Museum Of Natural History New York City Hours

How To Get To The Natural History Museum

The AMNH, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, stretches from 77th street to 81st Street on Central Park West.

The B and C trains stop at 81st Street, and you exit the NYC subway right into the museum. This subway station has tile work depicting animals in the museum. My kids always found this to be an exciting way to enter a museum. Note that you have to carry a stroller up stairs to get into the museum from the subway. .

The entrance on 79th Street and Central Park West takes you up the grand outdoor staircase, past the Theodore Roosevelt statue.

If you are going first to the space show, you can enter on 81st Street directly into the Rose Center.

The museum has a parking garage, a rarity in New York City. The hourly rates are quite expensive. However, if you park here for the entire day and then visit Central Park, another museum, and a restaurant, you can stay here all day, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. for a much more reasonable rate.

Hall Of Birds Of The World

The global diversity of bird species is exhibited in this hall. 12 dioramas showcase various ecosystems around the world and provide a sample of the varieties of birds that live there. Example dioramas include South Georgia featuring king penguins and skuas, the East African plains featuring secretarybirds and bustards, and the Australian outback featuring honeyeaters, cockatoos, and kookaburras.

Sanford Hall Of North American Birds

The Sanford Hall of North American birds is a one-story hall on the third floor of the museum, above the Hall of African Peoples and between the Hall of Primates and Akeley Hall’s second level. Its 25 dioramas depict birds from across North America in their native habitats. Opening in 1909, the dioramas in Sanford Hall were the first to be exhibited in the museum and are, at present, the oldest still on display. At the far end of the hall are two large murals by ornithologist and artist, Louis Agassiz Fuertes. In addition to the species listed below, the hall also has display cases devoted to large collections of warblers, owls, and raptors.

Conceived by museum ornithologist Frank Chapman, construction began on dioramas for the Hall of North American Birds as early as 1902. The Hall is named for Chapman’s friend and amateur ornithologist Leonard C. Sanford, who partially funded the hall and also donated the entirety of his own bird specimen collection to the museum.

You May Like: Oldest Museum In The World

American Museum Of Natural History With Citypass

If you are in New York on an extended holiday and want to visit the American Museum of Natural History, we recommend the New York CityPass.

With CityPASS, you can save up to 41% on New Yorks top attractions and also skip the ticket lines at all places.

With the best New York discount card, you get to see some of the citys most popular attractions, such as the Empire State Building, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum, Statue of Liberty, American Museum of Natural History, etc.

CityPASS includes general admission to AMNH, one Special Exhibition, and entry to Rose Center for Earth and Space.

Adult Pass : $136Child Pass : $112

Rose Center For Earth And Space

The Hayden Planetarium, connected to the museum, is now part of the Rose Center for Earth and Space, housed in a glass cube containing the spherical Space Theater, designed by James Stewart Polshek. The Heilbrun Cosmic Pathway is one of the most popular exhibits in the Rose Center, which opened February 19, 2000.

Tom Hanks provided the voice-over for the first planetarium show during the opening of the new Rose Center for Earth & Space in the Hayden Planetarium in 2000. Since then such celebrities as Whoopi Goldberg, Robert Redford, Harrison Ford and Maya Angelou have been featured.

Founded in 1869, the AMNH Exhibitions Lab has since produced thousands of installations. The department is notable for its integration of new scientific research into immersive art and multimedia presentations. In addition to the famous dioramas at its home museum and the Rose Center for Earth and Space, the lab has also produced international exhibitions and software such as the Digital Universe Atlas.

The exhibitions team currently consists of over sixty artists, writers, preparators, designers and programmers. The department is responsible for the creation of two to three exhibits per year. These extensive shows typically travel nationally to sister natural history museums. They have produced, among others, the first exhibits to discuss Darwinian evolution,human-induced climate change and the mesozoic mass extinction via asteroid.

Read Also: Smithsonian Art Museum Washington Dc

Rose Center For Earth And Space Including The Hayden Planetarium

Rose Center for Earth and Space includes the Hayden Planetarium, the Big Bang theater and the giant Willamette meteorite. The state-of-the-art planetarium, which replaced my childhood planetarium in 2000, is wonderful. But it can be scary for little kids. Before you spring for the extra ticket, consider how well your child handles the dark.

The planetarium, a 87-foot-diameter sphere that floats in a glass cube, beckons Upper West Siders to the museum. If you want to go, get tickets when you arrive. Or ahead of time. They sell out early.

New York Public Library Tours

This library is an NYC icon. You will instantly recognize the two lions on the side of the grand staircase up to the entry.

You can explore the librarys exhibits on your own or you can take one of their free tours.

Find out more about their tours here.

