American Museum of Natural History

A Gateway to the Natural World

Located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, the American Museum of Natural History offers you an immersive journey through the history of our planet. Situated in Theodore Roosevelt Park across from Central Park, the museum complex spans 21 interconnected buildings. As you walk through these expansive halls, you are entering a space that houses tens of millions of specimens—from plants and animals to fossils, minerals, rocks, and meteorites—giving you a profound sense of the scale of the natural world.

A Legacy of Discovery

The museum’s history is rooted in a vision for New York to become a premier destination for scientific study. The initial idea was conceived in 1861, and by 1871, the collection first opened to the public within Central Park's Arsenal. Since then, the institution has expanded into its current home, featuring architectural landmarks such as the main entrance pavilion and the Rose Center for Earth and Space. This evolution reflects a long-standing commitment to showcasing both the biological and geological wonders of our world.

What You Will Experience

Inside the museum, you can explore 45 permanent exhibition halls, each dedicated to different facets of natural history. The sheer breadth of the collection means that while only a fraction is on display at any given time, the variety remains vast. Your visit may take you through:

• Diverse collections of plants, animals, fungi, and fossils.
• Specialized displays of minerals, rocks, and meteorites.
• Human cultural artifacts and human remains.
• A dedicated planetarium to explore the cosmos.
• A comprehensive library for deeper study.

Planning Your Visit

Because of its size and the depth of its collections, the museum provides a substantial experience for any visitor. If you are planning a multi-stop itinerary in New York City, note that certain citywide passes may include admission to this specific institution as part of a larger tour of Manhattan's landmarks.