NYC’s 10 Best at the American Museum of Natural History

NYC’s 10 Best at the American Museum of Natural History (5 to 1)

5. Habitat Dioramas. Includes habitat specific dioramas located throughout the museum halls. Many of the dioramas portray environments that no longer exist. From bears, bison, Alaskan moose, mountain goats, elephants, and more.

4. Spitzer Hall of Human Origins. The most complete proof of the origins of man in the world with over 200 artifacts and molded pieces on display. See where we come from and where we are evolving.

3. Hayden Planetarium. Currently running Journey to the Stars narrated by Whoopi Goldberg. Show times are Monday to Friday: every half hour from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm except on Wednesdays when the first show begins at 11:00 am and Saturday & Sunday, every half hour from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm.

2. Hall of Gems and Minerals. If you plan to visit the Hall of Gems and Minerals there are two stones you need to see. One called the Star of India and the second is the Patricia Emerald. The Star of India is the largest star sapphire in the world weighing in at over 563 carats and is about the size of a golf ball. Star sapphires are unique because they reflect incoming light in a star pattern. The Patricia Emerald, an uncut gem quality stone, is also on display which is one of the finest emeralds in the world at 632 carats. The Patricia Emerald was found in Columbia in the 1920s.

1. Fossil Halls. The Museum of Natural History has the largest vertebrate fossil collection in the world with over 1 million specimens with 600 on view. Unlike other many museums, 85% of these are real, not casts. Bones are from the ice age and various dinosaur ages. The Tyrannosaurus rex display is a nearly all fossilized piece from two species found in the early 1900s.

NYC’s 10 Best at the American Museum of Natural History (10 to 6)

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