The NYPL is a stop on our guided Midtown Manhattan Tour as well as our GPS-led audio tour.

Read Also: Museum Of Fine Arts St Petersburg Florida

Interesting Exhibits At The Amnh

Sometimes people confuse the museum with American National History Museum, but the AMNH focuses entirely on nature, not on the historical development of the United States. If youre familiar with the museum thanks to the famous movie Night at the Museum, then youll probably know how big it is! The American Museum of Natural History is one of the largest natural history museums on earth, so its easy to get lost. So its best to decide in advance what you want to see.

There are several permanent exhibitions that are worth a visit, plus changing special exhibitions. These special exhibitions in the Natural History Museum are usually presented with the help of 3D-films and other interactive elements. You might need to purchase an individual ticket for such shows. As these tickets are usually also not included in the discount passes, consider individually if its worth paying extra.

Take a look at the 45 fascinating permanent exhibition halls that showcase the history of nature on the American continent and earth in general. With 33 million artefacts, you will find something interesting for sure! Here are my personal favourites, which I can recommend to everyone, young and old alike.

Buy your American Museum of Natural History tickets here

Hall Of North American Forests

The Hall of North American Forests is a one-story hall on the museum’s ground floor in between the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall and the Warburg Hall of New York State Environments. It contains ten dioramas depicting a range of forest types from across North America as well as several displays on forest conservation and tree health. Constructed under the guidance of noted botanist Henry K. Svenson and opened in 1959, each diorama specifically lists both the location and exact time of year depicted. Trees and plants featured in the dioramas are constructed of a combination of art supplies and actual bark and other specimens collected in the field. The entrance to the hall features a cross section from a 1,400-year-old sequoia taken from the King’s River grove on the west flank of the Sierra Mountains in 1891.

Don’t Miss: The Plaza Museum District Apartments

Your Guide To Visiting The American Museum Of Natural History

With 45 exhibition halls, the American Museum of Natural History in New York is the mother of all museums. There is so much to see, from the colossal cast of the recently discovered dinosaur Titanosaurus to the astounding timeline of human origins – youll always have a reason to come back for more.

Is The American Museum Of Natural History Free

American Museum of Natural History is free for visitors who qualify for one or more of the following conditions

• Caregivers accompanying visitors with disabilities
• US military and their families*
• Cool Culture pass holders

*From Armed Forces Day to Labor Day, all family members can enter for free. Rest of the year, along with the US military personnel, one guest gets free admission.

Even though general admission fees are waived for this set of visitors, they still require a timed-entry reservation.

Don’t Miss: Jane Austen’s House Museum

New York Historical Society

Free on Fridays from 6 pm-9 pm.

This is the oldest museum in NYC and its mission is to help visitors learn about the citys rich past. Their collection of artifacts and objects some as old as four centuries is impressive.

Included for free anytime with any multi-day bus ticket from TopView Tours.

Free on Wednesdays from 2 pm-6 pm.

Free on the first Friday of each month 6 pm-9 pm .

Opened in 1935 and housed in one of the few remaining gilded age mansions and formerly owned by Henry Clay Frick.

This museums atmosphere is as beautiful as its artwork by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Whistler.

Free on Fridays from 7 pm-9 pm.

This library consists of J.Pierpont Morgans exquisite collection of rare books and manuscripts, drawings, and artifacts.

It is housed in one of the finest examples of Neoclassical buildings in America.

Free on Wednesdays. Note that some rides and exhibits require separate tickets.

This is the worlds largest metropolitan zoo and is home to over 6,000 animals.

Visit the Monkey House, Jungle World, the World of Darkness, and the Congo Gorilla Forest.

TIP: Why not visit nearby famous Arthur Avenue, the ‘other’ Little Italy. Our guide to Arthur Avenue steers you to the best food in the area.

Map Of American Museum Of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History comprises 26 interconnected buildings and has 45 permanent exhibition halls and a planetarium.

The massive museum contains more than 34 million exhibits, out of which only a small portion is on display at any time.

Being aware of the museums floor plan helps avoid getting lost and missing out on significant exhibits.

Besides helping you with the location of the exhibits and exhibitions, the American Museum of Natural Historys map also helps spot visitor services such as restrooms, cafes, souvenir shops, visitor assistance booths, etc.

Don’t Miss: Musical Instrument Museum Scottsdale Arizona

How To Get The Most Out Of A Visit To Nycs Natural History Museum

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and buy, TravelingMom may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.

Would you go to Disney World and experience everything in just one day? Imagine trying to do that at the gold standard of natural history museums, the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. I grew up exploring every dusty corner of this museum. While its recent makeovers have made the museum sparkle, its immense size is no less imposing. Read how you can see the highlights in a one day.

