American Museum of Natural History

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Central Park West at 79th St
New York, NY 10024

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(212) 769-5100
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Reviews
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Best

This is an impressive museum. It will fascinate you irrespective of your age! The museum houses over 32 million relics from cut gems, micro-organisms to fossils. The dinosaur’s ex...

Worst

Without hesitation, I would have to say that this museum requires about 3 days of full attention. However, if you are just visiting NYC, like I do, I suggest you make sure to see ...

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Editorial Review 10/28/2011

This is an impressive museum. It will fascinate you irrespective of your age! The museum houses over 32 million relics from cut gems, micro-organisms to fossils. The dinosaur’s exhibit is great and kids love it. Make sure you see it. The museum is huge so at least allocate half a day for the visit. Rose Center for Earth and Space is a must see! Check out the Big Bang Theater and Hall of Planet Earth. more

Love this place! 9/21/2008

Good: All exhibits; food OK. Improvements: More specialty exhibits. more

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The best museum around! 9/14/2006

This is without a doubt my favorite museum in the city, perhaps the country. It is such a rich combination of history, biology, anthropology, and sociology that details the description of living things from molecular biological perspective to socioeconomics and is accurate and clear in its descriptions. The museum is very children-friendly and is a great place for kids and adults of all ages to get an education. more

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Bring diapers! 5/22/2006

This IS a fantastic museum, as all the other reviewers said, not just for those of us that grew up in the city and were lucky to have it close enough to visit frequently, and it's equally fascinating for adults, as it is for kids. But, if you're with a small kid who isn't yet in control of their bladder functions, you might want to bring a diaper for them - I just went this past weekend with a friend and her 3-year old daughter. Thank goodness the 3-year old had a strong bladder - we were in the gems room on the Lower Level when she decided to tell her mother she had to go and couldn't hold it any longer. There are NO bathrooms on the lower level. The closest one required us to wait for an elevator, go up a floor, and then walk and walk and walk. The maps they hand out are very poor for navigating, and every guard we asked gave us such complicated directions we had to keep asking the next guard, and somehow wound up passing the CPW entrance and going to bathroom which was basically walking around the entire museum. Apart from being very difficult to navigate, they do have fascinating exhibits, fun films, and enough varied animal, human, and dinosaur information to satisfy anyone. more

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Will always be a favourite 5/21/2006

I thnk this must be the favourite museum of anyone who grew up in New York City. School trips and parents take us here constantly when we're little, and we grow up chatting with the giant whale. The thing is, even if you're not a kid or don't have any, the museum is still cool (and fun for afternoon dates, but I'm a nerd). Also the Rose Science Center is amazing. more

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On the fence about this museum 5/18/2006

While I have many great memories of the museum growing up, a recent visit left me underwhelmed. Perhaps I've become a jaded grown-up, but the value of learning about all of the mammals from the Americas, Asia, and the Africas, are compromised by seeing them as if they had visited the taxidermist. All of a sudden, you realize just how much fun a zoo really is. A recent Darwin exhibit, for which we were charged extra, was nothing more than a bunch of poster boards with images and writing on them, and a few artifacts. For that kind of informational value, I could have looked it up on the Web. But aside from that, there were parts I enjoyed, particularly the things you don't expect to see in every day life. The Ocean Life wing still is phenomenal as it's both interesting and visually exciting to see. Add the dinosaur exhibits, of course, which still fascinate. more

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My favorite city museum 3/27/2006

I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I absolutely love this museum. What's not to like about a place filled with ancient dinosaur bones, a huge blue whale hanging overhead, an IMAX theater, a big spherical ecosystem full of little shrimp things, and displays of cave men and wooly mammoths? This museum is just plain fun, no matter how old you are. I enjoyed it recently as a young adult just as much as I had as a child. more

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Get some culture, naturally 3/9/2006

This is not just for kids. I know that dinosaurs sometime evoke a kiddie theme, but there is something for everybody at this museum. Geology, butterflies, an IMAX theater, the solar system display...they also have terrific special exhibits. A couple of years ago they hosted a baseball exhibit that toured the US. Currently, DARWIN is the big ticket item, along with the IMAX spectacular GALAPAGOS. more

Dinosaurs - what more do you need 2/22/2006

The big draw here has always been the dinosaurs. You really get the feel for the size and terror these creatures must have had when you stand below the massive frames of their bones. Over the years features have been added, realistic features and mechanical renditions, but it's the bones that have always gotten me. The other big feature is the displays of stuffed animals that are preserved for future generations to gaze upon and appreciate. From Kodiak bears to elephants on the African plains, a trip to the zoo does not compare to the impact these displays can have on kids and adults as well. There is more to see at this museum, and well worth the trip. Parking stinks, so take public transport and save. A great rainy afternoon diversion. more

