American Museum of Natural History in New York: What to See

The American Museum of Natural History is one of New York's most important and best-known institutions, especially after Night at the Museum (2006), the movie where the animals come to life after dark.

But this museum was a movie and TV star long before that. The giant dinosaur that greets you at the entrance is something else.

What to see

The American Museum of Natural History was founded in 1869 by Theodore Roosevelt (played by Robin Williams in Night at the Museum) to teach people about the origin of life on earth.

To that end it holds beautiful dioramas, fossils, plenty of skeletons (the most visited are in the 3 dinosaur halls), meteorites, rocks and taxidermied animals.

Keep in mind that kids adore this museum (if you're traveling with little ones, read everything you can do with kids in NYC). Thousands of them visit every day.

IMAX at the museum

Besides the exhibition halls, the museum has IMAX Theater screens with interesting films, plus a planetarium. To visit them you need to buy add-ons to your ticket at the main box office.

Pop paleontology

Since its early days the museum has organized hundreds of expeditions to collect remains and specimens, led by paleontologists like Roy Chapman Andrews, said to be one of the inspirations behind Indiana Jones.

Another pop reference: David Schwimmer's character on Friends, Dr. Ross Geller, was a paleontologist based at this museum and nothing at all like the Jones figure.

More trivia: Margaret Mead, one of the pioneers of cultural anthropology, also worked at the American Museum of Natural History. As you can see, it's not just a set of exhibition halls, it's an institution with a long academic and research tradition that's been key in the Western world.

There's no free admission to the museum

The American Museum of Natural History used to run on a «pay as you wish» basis, but in September 2020 it dropped that option for tourists (it now applies only to residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut).

So you have to pay the full ticket price to visit. Since it's one of New York's most popular attractions, it's worth buying your ticket online to save time.

If you're traveling with family or planning to see a lot of museums, I recommend buying a tourist discount pass to save money.

The New York Pass, for example, already includes access to more than 90 attractions.

If you're after something cheaper or you have limited time, the CityPASS is your best bet and it includes the American Museum of Natural History.

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Address

Central Park West at 79th Street

Getting there

Subway B, C. 81st St-Museum of Natural History station

Suggested prices

Adults $23 / Students and 60+ $18
Ages 3 to 12 $13

Hours

During these pandemic months you can only visit Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5:30 pm
Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas

Map