Where To Eat At The Natural History Museum

The Museum Food Court, on the lower level, has the broadest choice. You walk around to different stations to collect your food, then pay to get to the seating area. There are always kid-friendly foods like pizza and burgers. And there are plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free options. That being said, it can get pretty expensive for a family.

If you want to bring your own food, you have to eat it in the student lunchroom, near the food court. This room is seemingly unchanged since I went to a New York City elementary school. I remember we dropped off our lunch boxes, toured the museum, and returned for lunch.

The Natural History Museum has a cafe for a quick snack on the 4th floor, and one geared towards adult visitors on the first floor. This one has beer and wine.

In nice weather, you can eat in the park next to the Natural History Museum. Hold on to your tickets for re-entry.

Also Check: Children’s Museum Boston Ma

Admire A Giant Mammoth

In the Hall of the Advanced Mammals, you can see the impressive bone structure of a mammoth that lived thousands of years ago . Find this relative of the now living elephants together with other mammals in the Wing of Mammals and Their Extinct Relatives on the 4th floor. Dont miss out on the scary Lestodon, a giant ground sloth whose skeleton looks way less friendly than the cute sloths we know nowadays.

Dioramas And Other Permanent Exhibits

The dioramas in the mammal halls have animals depicted in their habitats. The Hall of African Mammals has elephants, and the Water Hole features giraffes, zebras and gazelles. There are an overwhelming number of animals, so for an overview, stick to birds, or small mammals, or primates.

The Hall of Biodiversity has a giant walk-through diorama. You can see extinct animals, like a Dodo bird, and endangered ones like a Siberian tiger. Go back and see dioramas you skipped. And see the figures from Easter Island in the Margaret Mead Hall of Pacific Peoples, part of the Human Origins Hall.

See an IMAX film then spend more time in the Rose Center, walking the cosmic walkway to explore the history of the universe.

Don’t Miss: How Much Are Tickets To The High Museum Of Art

How To Get Here

The American Museum of Natural History is located across the street from Central Park, on Central Park West between West 77th and West 81st streets.

There are several different ways to get there, but well cover a couple of the easier options below.

Subway

There is a subway stop right in front of the museum at the corner of Central Park West and W 81st Street. This is going to be one of the easiest ways to get here.

We have created two articles to help those unfamiliar with the NYC subway.

As with most attractions in New York City, the American Museum of Natural History is most popular during the middle of the day from about 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm .

If you want to avoid large crowds, consider coming either early in the morning at 10 am or later in the day after 3 pm.

Its also important to note that the museum is even busier than usual during weekends.

Make sure to visit during a weekday for the quietest experience.

If you decide to purchase your tickets on-site, you could end up waiting an hour or longer just to get inside the museum.

Purchasing tickets online or through another service can get you in much faster, saving you a lot of time.

Make sure to check both our tickets and discount sections for more details.

Getting Tickets For The American Museum Of Natural History

Buy your tickets in advance online, so you dont have to queue long. This is faster than buying tickets on the spot. The entrance to the American Museum of Natural History is also included in the New York Pass and New York Sightseeing Flex Pass.

Is the American Museum of Natural History free?

How much does it cost to go to the American Museum of Natural History?

How long does it take to visit the American Museum of Natural History?

What should you not miss at the American Museum of Natural History?

• Visit the Empire State Building

  Buy tickets for the Empire State Building from only A$65

  Book your tickets now!

• Take a boat tour, prices start from A$56

  Book your tickets now!

• Save money on attractions and skip the queues

  See the various options here

• Transfer to/from Airport

  Safe, easy and cheap ways to travel!

  Read about the options here

• Take a Helicopter Tour

  Spectacular views of New York from just A$219!

  Book your tour now

• Hop on Hop Off Bus Tour

  See all the sights of New York by bus!

  Read my tips and book your tickets now

• Tickets for the Top of the Rock

  Visit the observation deck for A$59

  Book your discounted tickets here

Recommended Reading: Where Can I Watch Mysteries At The Museum

Alexander Hamilton Grange National Memorial

This house dating from 1802 was the home of Alexander Hamilton, one of Americas Founding Fathers and founder of the U.S. Treasury system.

You can see historically furnished rooms either on a ranger-guided tour and talk or on your own.

See their website for more information.

TIP: To see where he is buried, and hear about his duel with Aaron Burr, you can join our pay-what-you-wish Lower Manhattan Tour or explore on your own with our GPS-led audio tour.

Museum Free Hours And Admission

There are a lot of ways to see the Museum for free.

As your Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County we celebrate the diversity of our audiences and are committed to doing so with equity, accessibility, and inclusion in mind. We aim to serve our community and offer a variety of programs to see the Museum for free.

You May Like: National Mississippi River Museum And Aquarium