Dinosaurs and a giant whale and more! 1/6/2006

Who could resist a museum with world famous dinosaurs and casts of dinosaur footprints? If it's too crowded in the dino sections, scope out the gems and minerals, animals from Teddy Roosevelt's time in huge dioramas, look at what's living underground - giant depictions of ants and worms, as well as exhibits on Eskimo life, forests, etc etc. Lots to see and you can spend a full day roaming around here. Yes, there are sometimes lots of schoolkids but you can go to the less popular sections and still be entertained and of course, when you get tired, there's always IMAX movie to fall back on. Children's store could be upgraded with better quality goods but upstairs gift shop is chock full of interesting books and items. more

dinosaurs 12/31/2005

this musuem is very well known for its dinosaur collection. that is understandable as it is so extensive. however, i most enjoy their exhibtions on differnt cultures. they have exhibitions for differnt continents such as Asia and Europe which i have to say are better than the dinosaur collection. they are so extensive. i remeber going to the asian collection and they had things ranging from clothes, sculptures, and paintings. they also have exhibitions on reptiles, and minerals. there are so many different areas covered by this musuem. the planetarium is also very cool. more

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MY FAVORITE MUSEUM! 10/6/2005

I love this museum! The American Museum Of Natural History has so many things to see that you can't do it all in one day. From the Planetarium to the African mammals, to the hall of biodiversity, there's just so much! It's very educational to walk through the exhibits and see the amazing lifelike animals and learn about their originals and natural settings. I love the Ocean Life area, because you feel like you're under the sea with a giant whale above you. Anywhere you walk, you're in for a good time! more

A museum for all 9/19/2005

The Museum of Natural History is truly a treasure of New York City. I have been there many times since childhood and never become tired of the all within it from the amazing collections of stones and minerals to the amazing rebuilt fossilized dinosaurs that tower above. Whether you have a child or not, this is a Museum to visit and learn. more

lots of interesting history 9/7/2005

I find it hard to believe that there is a schoolchild in New York who hasn't taken a class trip to the Museum of Natural History to see the dinosaurs, recreations of stuffed animals in their natural habitats and Native American artifacts. This means two things: 1. the museum is clearly seen as an important place for kids to go and learn, and 2. there are always lots of school groups there. more

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Great place to spend a day with the family 9/4/2005

The American Museum of Natural History is a great place to spend a day. The museum is located right across the street from central park at 79th street. The admission price was around $25 for two of us, and that was with the space exhibit. It is easy to get around, and the exhibits are interesting to look at. The place was very easy to manage with a stroller, which was important for us. I'd highly recommend a daytrip to the history museum. more

a waste of time 8/21/2005

Not only are the people who work here snobs and rude but this place is boring as hell. A suggested admission price? I suggest you pay a dime and if you like it, you can come back and make a donation later. A complete waste of money and space. I only went for the Jurassic Park exhibit (which cost extra!) Seriously, don't pay more than a dime! more

So much to see and learn 8/20/2005

This is a fabulous museum to take your kids to. Heck, even going alone is fun. There’s so much fascination stuff to see and learn here. It’s like the discovery channel all in one place. You can see all sorts of dinosaur bones and fossils. They have great displays of their habitat and how it was when they ruled the earth. It’s a very interesting and fun place to be. They also have many other exhibits such as the astronomy section, rocks and stones to all kinds of civilizations. I highly recommend you spend an entire day here. You’ll end up leaving the museum more curious then when you entered. more

Great place for the whole family 8/19/2005

If you have kids, you must visit the American Museum of Natural History. The Dinosaur room and Rose Space Center are both not to be missed. The butterfly exhibit will entrance both young and old. Anticipate spending most of, if not a full day and you will not regret it. This is a great place to take the whole family. more

Best Planetarium 8/18/2005

This has always been my favorite museum. I especially love the planetarium, in which they have a state of the art Zeiss Star Projector. Sometimes, they have educational programs in the dome in which you can learn about the night sky and constellations. The space shows, and the music show are also fabulous. Passport to the Universe is a overview of basic astronomy in which you travel through a really cool black hole.. The Search for Life, narrated by Harrison Ford, is more educational and in depth. more

Many interesting exhibits esp. the dinosaurs! 8/17/2005

Who can resist this excellent museum with an abundance of collections? Don't just go see the excellent fossils in the dinosaur hall - there are many other less crowded interesting exhibits which include the giant blue whale, 'stuffed' gorillas and cheetahs in th Hall of African Animals, a costume of an African Spirit Dancer, a Chinese wedding chair, a hall on the human body. Go see large chunks of gems (look for the Star of India - 563 carats!)and meteorites (always a favorite hide and seek place of the young set), a slice of a giant Sequoia tree, giant dioramas of the insect world, komodo dragons etc. etc.? Plus for an extra charge you can watch IMAX movies or go see the Butterfly Exhibit. Pace yourself accordingly - too much to see in one day!!! more
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Editorial
  • This kid-friendly museum on the West side of Central Park is an easy subway commute from all parts of the city and within walking...

  • 3/12/2013 Provided by KidScore
Additional information
  • Hours: Fri 10am-8:45pm Sat-Thu 10am-5:45pm
  • Neighborhoods: Midtown, Central Park
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