure if I should be happy or sad about beavers. The film itself is amazingly captured though with cameras at intimate angles such as view from directly behind the beaver as well as beautiful birds-eye view captures. My husband fell asleep while watching the movie, as usual.
After the movie was over, we walked around a bit. I was disappointed to see that there are premium exhibits such as "Extreme Mammals" and "Frogs" where visitors had to pay extra. They have a guard on standby to check tickets in front of black doors so we can't even peek into the action. I'm already paying all this money only to find various sections of the museum is not included? As usual, I looked at the dinosaur and extinct mammals exhibits before rushing over to the Rose Center.
We arrived at the Rose Center a bit early, but there was no line and the ushers accepted our tickets. We then followed the line to wait for another usher who controls the elevator. I prefer going to the back of the elevator so I can see the view of going down into the new Hayden Planetarium. Once there, the usher tells us to go all the way to the back to make room for other people. There are benches along the wall so we sat on the left side. We were allowed to sit, but people were not allowed to stand on the left side of the room until the right side is full. Flat screen TVs are placed around each column and lists space trivia as well as facts while we wait. I felt bad for the usher. He squatted in between elevators coming and going because he probably stood there all day long.
When it was time for the show to start, we watched a video and everybody gathered around to go into the planetarium. The planetarium seats are so comfortable. After a while, my neck hurt a little from looking up constantly. The "Journey To The Stars" show did not offer me any significant new information about our universe and our sun. The show didn't seem long.
Overall, I don't really think either show was that exciting and it probably isn't worth the money I paid for. At least I had a few endearing moments with the beavers, but for me, "Journey To The Stars" was all hype. Perhaps, it is good for kids.
I will not review the rest of the museum since my main focus was on shows. If I go back again for the main museum, I'll write about it some more. Check out other yelper's reviews.
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It is definitely worth it to become a member at this museum if you visit regularly. You can spend hours upon hours wondering around in here and still not see everything.
The last time I was here I saw the Journey to the Stars show and it was really good. It was a little shorter than I expected, and because of that I thought it was a little pricey, but really it's something you will only see once, so it was okay. Then we saw the Wild Ocean movie in IMAX, which I LOVED!! The cinematography was brilliant and the picture was amazing. I really enjoyed the story line and was very motivated to help sardines after I left!
The cafeteria in the basement gets 3 stars, because it is crazy expensive and always super crowded. I recommend taking your own food, or to plan to eat a random time (not noon).
Oh Museum of Natural History,
I could spend a whole day with you, and I actually did one winter day. I recommend never doing the artificial rink as I'm convinced the rink attendants must have zero gravity skates because I have no clue how they glide around the ring so easily.
Besides that you have so many huge and interesting exhibits at the Museum of Natural history I have to say this easily Rivals DC's.
Get a great look at gigantic, touch a really old meteorite, see a beautiful domed movie.. Though I was a bit tired and kinda feel asleep for a tad but I still enjoyed it thoroughly.
Keep rocking!
-Ed
Hee hee hee I loved this museum. It brought out my inner 9 year old. I was a dinosaur child - obsessed I tell you, instead of a teddy bear I had a pink tyrranosaurus - and this has the best dinsoaurs. Those animatronic nonsenses in London have nothing on the bones upon bones they have here. Do yourself a favour and head straight for the 4th floor (where a cafe also resides, and a lovely view of the park too) to the dinosaur bit. There is a fossilised velociraptor 'killing' a fossilised baby diplodocus. Or something. Honestly, it doesn't get any better.
Speaking as a non-9 year old, the dinosaur/evolution galleries are really superb - not just because there is a giant fossilised tortoise the size of a bus (nearly), but because the layout makes sense, it isn't dumbed down ('dinosaurs had big teeth', etc.) and is truly fascinating. If you like very very dead stuff. Which I do.
There is also lots of other dead stuff which frankly, is a bit weird. Lots of stuffed things in painted habitats. Poor gorillas. Looks dated. Informed me what a wolverine actually is (not an X-Man! - look, I'm from England, the best we get is particularly vicious hedgehogs). Got a bit annoying after a while when I inevitably got lost - inevitable because I can't read a map or locate exit signs, no fault of the museum - and ended up looking at loads of dead birds.
The space bit is a bit dull but not bad, as such.
