American Museum of Natural History: The 5 Halls

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City has so many rooms and exhibits that it’s easy to get lost. Looking at the map can be just as overwhelming. It’s organized into five halls, but that doesn’t mean a single hall is connected throughout the museum.

But each hall found in the five-story museum offers a theme. To give you an idea of what you can expect at the museum, here is a rundown on each of the halls. But if you still end up getting lost in the museum, follow the signs toward the main entrance and you’ll be just fine.

COVID-19 UPDATE: The American Museum of Natural History is currently open. All tickets are for timed entry, from 10 am to last entry at 4:30 pm, to limit attendance. You must purchase tickets online in advance of your visit. Learn how the museum is taking necessary precautions for the health and safety of visitors.

If you plan to visit additional museums or tourist attractions while in New York, consider buying the New York CityPASS.

I feel it’s important for me to say that if you’ve seen the movies Night at the Museum, the inside of the museum looks nothing like what you see in the movies. I know the movies are older and museums change – but just wanted to put that out there for you.

Environmental Halls

Unlike many of the other halls in the museum, the Environmental Halls are all connected in a single area of the museum. The four areas are located on the 1st floor and include:

• Milstein Family Hall of Ocean Life
• Hall of Biodiversity
• North American Forests
• Warburg Hall of New York State Environment

The Hall of Ocean Life is probably the most recognizable room of the museum. The large humpback whale positioned over the large open room can’t be missed. The outer walls of the double-decker room has exhibits from various oceans, seas and waterways.

Earth and Space Halls

Definitely my favorite spot of the whole museum – but that’s because I’m sort of a space nerd. The Cullman Hall of the Universe, found on the Lower Level, has a giant space rock, along with information about the planets and stars. There are also scales in the ground so you can see how much you would weigh on various plants.

Above the Hall of the Universe is a giant Death Star-like sphere. It’s actually a the Hayden Big Bang theater where you can see various space shows. Admissions to the planetarium is an additional cost above general admission.

Don’t miss out on the Helibrunn Cosmic Pathway, which leads you from the Lower Level to the first floor, around the outskirts of the giant sphere. You can also wander through the Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth.

While it seems like all of the Earth and Space Halls are together, there’s a rogue exhibit on the First Floor. It’s on the exact opposite end of the museum: The Ross Hall of Meteorites.

Fossil Halls at the American Museum of Natural History

Dinosaur fossils are possibly the best-known aspect of the American Museum of Natural History. Luckily, the Fossil Halls are are located on the fourth floor and connect to each other. You can make one big loop and see all four halls, which include:

• Dinosaurs
• Primitive and advanced mammals
• The origin of vertebrates

Beyond your typical dinosaur fossils, you’ll definitely want to check out the Titanosaurus. It’s the largest dinosaur species ever discovered. The skeleton is so long, its head reaches out of the room it’s housed in.

There is a Dino Store and museum shop on this floor as well. So if you or your kid loves dinosaurs, you’ll want to stop in.

Animal Halls: Creatures from Around the World

Multiple Animal Halls stretch across three floors of the museum. Here’s a rundown of which areas are on which floor:

• FIRST FLOOR: Bernard Family Hall of North American Mammals, Small Mammals
• SECOND FLOOR: Akeley Hall of African Mammals, Asian Mammals, Birds of the World
• THIRD FLOOR: Reptiles and Amphibians, Akeley Hall of African Mammals, New York City Birds, New York State Mammals, Sanford Hall of North American Birds, Primates

Many of the exhibits throughout the animal halls are pretty neat. I really enjoyed the North American Birds, as well as the primates. The family of elephants in the Hall of African Mammals was neat, too.

Human & Culture Halls

Lastly, there are the areas that talk about cultures and people. The various halls also span three different floors and are spread out throughout the museum.

On the first floor, you’ll find the Hall of Human Origins and the Northwest Coast Hall.

The second floor is where the cultures start to take on a global perspective. There are individual halls for:

• South American Peoples
• Mexico and Central America
• African Peoples
• Stout Hall of Asian Peoples

The third floor includes the Hall of the Pacific Peoples, along with the Plains Indians and the Eastern Woodland Indians. I’ll admit, it’s pretty cool to get these quick glimpses into the life and culture of people from around the world.

The Details

Address: Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024-5192

Cost: General admission is $23 for adults, $18 for Seniors and Students and $13 for children ages 2-12. There are additional shows or special exhibit ticket packages available. Add $5-10 per adult ticket, and roughly $3-9 for seniors, children and students. The New York CityPASS includes admission to the museum and could save you money if you plan to visit other popular attractions in the Big Apple.

Hours: Open daily from 10 am – 5:45 pm except on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Website: https://www.amnh.org/

Phone: (212) 769-5100

Disclosure: I received a complimentary New York CityPASS, which provided access to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

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