American Museum of Natural History, New York City: Hours, Address, American Museum of Natural History Reviews: 4.5/5
American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
About
The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s preeminent scientific and cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1869, the Museum has advanced its global mission to discover, interpret, and disseminate information about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe through a wide-ranging program of scientific research, education, and exhibition. The Museum is renowned for its exhibitions and scientific collections, which serve as a field guide to the entire planet and present a panorama of the world's cultures.
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
Features animals
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from MYR 102.22
All you need to step foot in the door.
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Top ways to experience American Museum of Natural History
The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Upper West Side
Nestled between Central Park and the Hudson River, the Upper West Side offers iconic architecture and a quiet, residential respite from the buzzing energy of downtown. Along Central Park West are many of the city’s most iconic apartment buildings, as well as the American Museum of Natural History, which has been welcoming visitors to its historic exhibit halls for over 140 years. Culture fans will love Lincoln Center, home to some of the world’s best opera, dance, film, and theatre performances, all centrally located around a beautiful fountain. Spanning the entire length of the Upper West Side, Riverside Park is ideal for a long, leisurely stroll in a quiet green space.
How to get there
- 81st St – Museum of Natural History • 3 min walk
- 72nd St • 8 min walk
Best nearby
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Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
25,817 reviews
Excellent
15,110
Very good
6,345
Average
2,978
Poor
936
Terrible
453
Muhammad Tariq
10 contributions
I had visited British Museum of Natural History a few years back. When I compare the two, I felt AMNH lacks depth. Many areas are covered but details on the exhibits are inadequate. For example it does not mention if exhibits are original, replicas and what is the origin and date / time of these exhibits.
Also very limited digital content.
I was left guessing whether I am looking at history or some one’s imagination of history.
Also very limited digital content.
I was left guessing whether I am looking at history or some one’s imagination of history.
Written 12 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Zkopp1
1 contribution
Friends
The museum was AMAZING. The app didn’t tell you that they sell you a ticket that requires you still stand in an hour long plus line and lose precious time. Would have been better to just pay the venue. Won’t be using trip advisor again without getting someone to analyze what must have been in the fine print. From my experience they didn’t mention this detail until you had paid the NON refundable ticket. So disappointed
Written 11 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
mutguy
Singapore, Singapore177 contributions
Some tips:
- download the museum's app. It points out the highlights in each area which then helps you to focus or zoom into the important or famous exhibits. They usually also are the ones which are the actual real object ... i.e. the real McCoy.
- do the planetarium show at the Rose Center. And the exhibits around the Hayden Sphere include moon rocks and a weighing machine on the floor which gives you your weight on the moon. Definitely worth it
- go see the Gems and Minerals. Another worthwhile exhibit. Your kids will enjoy the interactive screen where they can combine chemical elements to form new elements.
- eat outside the museum as the food outside is way better than the food inside. There is a Shake Shake nearby. You can exit at W 77th Street which has nice shade provided by trees and you can sit around there to eat your takeaway. But be warned that you will have to re-enter at the main entrance along Central Park West.
- I didn't care much for the animal exhibits because if I wanted to see animals, I would go to the zoo for live animals instead of the stuffed ones and models of animals which are in the museum.
- the dinosaur exhibits are predominantly casts or replicas of the actual dinosaur bones. There are some real fossils and dinosaur bones but these were largely the smaller displays. If anything, the exhibit is good to get a sense of scale.
- the Sharks exhibit was small and relied largely on digital exhibits. Not impressed by it.
- the Asia peoples and South American exhibits felt very old/dated/dusty. Combined with either very low or very bright light levels / old wood panelling, it made it feel like an old basement or attic.
So be selective of what you want to see. There are exhibits which you will enjoy more than others or me. Know what you are interested in and zoom in to there. And briskly walk through exhibits which give you the old ho-hum.