The rocks bit is... full of rocks. Some were sparkly. They reminded me of third year geology which made me laugh out loud. Hint: do not do this when in a silent gallery full of rocks. People tend to worry.
I failed to absorb much of the human history bit, having been overwhelmed by the wolverine, but I walked through while I was lost, and there's a huge slice of tree that is rather impressive, and again, the human evolution gallery is well pitched.
$16 is not really 'voluntary' and is a bit steep, but then again, you could spend all day in here. Even if you decide it's too much to pay for entry, it's worth going into the main entrance atrium (clue: there's a dinosaur!).
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Very cool, we stopped here first on our one year anniversary trip to New York. Lots of cool stuff to see, the space show was pretty neat too. You can really get lost while walking around in there so i suggest starting at the top or bottom and working your way through.
Museums in New York are fantastic as a rule, and this one is no exception. I'm especially a fan of the suggested donation aka pay what you can varieties.
I've done some special exhibits, which are great, but cost more, so pick and choose with those. Mostly I think this museum is great for the amazing resident exhibits. With suggested donation, you don't have to feel pressured to kill yourself, you can just meander and leave when you're tired.
Definitely see the Squid and The Whale, so scary.
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HOW CAN NEW YORK NOT HAVE A BETTER NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM!?!?!?!
This makes me angry, extremely angry. This place is huge and yet the displays are outdated, lame, and they look like they've all been done "on the cheap". $16 admission and you are crowded in to look at, quite often, tiny figures which are supposed to represent what things were like. I come to a museum to see the real stuff, not knock offs and lousy imitations.
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3 stars from me but if I was 8 it would be 5 stars.
Really didn't inspire me very much at all. The unrelenting old dioramas that kids love just left me feeling a little depressed. Perhaps it reminded me of trips to the science and natural history museums in London as a kid. But whatever the reason I decided the reaction of the hundreds of kids in this Large Museum meant it clearly fits the bill for some and anything that might inspire the young can only be a good thing.
My only serious thoughts on the content was that some of the history seemed pretty out of date in tone and was rather biased. The description of invading Muslim religious zealots against defending Christian Crusaders is so inaccurate as to be scary. I stopped reading after this and started thinking about my lunch.
I think this Museum deserves some huge investment.
Anyone for higher taxes.........
Kids will love it.
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Don't expect things to come to life and ask you for some "gum-gum" here. Nor will Theodore Roosevelt be waiting in the lobby on his horse. But this place is huge and I doubt even if you had a whole day you could see it all.
Immediately when you walk in you'll likely be greeted with hundreds of other people also trying to get in. Staff and security quickly place you into a line to get tickets and might even pull you from a line at random. Oddly, when entering the museum itself no one bothered to check our tickets which made me think in a way did we even have to spend the $24/person.
I came here yesterday with a few people to see the exhibit on Frogs and check out the museum. It was very delightful and everything is so well presented. The museum is broken up into various sections of different parts of natural history. I have never seen such elaborately themed rooms in my life. I cannot imagine the great length of time that went into designing and creating every one.
But to me it was just another museum with all it's patrons trying to squeeze into the same space you are to see something. One of the major annoyances I have with visiting places like this is when you want to take your time at an interactive kiosk there will always be a young child sticking their head in front of what you are doing with no consideration. For example, at the frog exhibit I was making a chorus of frogs using a series of 8 sounds. Being a music graduate I thought this would be interesting and wanted to take my time to hear all the different types of combinations I could think of. Well, it was sorely interrupted not even 10 seconds into my experiment when a young boy reaches over my hands and starts pressing buttons. It always sours my experience when parents with no control over their kids let them do that to someone else.
One big disappointment was that unlike other museums here there are very few places to sit and look. After a day of walking in the big city my feet were killing me so I hoped that they had a lot of benches here but found most of the halls open without seating. So, be prepared with a good pair of cushioned shoes.
This is a great place to visit for anyone who is a big museum lover. But for tourists who have been to many when seeing other cities it can feel a bit repetitive. Its like if you have ever been to Europe once you see one castle you've seen them all.
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This is one of my favorite museums in NYC. It's massive enough that it warrants several trips, but small enough that you can visit for an afternoon and feel like you've seen a lot of what they have to offer. I've made three trips so far and each time I've found something that I didn't remember seeing the trip before. Plus it's a convenient trip from the MTA...unlike some of the other museums, this one is right at a stop. Like most people, I find the skeletons fascinating, but even some of the mineral exhibits are cool (and I normally find such things boring).
