Manhattan has a history of iconic locations closing throughout the years. Most recently we saw FAO Schwarz and Carnegie Deli close its doors for good, however one location that millions of us have grown up with and continue to love is the American Museum of Natural History. This legendary museum, located right off the C train on Central Park West and 79th Street, has been dazzling generations for decade with its mission statement of ” “To discover, interpret, and disseminate—through scientific research and education—knowledge about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe.”
The location itself has been around for almost two hundred years, dating its origins back to 1869. Time has gone by, and the museum has seen its changes to where it is now, with 28 interconnected buildings housing 45 permanent exhibition halls. This makes it one of the largest museums in the world, and it sure felt that way when I took my nephew for his 5th Birthday to see it for the first time. We were both dazzled and left with a ton of wonderment of everything we saw that day.
For anyone who has interest in science, this is sort of your version of the Academy Awards to actors or The Grammys to musical artists. Each hall is chock full of a ton of information about the origins of existence for many, including birds, humans, reptiles, fossils, and so much more. The visuals for each are incredibly to the point and extremely lifelike, in particular the dinosaur exhibits that we went through. For anyone who is going for their first time, keep in mind that this is a race and not a sprint, so please pace yourself and come on a full stomach. I paid the price for that!
On top of all the divisions you can find yourself immersed in, there are also some pretty amazing exhibitions they are showing each way as a bonus to your visit. Films about Humpback Whales and The Dark Universe, the latter narrated by Neil DeGrasse Tyson about the pivotal discoveries that have led us to greater knowledge of the structure and history of the universe and our place in it, are ones that will leave you breathless with its stunning imagery and overall execution of each. More info on all of those here.
They also have resource programs for all age ranges, going as young as pre-K all the way up to adults, families and everything in between. With the warmer weather approaching, the American Museum of Natural History will be a great place to divulge in all of this and so much more, and will leave you feeling educated, inspired and with a great feeling that you learned something new for the first time in your life. I’m sure you already know about this place. Now you should go, my recommendation or not!
For more information about the American Museum of Natural History, check out their official site.