When in New York City with the kids, most families make a stop at the
American Museum of Natural History, in front of Central Park West at 79th Street. This is the museum featured in the 2006 movie
Night at the Museum, starring Ben Stiller as a night watchman who discovers that the exhibits magically come to life at night.
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| Subway stop for the American Museum of Natural History |
While this usually ensures that the kids are enthusiastic about visiting the museum, it also causes some consternation and disappointment when they realize that the interior of the actual museum is not as shown in the movie. Most noticeably, the entrance of the building does not have a large atrium featuring the skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex (or Rexy, as Stiller's character named it in the movie). However, there is a T-Rex to be found, in the
Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs.
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| "Rexy" in the Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs |
There are also models featuring little people, in the exhibits of the
Human Origins and Cultural Halls, although we did not find any exhibit of Sacagewea, which was a central feature in the movie.
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| Little people! |
Fortunately, we did happen upon another central figure featured in the movie - a replica of an Easter Island head.
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| No gum-gum for this dum-dum! |
Overall, this is a fun and educational place to spend a few hours with the kids when in New York City. Tickets can be purchased in advance online on the
website of the museum, or in person at the box office.
Admission prices: Adults $22; Children (2-12) $12.50; Seniors/Students (with ID) $17
Discounted admission tickets can also be purchased bundled with tickets for other attractions, such as with the
New York City Explorer Pass, which is how we did it.