I enjoyed the Met Museum of Art more than the AMNH ... but that's just me. :)
- download the museum's app. It points out the highlights in each area which then helps you to focus or zoom into the important or famous exhibits. They usually also are the ones which are the actual real object ... i.e. the real McCoy.
- do the planetarium show at the Rose Center. And the exhibits around the Hayden Sphere include moon rocks and a weighing machine on the floor which gives you your weight on the moon. Definitely worth it
- go see the Gems and Minerals. Another worthwhile exhibit. Your kids will enjoy the interactive screen where they can combine chemical elements to form new elements.
- eat outside the museum as the food outside is way better than the food inside. There is a Shake Shake nearby. You can exit at W 77th Street which has nice shade provided by trees and you can sit around there to eat your takeaway. But be warned that you will have to re-enter at the main entrance along Central Park West.
- I didn't care much for the animal exhibits because if I wanted to see animals, I would go to the zoo for live animals instead of the stuffed ones and models of animals which are in the museum.
- the dinosaur exhibits are predominantly casts or replicas of the actual dinosaur bones. There are some real fossils and dinosaur bones but these were largely the smaller displays. If anything, the exhibit is good to get a sense of scale.
- the Sharks exhibit was small and relied largely on digital exhibits. Not impressed by it.
- the Asia peoples and South American exhibits felt very old/dated/dusty. Combined with either very low or very bright light levels / old wood panelling, it made it feel like an old basement or attic.
So be selective of what you want to see. There are exhibits which you will enjoy more than others or me. Know what you are interested in and zoom in to there. And briskly walk through exhibits which give you the old ho-hum.
I enjoyed the Met Museum of Art more than the AMNH ... but that's just me. :)
Written 9 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Carsten B
2 contributions
Absolutely shocking ticketing! Reserve a time and still cue 1.5 hours to get in!! Not recommended at all..............
Written 7 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
ellewehrung
Myrtle Beach, SC20 contributions
Museum requires advance purchase of tickets with timed entry online prior to arriving, however, there was no one actually implementing the time slots so it was a free for all. We arrived thirty minutes prior to our time slot to find hundreds of people queued around the building. It was a circus. They let way too many people in and it was impossible to absorb anything from the exhibits due to the high volume of foot traffic and noise. DC museums are much better. Lots of things under construction or closed, which was surprising given it’s summertime. Too many dead, stuffed animals. Would not recommend.
Written 6 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Steph N
Whitehall, MI2 contributions
Family
The museum is quite large, has various cultures, habitats, and animals to explore.
Wasn’t impressed with the staff! The man in the snack area directing people through the line is rude and loud and not appropriate for children to have to witness his lack of politeness. It is hard to find restrooms and the food court lacks cleanliness. I would also like to point out the man today as well at the entrance who was rude and telling people to “get moving” “hurry up” I’m sure this is due to the difference in cultures, but kindness is everywhere.
Wasn’t impressed with the staff! The man in the snack area directing people through the line is rude and loud and not appropriate for children to have to witness his lack of politeness. It is hard to find restrooms and the food court lacks cleanliness. I would also like to point out the man today as well at the entrance who was rude and telling people to “get moving” “hurry up” I’m sure this is due to the difference in cultures, but kindness is everywhere.
Written 4 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Farisathul Hashna
1 contribution
How my first virtual tour hit the heart
Virtual tour, a wonderful journey through a land we have never seen before. However, it was an amazing experience for me. Because it was the first virtual tour that I experienced with huge excitement. Well, are you interested to hear about my experience with virtual tours? Let’s start our virtual tour with my words.
I visited the ‘Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History ‘. there was a huge collection of different types of exhibitions and others. I selected the past exhibits. Because I always wondered about the ancient period, the dinosaurs, life in the ancient sea and the period before the dinosaurs and everything.
It was such a friendly journey that can touch our hearts with the virtual visuals. Every visual they exhibited is really of high quality. When we are going through inside the museum we feel like we are really walking down the floor. Such a clear picture!