We normally go in the late morning, step out to have lunch in Central Park, and then dodge back in for a bit more. You'll also have a great view of the park from several of the large windows in the museum.
This is my favorite museum. I love nature, I love learning about it, this has a lot of cool related stuff. They have fun stuff to do, like stomping on a scale to measure seismic vibrations, rocks, moving planets, wildlife (sometimes stuffed),dinosaurs...My favorite part is this huge room for the ocean life. It's really relaxing, but at the same time, kinda scary, just because there are things in there that are to scale. It's kind of humbling, rather than scary. Anyway, that room's awesome, you'll see. I've never seen the planetarium stuff. Sorry, but I don't care for a narrated film by Robert Redford or Whoopi Goldberg.
The only drawback is that there's a part of the museum that isn't very air conditioned...Although, I guess it makes you feel more like you're part of the exhibit, as it's near the caveman section.
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So my boyfriend went here as a kid and, for his birthday, insisted we go here. We had a good time but that was more despite the museum than because of it. The museum is very large and not well mapped out. It is possible to miss half of an entire floor just because there are no signs pointing you anywhere. It is crowded. Seems to be a tourist favorite. Don't think the $16 price tag keeps people away, there are tons of people all day. It's kind of a rip-off, $16 ($12 student) to go in and see a bunch of bones and dioramas. All in all, no plans to ever go back there again, way overpriced - if it was free (or somewhat cheaper) I might take kids there, but as it is, I don't think its worth it.
I almost forgot to add the most bullshit part of it all. Even after we spent $16/each to go into the museum, there have "special exhibits" that they charge extra for. So the more interesting stuff, they want you to pay extra for. I mean come on! That's like paying for admission to a movie and then being told that to watch the cool scenes you need to fork over another $10. It is complete BS and totally hierarchical. Think about the poor children whose parents can barely afford the admission, let alone pay for the "special exhibits" so they have to miss out on stuff and it's all the more cruel because they can walk by those exhibits, see other kids going in, and not be able to go in themselves. That was probably the most infuriating thing of all!
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When it comes to museums, I've been a bit spoiled. Especially when it comes to natural history museums. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Washington DC, Chicago...they've all been amazing places to go, and this place is up there with the best of them, especially if you love dinosaurs.
Probably a good third or more of the museum is dedicated to dinosaurs, other extinct animal skeletons, and various stuffed animals. There are also large exhibits on Native Americans and New York-area farming, as well a giant slice of a 1500-year-old Sequoia tree log that was felled approximately 60 years ago. While all of this was relatively interesting, there are an awful lot of stuffed animals, as in animals that used to be alive and now they're not - I didn't mind the birds and insects so much, but it got a bit creepy being surrounded by the remaining dead animals that seem to be staring at you...if it weren't so crowded the day I went, I'd likely start having visions of the animals becoming undead or something. The slice of the Sequoia tree was also on the depressing side, albeit fascinating, with many of the rings being identified as having likely been generated in a given year and what happened that year (1776, 1492, 1007, etc.).
Not being a big dinosaur person and knowing what I know now, I would have started from the bottom floor instead of the top. This way, I wouldn't have had to rush through the somewhat small astronomy section, and I could have enjoyed the amazing geology, gem and mineral collections without feeling like my feet were going to fall off any minute or worrying about time. Granted, it would have meant climbing up the stairs instead of down, but if I absolutely had to choose between dinosaurs and rocks, I'll pick rocks.
It's an amazing museum in a gorgeous and historic building, and it doesn't really matter whether you're into dinosaurs or rocks - just don't do it in order (like I did) or you may find yourself with not a lot of time but in a lot of pain by the time you make it to where you really wanted to go.
4.5 stars.
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After three years in New York, I was ashamed to admit that I had never been to the Museum of Natural History...that was until this past Saturday.
Now I can say, UGH. yeah, I've been to the Museum of Natural History.
I arrived at the Museum with a friend on the most dreary of Saturdays, expecting to be unceremoniously trampled by a charging mass of children. This didn't happen, and as we walked into the lobby, I was instead thrilled by the complete dinosaur fossils coming to life in the main hall.
