AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

Description

Essentials about the American Museum of Natural History in brief

Anyone who has seen the movie “Night at the Museum” with Ben Stiller will know this museum. The American Museum of Natural History can simply be described as gigantic – any other term would be a slight on this colossal museum. It is the largest museum of natural history in the entire world and is truly monumental in scale. The museum spans a full four blocks on the west side of Central Park. The entire museum complex consists of 25 interconnected buildings and has 570,000 square feet of exhibition space. Although, of course, only a very small portion of the museum’s more than 32 million exhibits can be displayed at any one time, it is completely illusory to visit the entire American Museum of Natural History in one day. Anyone who walks through the exhibition halls with a little interest will be able to spend many days, if not weeks, here. No wonder over five million people visit this incredible natural history museum in New York City every year.

The history of the American Museum of Natural History

The American Museum of Natural History was historically the brainchild of naturalist Albert S. Bickmore. He lobbied tirelessly for the establishment of a natural history museum. His years of lobbying were finally rewarded in 1869 when the governor of New York issued an executive order to that effect. Five years later, the cornerstone was laid for the first building, and the opening followed in 1877.

The American Museum of Natural History as a research institute

The American Museum of Natural History is not just a mere museum, but a still active research institution. In keeping with its mission “to discover, interpret, and disseminate knowledge about human cultures, nature, and the universe through scientific research and education,” the museum employs more than 200 researchers, operates three research stations of its own, and undertakes more than 100 research expeditions annually to all parts of the world.

The highlights of the American Museum of Natural History

Dinosaur skeletons

The American Museum of Natural History has so many highlights that it is not easy to focus on a few in a short description. In any case, the museum is world famous for its impressive collection of dinosaur skeletons. In six rooms, the evolution of vertebrates is vividly illustrated. The most popular dinosaur is right in the entrance hall: it is the life-size skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex.

Rose Center for Earth and Space

Anyone interested in space should definitely visit the Rose Center for Earth and Space. The detailed display of information about space, space travel and our planet is overwhelming. The Rose Center consists of a sphere built into a transparent cube (popularly known as the “Christmas tree ball in a glass box”). In the upper half of the sphere is the Hayden Planetarium, where visitors go on a 3D tour of the universe. In the lower half of the sphere, visitors can view a simulation of the Big Bang in the Big Bang Theater. And in the center of the Rose Center, the Cosmic Pathway takes visitors on a journey through the history of the universe (each step corresponds to about 75 million years of cosmic evolution).

Guggenheim Hall of Minerals and Morgan Memorial Hall of Gems

If you’re a fan of minerals and gemstones, don’t miss the Guggenheim Hall of Minerals and the Morgan Memorial Hall of Gems, home to arguably the museum’s most valuable treasures: the Star of India, weighing 563 carats, is the world’s largest and most famous sapphire, and the Patricia Emerald, a 632-carat emerald, is one of the few large specimens still uncut.

Milstein Hall of Ocean Life

Friends of the underwater world will find their happiness in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life. Here, on more than 2,500 square meters, videos and interactive computer terminals provide a comprehensive and vivid insight into the living world of our oceans. The highlight of the Hall of Ocean Life is a 28.6-meter-long blue whale swimming in a virtual ocean created with the help of lighting, video and audio effects.

There are also a number of other highly interesting exhibition spaces. The Hall of Biodiversity is dedicated to conservation and preservation of biodiversity. The Margaret Mead Hall of Pacific Peoples, the Hall of Asian Peoples, the Hall of African Peoples and the Hall of South American Peoples portray the (original) inhabitants of the respective continents. And those who are more interested in animals should have a look at the Hall of North American Mammals, the Hall of African Mammals, the Hall of Reptiles and Amphibians and the Hall of North American Birds.

Last but not least, a note for all movie buffs. The American Museum of Natural History also houses an Imax movie theater with one of the largest screens in New York City. Here, changing films on the subject of natural history are shown. Even if you’re not a big fan of the Discovery Channel, you should take a look at the Imax, because the nature documentaries shown there are of such high quality that they regularly win awards.