American Museum of Natural History in New York City is one of the largest natural history museums in the world. Located in a quiet area on Manhattan's Upper West Side, the museum originally opened in 1877. It now spans three city blocks and includes Hayden Planetarium and the Rose Center for Earth and Space.
The museum has several exhibit halls, including the Hall of Meteorites and the Hall of Gems and Minerals featuring the Star of India, the world's largest blue star sapphire. The Hall of Ocean Life includes information about the ocean, its inhabitants, and exposes important environmental issues. You can find the latest exhibit information on the museum web site at www.amnh.org.
The Museum is open daily from 10:00 am to 5:45 pm, except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Suggested admission to the American Museum of Natural History, including the Rose Center for Earth and Space, is $10 for adults, $7.50 for students and seniors, and $6 for children. For additional information, call the museum at 212-769-5100. For ticket reservations, visit www.amnh.org or call 212-769-5200.
The Rose Center for Earth and Space
The Rose Center for Earth and Space at the is an impressive 333,500-square-foot exhibition, research, and education facility which opened to the public in 2000. The center was built to educate visitors about the universe, galaxies, starts, planets and other astronomical concepts. It houses the Hayden Planetarium which presents daily shows featuring vivid imagery and the latest technology.
The Rose Center for Earth and Space is seven storeys high with a modern design. A cube of glass houses the 87-foot-diameter Hayden Sphere as well as several permanent exhibition halls and spaces. One of the exhibits follows a spiraling ramp around the sphere and features events that occurred during 13 billion years of cosmic evolution. Behind the Center, a one-acre outdoor Arthur Ross Terrace features a modern fountain, views of the Theodore Roosevelt Park, and offers dining facilities.
Hayden Planetarium
Hayden Planetarium is housed in 87-foot-diameter sphere and features a Space Theater where visitors can enjoy a spectacular three-dimensional, high-definition virtual visit of the universe.
The Search for Life: Are We Alone? show is narrated by Harrison Ford. Passport to the Universe, narrated by Tom Hanks, takes you on a journey from Earth to the edge of the universe. The Space Show experience, including a pre-show, lasts approximately 40 minutes.
Tickets for the Space Show cost $22 for adults, $13 for children ages 2 to 12, and $16.50 for Seniors/Students with an ID. The ticket includes the suggested American Museum of Natural History admission.
The bottom half of the Hayden Sphere houses the Big Bang, a 46-foot in diameter space, where visitors listen and observe a re-creation of the beginning of the universe, as described by the Big Bang theory.
Browse more New York City vacation ideas and visit nearby attractions such as the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater, Arthur Ross Pinetum, Strawberry Fields and Central Park playgrounds for children.
