Central Park West at 79th Street
(212) 769-5100
Hours: Daily: 10:00 - 5:45
Thanksgiving and Christmas: closed
Admission: Adults $12.00
Children (2-12) $7.00
Seniors/Students $$9.00
The first wing of the American Museum of
Natural History, designed by Calvert Vaux
and Jacob Wrey Mould, opened in 1877.
Originally housed in the upper floors of the Arsenal building in Central Park the museum
swiftly outgrew its home and needed new
space to expand the small exhibition of
mounted birds and mammals.
In response to the growing demands for a
new location, President Ulysses S. Grant,
himself a New Yorker laid the cornerstone
for the Museum's permanent home.
This 1874 inauguration marked the birth of
the largest natural history museum in the
world with twenty-three buildings, including
the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial on
Central Park West and the new Rose Center
for Earth and Space.
The museum is renowned for more than
its mammal and dinosaur exhibits. With
its numerous insect, invertebrate, fish,
amphibian, reptile displays as well as its
vast collection of anthropological artifacts
all flawlessly and interestingly presented,
it is a must visit for children and adults alike.
