American Museum of Natural History
- Hours today
- 10 AM – 5:30 PM
- Visit time
- 3–4 hours
- Best for
- Families, dinosaurs
- Founded
- 1869
About this museum
One of the largest natural history museums in the world. The fourth-floor dinosaur halls are the headline attraction; the Hayden Planetarium and the 94-foot fiberglass blue whale in the Hall of Ocean Life are close behind. Read the full review →
Visitor tips
- TIP The Gilder Center entrance on Columbus Ave has shorter lines.
Don't miss
- FLOOR 4 T. rex, Apatosaurus, and the dinosaur cladogram
- HALL OF OCEAN LIFE 94-foot blue whale model
- GILDER CENTER Insectarium and Butterfly Vivarium
The full review
The fourth floor is what most visitors come for: the world's largest collection of mounted dinosaur skeletons arranged by evolutionary cladistics rather than period, so you walk through the actual branches of the dinosaur family tree. The Hall of Ocean Life with its life-size blue whale model overhead is the second draw, and the Hayden Planetarium next door rounds out a half-day visit.
The new Richard Gilder Center, opened in 2023, added 230,000 square feet including the Insectarium and Butterfly Vivarium. Worth folding into the trip.