Skip to content »
Skip to second navigation »


See the American Museum of Natural History Come Alive at Night

Published by Jason Hussong, Writer

Country: United States

The Experience

The American Museum of Natural History is a must on any visit to New York City. Its great halls receive approximately four million visitors a year; and it’s easy to see why once you set foot inside the Museum and take a look around one of its forty-six permanent exhibition halls. With all the various exhibits to explore, it’s quite easy to spend a full day there and not be bored for a single minute. One of the best experiences here is to follow Ben Stiller’s lead from the Night at the Museum movie, and spend a nocturnal adventure “sleepover” night at the Museum enjoying tours, an IMAX show, and even a flashlight fossil hunt.

On the sleepovers, or any other visit to the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), don’t expect “Rexy” the giant Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton to greet you in the lobby wagging his tail for a game of fetch—he’s actually located upstairs in the world’s largest collection of fossil mammals and dinosaurs. Some other things at the AMNH depart from the movie, as most of it was filmed in a studio in Vancouver, Canada. While certain things are different and some exhibits are inaccurate to the movie, it’s still an exciting and interesting place to visit.

The American Museum of Natural History was established in 1869 by several people, one of which was the father of the 26th U.S. President, Theodore Roosevelt. A statue of President Roosevelt on the steps of the Museum, greets visitors as they go through the main entrance across the street from Central Park in Manhattan’s Upper West Side. From there, the twenty-five interconnecting buildings are open for great exploration and learning opportunities. And with more than 32 million specimens in the collection, albeit many of which are actually in storage, there’s no shortage of things to keep you busy on a visit.

Generally, the American Museum of Natural History sleepover experience is reserved for kids between the ages of 7 and 13, but family and group opportunities are available that make it as much of a treat for the older kids as the younger ones. So, with a little planning, and a bit of packing, it’s possible to spend the night at the American Museum of Natural History, sleeping under the giant blue whale replica in the Milstein Family Hall of Ocean Life. Thanks to the movie Night at the Museum, attendance to the American Museum of Natural History is up, and such opportunities as this are now possible.

Photos

Map

Puzzle

When to Go to American Museum Of Natural History

The American Museum of Natural History sleepover experience takes place at set times only, which must be booked in advance. So, for the best experience and a chance to overnight at the Museum, make sure to plan ahead and get reservations for your family or group. Take particular note of the Halloween sleepover contest towards the end of October for the kids.

The American Natural History Museum hours of operation run daily from 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., with the exception of Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays.

Odds n' Ends

General daytime admission for adults is $16. Kids are even cheaper at $9. If you plan to experience the American Museum of Natural History overnight, these tickets cost $129 per person, with either a deposit or full payment required upon reservation. Various additional things are included with this ticket, like snacks and use of a cot.

More Experiences Nearby

Wander the Halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
With over two million works of art, it’s possible to wander the halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and see little of what's there in one visit. Hell, it’s possible to go to “the Met” several times and still not cover everything in the two-million-square-foot building. What makes it such a great museum to visit, is the amazing galleries and collections; so many, that it’s possible to go again and again for a new experience each and every time. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the most visited museum in the United States, with nearly ...1 miles away.

Carpe Diem! Book to do this experience now!

Book now
New York CityPass
Each ticket booklet is packed with useful information, including hours of operation, transport and contact information, plus insider tips so you can get the most ...
Starting from $73.99 per person.

Video

Video Wall

You are now being transfered to our Video Wall

Books and DVDs

American Museum of Natural History: The Official Guide
Windows on Nature: The Great Habitat Dioramas of the American Museum of Natural History
Little Black Book of New York 2010 3rd

Elsewhere on the Web

American Museum of Natural History - Official Site

Media References

American Museum of Natural History - NYTimes.com (newspaper)
Museums, God and Man - NYTimes.com (newspaper)

Language Guides

French , Hindi , Indonesian , Italian , Japanese , Lao , Malay , Mandarin , Portugese , Russian , Spanish , Thai , Turkish , Vietnamese are some of the languages spoken in United States. If you know of a freely available phrase book or podcast for one of the missing languages, let us know!

Discussion

Experienced this and have something to share? Experienced something like this somewhere else? Looking for advise or travel companions? Use this space to leave your mark. Our writers and editors are more than happy to help answer your questions.

People with experience


Recent Tweets

Listed below are the most recent comments made on Twitter for "american museum of natural history":