When we are enjoying the visuals there are some valuable notes also they include for us. It is really amazing how the fossils of dinosaurs were sequenced and the varieties of dinosaur categories. The attractiveness of the exhibition is they are revealing the exact year of every fossil and ancient things. It is a wonder that we are chanced to view a fossil or something which was before millions of years.
The life of the ancient sea they exhibited was before 570 million ago. What a wonder! I was really excited about visiting the famous museum. And they have a great collection of snails and limpet. Everything was a visual treat.
I realized something that how a virtual tour can also treat us well. The digital scenario is a wonder. the only difference I found is we can’t touch it with our hands. And a compliment I can express is we can analyze everything by zooming out and in.
So, my first journey on a virtual tour was awesome. And the ‘Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History ‘did it very well. The way of presentation, visualization, and detailing, everything was impressive.
If you are a person like me, who never visited a virtual tour, go now and do it.
“we can explore our world from our limitations”
Virtual tour, a wonderful journey through a land we have never seen before. However, it was an amazing experience for me. Because it was the first virtual tour that I experienced with huge excitement. Well, are you interested to hear about my experience with virtual tours? Let’s start our virtual tour with my words.
I visited the ‘Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History ‘. there was a huge collection of different types of exhibitions and others. I selected the past exhibits. Because I always wondered about the ancient period, the dinosaurs, life in the ancient sea and the period before the dinosaurs and everything.
It was such a friendly journey that can touch our hearts with the virtual visuals. Every visual they exhibited is really of high quality. When we are going through inside the museum we feel like we are really walking down the floor. Such a clear picture!
When we are enjoying the visuals there are some valuable notes also they include for us. It is really amazing how the fossils of dinosaurs were sequenced and the varieties of dinosaur categories. The attractiveness of the exhibition is they are revealing the exact year of every fossil and ancient things. It is a wonder that we are chanced to view a fossil or something which was before millions of years.
The life of the ancient sea they exhibited was before 570 million ago. What a wonder! I was really excited about visiting the famous museum. And they have a great collection of snails and limpet. Everything was a visual treat.
I realized something that how a virtual tour can also treat us well. The digital scenario is a wonder. the only difference I found is we can’t touch it with our hands. And a compliment I can express is we can analyze everything by zooming out and in.
So, my first journey on a virtual tour was awesome. And the ‘Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History ‘did it very well. The way of presentation, visualization, and detailing, everything was impressive.
If you are a person like me, who never visited a virtual tour, go now and do it.
“we can explore our world from our limitations”
Written 4 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
JCnubis
Casselberry, FL77 contributions
Family
The food was terrible. The chicken fingers looked and tasted prehistoric. The fries were cold and the gentleman ( I use the term loosely) telling people were to walk was rude to everyone
Written 29 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jatiel I
49 contributions
We had a great time as a family. There are plenty of exhibitions for everyone. We got there early, so we did not have any issues getting in. If you want to do the museum right (taking your time absorbing everything) you will need more that 3 hours. trying to get our was a little problematic with no signs and the the staff was not friendly.
Written 28 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Daniel M
12 contributions
Couples
Overcrowded, the queue took forever to get through. We were automatically assigned a time of 4pm (without our knowledge) to see the planetarium, despite the fact we entered at 12pm. When we tried to go to the earlier 2pm showing, on account that we had to leave at 4pm, they said no. If we knew it would have been so manic then we never would have gone, it needs to have a maximum capacity on how many people they can allow in each day, as it is crazy.
Written 28 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Connie H
Kennett Square, PA72 contributions
I'm planning to go on in early April, but I read reviews about long lines. Are the lines for people that need to exchange vouchers for actual tickets? If I book directly online through the museum website, do I get to skip the long lines and just go in and get my ticket scanned? Thanks!
Justin W
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ2,689 contributions
I am a member of the museum so I have never experienced this. You might want to call the museum's customer service directly on this.