Unfortunately, the thrill pretty much ended there. We paid for our tickets, then paid more for our special exhibition passes (Extreme Mammals). We entered the first gallery of our time travel adventure, Asian Mammals, and discovered something less prehistoric and more... 60's. The dioramas were alla Mike Brady, and I spotted a clump of dust clinging the back of some extinct baby rhino/elephant hybrid.
The rest was more of the same, admittedly with some exceptions -- the dinosaur galleries upstairs are super cool and obviously well-funded, as are the moon chamber and, to a lesser degree, the human evolution gallery. The Extreme Mammals exhibition excited many questions...and they remained just that -- more flourish than fact.
On the upside, the museum cafe's grilled ham and Vermont cheddar cheese sandwich is better than you'd expect...
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I had a great time here! My only regret was that I was limited to 1.5-2 hours to wander around, as I had to drop a couple friends off at Penn Station. Well, there was one more regret, and that was all the broken demos (probably due to kid abuse). Missing "press me to hear..." buttons, cracked screens. I like hands-on, but be gentle! Sheesh.
Anyway, 1.5 hours was enough to barely get through one floor of exhibits, so return trips are definitely in order.
While I like the pay-what-you-want policy in principle, it does mean it gets suffocatingly crowded on the weekends. Agoraphobia and claustrophobia sufferers be warned!
This museum is kind of a mixed bag. The diorama-style of the displays for the animals, was kind of boring, some of the other exhibits were much better. I was disheartened to see that some pieces were complete reproductions (stone pieces, etc).
The planetarium was excellent though, we loved the star show there.
I think kids would find it great, but adults might find it a little boring.
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I don't think I'll ever visit again. Most of the exhibits were stuffed animals in different surroundings. Sorry, but that's not too interesting. The one exhibit that saved the museum for me (and the reason it gets 3 stars), is because of the Dinosaur exhibit. With full-scale fossils and great artifacts and information, this exhibit at the top of the museum is a must-see.
There were some really cool temporary exhibits that I wanted to check out, but those require extra tickets at an extra price (per exhibit). We purchased our tickets to the museum as part of the New York City Pass, so I didn't really want to go and buy the tickets to the other exhibits.
Also, Thursday's must be school days there, because there were kids running around and yelling everywhere, which detracted from the experience.
My suggestion, if you want to spend time in a NYC museum, visit the Met and the Guggenheim instead.
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Butterfly Conservatory : A
(I was loved by a butterfly for one WHOLE minute as it rested on my shoulder.)
Climate Change: A
(Walked out becoming more conscious about the environment;decided to jump on the band wagon of partaking
in innovative solutions for global warming)
Frogs: a chorus of colors: A+++++++
(I got to dissect a frog without actually touching one.)
Gottesman Hall Planet of Earth: A
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A must-see for all tourists or anyone whose never gotten around to experiencing it. It will take you a lifetime to see and appreciate everything, but you could make-do in about 4 hours. Just get up early to get the most face-to-face time with all the specimens. Expect crowds. Bring your college ID because they take discounts!
If all the following are true, it may possibly be a good idea to go to this museum:
1) You have some time to kill and you've already been to the Met;
2) You've never been to the Field Museum in Chicago, and;
3) You really like the thought of seeing a bunch of stuffed animals.
You'd probably like it if all those things are true. But let me explain, if I may...
The Field Museum in Chicago is another renowned natural history museum, but I feel it's much better. It's more engaging, it seems much more modern, and has a better dinosaur exhibit. For this reason, if you've been there, I'd skip this one altogether because you'll likely feel a little letdown after you leave.
The exhibits can be broken up into 3 categories....bones, stuffed animals, and anthropology (exhibits on people from other parts of the world).
All this is done with signage that looks like it is circa 1958, and I just can't believe no advances or new information has came in that time that they couldn't update it at least once. All of it feels really....well....stuffy. I felt like I was on a field trip again in high school. I'm the type of person that loves knowledge and loves seeing things, but you've got to at least present it in an interesting format.
If a person likes anthropology...and I mean, REALLY loves anthropology, they may enjoy the portions exploring what people from South America and Africa are like....other than that, no way does anybody actually walk through those exhibits and read the really dryly written information on the wall. Nooooooo freaking way.
