Natural History Museum, New York City

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The American Museum of Natural History is part of the "museum mile" and opened in 1869. It has 4 floors (plus the lower level floor) full of interesting things to learn about us humans, the space, the sea, animals, minerals, etc. When visiting, put on some comfortable shoes and stay for at least one full afternoon.

My first stop was the diorama halls, with backgrounds so well made that they almost looked too real in my pictures. I enjoyed a lot the folks halls, with displays of cultural things about Asian people (China, India, Siberia, etc.) and Latin America (their exposition about the Caribbean was too little in my opinion).

There's 5 entrances to this museum: one on each street around the block, that most people use, plus the one by the subway that has less people buying tickets. As of Jan 2010, the fee for an adult was 21 US (not including temporary exhibitions or the Rose Space Center). See the link below for more information about temporary exhibitions, updated prices and opening times.

You can spend hours in the exhibit halls of the American Museum of Natural History. With 4 floors of exhibits you're sure to find something to interest everyone in your group!

The permanent exhibits include - the "stars" of the museum - the dinosaurs in the Fossil Halls, geological specimans in the Hall of Planet Earth, and a 94-foot long whale model in the Hall of Ocean Life. Check the website for the excellent temporary exhibits (usually a separate entrance fee). There's also an Imax theater, Planetarium, a large cafeteria and plenty of museum shops.

The Museum is open daily, 10:00 a.m.–5:45 p.m. Space Show Hours — Every half-hour, 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; First Friday of every month 10:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m.

Tickets to the Museum may be purchased at the Museum or in advance online.

Adults: $19.00
Children (2-12): $10.50
Senior/Student with ID: $14.50

Museum is also covered in New York's City Pass - http://www.citypass.com/city/ny.html and The New York Pass - http://www.newyorkpass.com.

I was doubting whether to go or not, but since it was raining and I was in the neighbourhood anyway, I thought might as well have a look. And thank God, it was raining! What a great museum this is! And so big, I really need to come back on my next NY visit! During this visit, I went to the Big Bang exhibition, the halls of African and North American Mammals, the hall of Asian people, and I had a quick look at the dinosaur section. Unfortunately, after that the museum closed.
This is an absolute must see on your visit to New York!

If you have kids, this could keep them occupied for a very long, long, time. Avoid going to this museum at all costs on Saturdays, as we found it extremely crowded. I found the museum slightly disappointing as the collection here is mostly made of dioramas, which become quite monotonous. I guess they could be very interesting to people who don't have a regular exposure to zoos or nature. If you have not seen dinosaurs before, there is an excellent exhibit. Also, there are some exhibits such as the Butterfly Conservatory, that cost extra, making the museum adding up to being a fairly expensive outing if you want to see everything.

Again, as in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, if you don't have time to spend all day, just pick 2 or 3 galleries that interest you.

The Rose Center for Earth and Science is a worthwhile visit, and is attached to the museum. It's housed in a gigantic sphere, and don't miss the Cosmic Pathway, a 350 ft. spiralling ramp showcasing rock samples while explaining 13 billion years of evolution.

I remember coming to this museum when I was in the 1st grade to see the dinosaur exhibit.... Lots of school trips were made to this museum so whenever I return it's somewhat nostalgic.
In addition to the permanent collection, which includes dinosaur bones, a rock and mineral room, the "whale room", the totem pole room, ect...the museum offers special exhibits, which are constantly changing. I just went to see the "frogs-a chorus of color" exhibit and "Petra-Lost City of Stone" with my sister. They were both really wonderful shows.
There are also IMAX movies shown here. Movies shown on a giant screen that are usually about nature.(At least they are here!) The one we just saw was Underwater Volcanos, it was quite interesting.
The special exhibits and IMAX movies cost extra, but you can buy a package deal at the admissions desk $29 for everything, which works out to be a lot less money than buying each attraction separately.
The Museum has a really child friendly atmosphere. There are always a million kids running around. This could either be a plus or a minus for you, but in any case it's good to know.
Also keep in mind, that even with validation, the parking is REALLY expensive. We were there all day and it costs us $41 to park in the museum lot..

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This is a great museum to visit either with kids or without, as it has something in it for everyone. Its location across from Central Park is also very beautiful. The museum was built in dedication to Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President and once the governor of New York. There is a statue of Roosevelt, an avid outdoorsman, in front of the building.

The main attraction for many here are the dinosaur fossils, and they do have an impressive collection. They also have great exhibits dedicated to the native peoples of Asia, the Americas and Africa. One of my favorite exhibits here was the gem and mineral collection where you can see giant meteors, impressive mineral collections and gorgeous gem stones. The museum is very big, so plan on spending at least half a day here. There is a food court on the lower floor as well as a parking garage.

One helpful tip: Purchase your tickets at one of the computerized kiosks rather than waiting in line. It's much faster.

Interesting Fact: The December 2006 Ben Stiller film "A Night at the Museum" was filmed here.

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This is a great museum, especially if you have children. If you don’t have children don’t worry thousands little devils will be around you anyway trying to scream as loud as they can to break your nerves! lol It seems that a lot of NY schools were there the day I visited the museum but it was nice and funny been there anyway.

The museum was built in 1869 and it’s huge! The Dinosaurs (pic 1) and the extra big blue whale are the must see items but there are a lot more about animals, earth, human evolution etc We had some good time at the planetarium space show (check out the times though) but what I enjoyed most was the Hall of North American Mammals (pic 2) with some extra detailed dioramas of the area that every mammal lives and we probably will never be.

The entrance fee is $22 but it was for free with the Citypass. The museum is opened daily

The AMNH is the largest such museum of its kind in the wold. It houses halls devoted to the various fields in Nature and the Sciences.
The museum is perhaps most famous for having the largest collection of dinosaur fossils anywhere. Its 4th floor halls were reopened several years ago after a lengthy restoration and modernization. The museum is also famous for its impressive Rocks and Mineral Hall.
In addition to the regular exhibit halls, the museum houses an IMAX movie theater and has several theaters for various lectures and other events that take place. There is a cafeteria offering an assortment of food items and a fully stocked, multi-floor shop selling everything from museum reproductions to books.

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The American Museum of Natural History is one of the greatest museums in the United States and the country's largest natural history museum. Located across from Central Park in Manhattan, the museum has been one of the favorite destinations for New York/New Jersey families for decades. The museum can easily take an entire day to see, and features exhits on animals, marine life, dinosaurs, fossils, meteorites, minerals, gemstones, American Indians and other native peoples, birds, and rain forests. Our daughtger's favorite parts are the dinosaur collection (which is huge), the animal dioramas, and the butterfly house.

If you get hungry, there is a cafeteria-style restaurant on one of the lower levels with a wide variety of food choices.

Also visited America Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th Street tel 212 769 5216 free with the City Pass although to get in to the IMAX I think you have to pay....

It was another place to go but I must admit at that time I was knackered, so the idea of a load of dinosaur bones hardly appealed... however Roy enjoyed it!