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Location
Best time
Always purchase tickets online in advance to avoid long lines, especially on weekends. The museum is massive with 5 floors of exhibits, and crowds can form quickly at the ticket counter.
Visitor tip
The Butterfly Vivarium is worth the extra cost. Visitors consistently praise the interactive experience of having live butterflies land on them in an enclosed space—a unique hands-on exhibit not found in typical museums.
Visitor tip
The museum is easily accessible via subway on Manhattan's Upper West Side, eliminating parking concerns. This makes it ideal for families with young children who may find long car rides challenging.
About American Museum of Natural History
Historic museum of natural wonders. From dinosaurs to outer space & everything in between, this huge museum showcases natural wonders.
Quick Facts
- Type
- Natural History Museum
- Highlights
- Dinosaur fossils, 94-foot blue whale, Butterfly Vivarium, Hayden Planetarium, Human Origins hall
- Size
- 45 permanent exhibition halls across 5 floors, 34 million specimens and artifacts
- Location
- Manhattan's Upper West Side, accessible by subway
What visitors say
Fantastic place to spend the day. And trust me you will spend the entire day here! I didn’t realise it was so huge. 5 floors of exhibits to enjoy. Must sees for me were the ocean room and the dinosaur fossils and I 10/10 recommend the…
The world's preeminent scientific and cultural institutions, spanning four city blocks on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Since its founding, it has served as a global leader in scientific research and public education, housing over 34…
In my opinion best museum in NYC. It's massive with plenty of free exhibits. You can easily spend the entire day here exploring. Best of all it is practically free for NY residents. You should always buy your ticket online because the…
From 24,536 Google reviews
Did You Know?
- Houses over 34 million specimens and artifacts, making it one of the world's largest natural history collections
- The Milstein Hall of Ocean Life features a 94-foot-long blue whale model suspended from the ceiling, representing the largest animal to ever live
- Originally housed in the Central Park Arsenal before moving to Manhattan Square in 1877, with the first building opened by President Rutherford B. Hayes
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