American Museum of Natural History
A life-size blue whale, a towering Barosaurus and a planetarium on Central Park West.
Photo: Ingfbruno · CC BY-SA 3.0
American Museum of Natural History guide: the dinosaur halls, the blue whale, the Hayden Planetarium, the Gilder Center, tickets and tips for families.
What to expect
Across Central Park from the Met, the American Museum of Natural History is one of the largest museums of its kind in the world, with 45 permanent exhibition halls. Its fossil halls on the fourth floor show one of the greatest dinosaur collections anywhere, including a Tyrannosaurus rex, and a rearing Barosaurus skeleton greets visitors in the rotunda.
In the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, a full-size model of a blue whale, 29 meters long, hangs above the room, and the dioramas of African and North American mammals are works of art in themselves. The Rose Center for Earth and Space houses the Hayden Planetarium, whose space shows are among the best in the country.
The Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation, opened in 2023, added a canyon-like atrium, an insectarium and a vivarium where hundreds of live butterflies fly around visitors. Families can easily spend a whole day here.
Natural History: top things to do
- 1The dinosaur halls and the T. rex on the fourth floor
- 2The blue whale in the Hall of Ocean Life
- 3A space show in the Hayden Planetarium
- 4Live butterflies in the Gilder Center
Natural History: best time to visit
All year; arrive at opening time on a weekday to beat school groups and weekend crowds.
Insider tips
- Buy timed tickets online; pay-what-you-wish admission is only for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut residents.
- Planetarium shows and special exhibitions cost extra, so pick your add-ons when you book.
- Use the Columbus Avenue entrance at the Gilder Center if the main steps have a line.
Fees, passes and parking
- Federal park passes such as America the Beautiful are not valid here.
- Pay-what-you-wish is only for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut residents; everyone else pays a fixed price that depends on the add-ons you choose. Buy on the official site.
Checked Oct 28, 2026. Official prices
Gas and fast charging nearby
842 gas stations within 20 km
- 1.6 km Mobil open 24 hours
- 2.4 km Shell open 24 hours
- 2.4 km Shell open 24 hours
- 2.4 km Mobil open 24 hours
- 2.7 km Mobil
- 3.0 km Mobil
- 0.5 km Tesla Supercharger Fast chargers (Supercharger)
- 3.0 km Gravity Charging Center Fast chargers (Gravity Mobility)
- 3.1 km Tesla Supercharger Fast chargers (Supercharger)
- 4.4 km ChargePoint Fast chargers (ChargePoint)
OpenStreetMap data, Oct 28, 2026.
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