Tiffani J
Las Vegas, NV1 contribution
Can you enter with a negative Covid test or do you have to be vaccinated?
vagabondginger
Alicante, Spain1,315 contributions
It seems that vax cards will be required. Things are changing all the time so it's best to look at the website and be up to date.
Paisley Kim
Seoul, South Korea
I booked the tickets under my English name.
But my ID(passport) has my real name!
What should I do?
Is it going to be fine?
Justin W
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ2,689 contributions
I would ask when you get to the museum. As long as you have a picture ID you should be fine but I would talk with Admissions when you get there.
RR
2 contributions
Does anyone know how I book a timelsot? I've booked through Trip Asvisor but was not given this option? I've been onto the AMNH website but it only allows me a booked timeslot if I pay again?
Justin W
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ2,689 contributions
Usually, I get a timeslot when I go to the Museum directly and see what is open at the time. You can ask the Museum when you arrive to see what is open that day.
Can i leave and reenter the museum
?
sprattmitchell
Black Mountain, NC290 contributions
Yes, when i was there in July.
However, to reenter, you get back in the line.
Tasha L
Elmira Heights, NY
It says no oversized backpack are allowed but would I be ok with a normal sized one? We will be in the city for the day and I don’t wanna carry a bunch of stuff if the kids decide to buy things.
Justin W
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ2,689 contributions
I have brought in a small canvas bag before and they did not give me a hassle. It is best you leave anything clunky in your hotel room. There is no place to check it now. You might want to call the museum directly.
Are small backpacks allowed in museum
Justin W
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ2,689 contributions
Right now the answer is yes as you can't check anything at the museum. I would call the museum directly though to see if the policy has changed over the last two months.
FlaviaGui
Sammamish, WA55 contributions
I wonder if I reserve the ticket for 10am, if I’ll have a window to arrive (e.g. between 10 and 10:30am) or if I need to arrive 15 minutes earlier. Does anyone knows, pls?
Justin W
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ2,689 contributions
They don't make that big of deal if you arrive about a half hour late. I was forty five minutes late the last time and they just scanned the bar code. Just don't be too late.
Aceitam carteiras de identidade estudantil brasileiras para comprovar compra de ingresso estudantil?
ArizonaRoadWarrior
Phoenix, AZ161 contributions
“Do you accept Brazilian student ID cards to prove student ticket purchase?”
The free student tickets are for students that live in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Hy, I would like to know if the museum explains the relations between humans and mamuts? And if there is an explanation abut de extintion of mamuts?
laura280567
Mercedes, Argentina46 contributions
hola,lo siento pero no puedo ayudarte con esa pregunta
Frequently Asked Questions about American Museum of Natural History
- American Museum of Natural History is open:
- Wed - Sun 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
- American Museum of Natural History admission prices can vary. Entrance tickets currently cost RM 102.46, while a popular guided tour starts around RM 33.05 per person. See all 29 American Museum of Natural History tickets and tours on Tripadvisor
- American Museum of Natural History can be crowded, so we recommend booking e-tickets ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund. See all 29 American Museum of Natural History tickets and tours on Tripadvisor
- According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience American Museum of Natural History:
- American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket (From RM 102.46)
- Museum of Natural History Private Guided Tour with Skip-the-Line Ticket (From RM 514.68)
- Go City: New York Explorer Pass - Choose 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 attractions (From RM 307.37)
- New York CityPASS (From RM 574.64)
- The New York Pass®: 100+ Attractions including Empire State Building (From RM 596.92)
- Hotels near American Museum of Natural History:
- (0.26 km) Hotel Park 79
- (0.50 km) The Lucerne Hotel
- (0.71 km) The Wallace
- (0.63 km) Hotel Beacon
- (0.29 km) Central Park Stunning Duplex
- Restaurants near American Museum of Natural History:
- (0.18 km) Storico
- (0.16 km) Parliament Espresso and Coffee Bar
- (0.25 km) Shake Shack Upper West Side
- (0.23 km) Andy's Deli
- (0.21 km) Scaletta Ristorante