American Museum of Natural History

Family Fun at American Museum of Natural History

For a lot of people, the American Museum of Natural History is one of the most exciting museums in New York, for the whole family with a diverse and fascinating range of exhibits and events. The museum is constantly hosting new exhibitions, shows, and features, and once you step in, you will see graphics, models, and images that you will remember for a long time to come. Right now things are as exciting as ever at the museum, and here is a selection of current events that could engage you for the better part of a day.

Take a trip as far back in time as you dare at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Compare your finger to the claw of a hunting lion, explore dinosaur fossils, track the Earth’s origins, or get blown away by an IMAX film. Your kids will love every minute!

A jewel in the collection of museums in New York, this natural history museum has a vast collection displaying animals, cultures, meteorites, earthquakes, butterflies, the universe, and pretty much everything in it.

See the World through Different Eyes

Many of the halls exhibit striking three-dimensional scenes of animals and indigenous cultures in their natural environment. Life size statues of some of the worlds most dangerous and exotic animals in action are on display. It is hard to figure out how some of them are suspended in their active poses.

Special Exhibitions and Extra Cost

While this is a great museum that is worth visiting, what we dislike most about the Museum of Natural History in New York is the confusing pricing system. General admission does not include everything.

The general admission price allows access to 45 museum halls and the Rose Center for Earth and Space.

In addition to general admission, there are special exhibits and activities that cost extra. They include the butterfly conservatory, planetarium, IMAX theater, and some temporary exhibitions.

Because the general admission to the American Museum of Natural History in New York is “suggested” you can pay what you wish to enter. The special exhibits, however, are a set price. Find detailed pricing information below.

Sea Rex: Journey to a Prehistoric World

This 40-minute IMAX feature is a stunning recreation of sea-life 20 million years ago before dinosaurs appeared on the earth. Julie, the imaginative host of the show, will take you on a journey through time, from the Triassic to the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, and along the way you will see some of the most intriguing water creatures of the time, including the Ophthalmosaurus, also known as the ‘eye lizard’, the powerful Liopleurodon and the 75-foot giant of the seas, Shonisaurus.

Children will invariably be delighted by this experience. The show is on till June 30, 2011, and it takes place every hour, from 10.30 am – 4.30 pm. The tickets, inclusive of admission, are priced at $24 for adults and $14 for children. Seniors will get in for $81, and adult members for $12.

Brain: The Inside Story

This exhibition is devoted to the fascinating world of the human brain. Every little object or letter you perceive, every emotion you feel, every decision you make, and every thought that enters your mind involves a complex combination of actions in your inimitable super-computer, your brain.

After much research and study, scientists are only now beginning to understand what its different functions and actions are, and through a series of images, videos, and models, you can learn about it too. This exhibition is divided into five parts: your thinking brain, your sensing brain, your emotional brain, your changing brain, and your 21st-century brain.

Journey To The Stars

This space show, narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, takes you right up to the fascinating stars of our universe. You go back billions of years in time to see just how these stars formed, and even billions of years ahead to see how they will ultimately die out. There is also a simulation of how the sun will eventually die. The ticket prices of the show cost exactly the same as those to the Sea Rex show.

This is only a snapshot of the current events. There is a lot else happening at the American Museum of Natural History. Visit the official website, www.amnh.org, for complete information.