I will say the blue whale and the ocean animals exhibits was really interesting and well done. That's the one section I think a person should see if they go. And if you haven't seen dinosaur bones before, do that 2nd. However, the Field Museum still reigns supreme and I can't help but say I'm disappointed.
(A side note I thought was funny: My wife looks at me a couple hours into our visit and just blurts out "God I'm bored!" ....with me responding "You know, I've been thinking that for a while." And with that, we just left.)
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This place is unbelievable! Everything is displayed very well and the dinosaur exhibit is not too be missed. Yowza! You will feel like a little kid walking around the halls. Awesome!
It was a bit of a downer that general admission doesn't include all the special exhibits, but if these were included then they would never get anyone to leave.
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Warning: I'm a geek and I get excited way too easily. Proceed with caution.
Cosmic Collisions. I love Planetariums, but then again I'm an astronomy geek. If you see one thing you have to see this. It is by far the most impressive, visual space show I've ever seen and I've witnessed my fair share. I was engaged, impressed, scared (yes my friend laughed at me when I jumped out of my seat), fascinated, and overall saddened that the show ultimately had an end. Boo! Both children and adults alike let out, "ooohs" and "ahhs" in amazement and wonder. Frankly, I can't fathom how anyone could not want to know how the Earth came to be or what is going to happen in the future. (Yes, we get a sneak peak). In the end I left feeling refreshed and sensing a need to change my underwear. Nothing like planets to make a gal cream her skeeves.
Things to see while waiting for Cosmic Collision show:
- The impressiveness of the giant blue whale. I instantly think "The Whale Rider." *Tear*
- The stunning gems, which I contemplated pulling an "Oceans 11" and borrowing.
- The Dinosaurs. In Kindergarten I was kicked out of Ms. Lucas' class because I could not control my incessant sobbing during "The Land Before Time." Memories. Boy am I a sap.
You could truly spend all day in here and not get bored.
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oh man. wow.
i spent 6 hours here, and literally only saw about a quarter of what this museum has to offer.
phenomenal planetary and earth sections. plus dinosaur skeletons! so cool! check out the photos i uploaded.
this is destination numero uno when i go back to new york (other then the restaurants, of course). i wish i had more time to spend here!
only downside is the lack of cell phone service in this massive building... but it's almost for the best, because no one can distract you from the exhibits!
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I hadn't been to a natural history museum since visiting Washington DC as a child so this trip was long overdo! They have wonderful fossils, from dinosaurs to other ancient creatures (like my personal favorite the Megaladon!), rocks and minerals, displays on ocean life, plate tectonics, outer space, and animals from just about every continent! There are exhibits regarding Indians from different parts of the country, a planetarium, IMAX shows, just about everything you could ask for! I can't wait until my nephew is a little older so I can bring him here :) It's great for children and adults and there's so much to see, I found myself running around toward the end of my day trying to see every last bit, and yet there's so much I missed. I'd love to return here in the future.
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Had a couple hours to kill in NYC, so my girlfriend and I decided to check out the AMNH. I was here when I was a kid, but really only remember the dinosaur bones and giant blue whale hanging from the ceiling.. so this time around, I was hoping to get a little more out of this huge museum.
First off, you should know that the admission fee to the museum is just a donation! They have recommended donations, which if I remember right, was 19.99 for adults. DO NOT PAY THAT PRICE! I planned on paying $5 each for us, but after another young couple in front of us only paid $5 total for both, I did the same. I did not receive any dirty looks, nor was I encouraged to pay more. She just printed off our tickets, and away we went.
The map of the museum they give you can be very overwhelming, so your best bet is to just put it away and wander. Many of the rooms are connected to the next, so you can just keep walking and walking. I agree with many of the reviews posted here.. the museum doesn't look like it's been updated for 50 years. It's pretty much showcase after showcase of stuffed animals and small signs telling you what each is. They look very outdated, but some of the taxidermy is very impressive.
Kids will love this place! You on the other hand, will probably get pretty bored after a few hours on wandering. A bunch of exhibits we wanted to see like the Gems of the World, and South American People, were closed. No reason given, just shut down for the day. I think your best bet is to get there early. It looked like a lot of the exhibits closed at 1pm.
All in all, for the price we paid, it was a great deal for a couple hours of entertainment! But.. just like when I was 10 years old, I can tell you I only remember the dinosaur bones and giant blue whale.
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