The American Museum of Natural History occupies a sequence of halls and buildings opposite Central Park, turning scientific collections into public encounters with nature, human cultures, and the universe. Its founding mandate explicitly joined research with accessible instruction.
Quick facts
- The museum was founded in 1869 by an act of the New York State Legislature.
- Its first exhibits were shown in the Central Park Arsenal in 1871.
- The museum’s mission includes research, education, and public instruction.
More places in New York City
9/11 Memorial
The 9/11 Memorial’s twin pools occupy the footprints of the former World Trade Center towers. Water descends into central voids beside bronze parapets of names, giving absence a physical form within a grove of swamp white oaks.
Apollo Theater
The Apollo Theater’s illuminated sign marks a Harlem institution that has shaped American popular music. Amateur Night began here in 1934, giving emerging performers a stage and an audience whose response could help launch remarkable careers.
Battery Park
Battery Park, also known as The Battery, occupies Manhattan’s southern tip at the meeting of the Hudson and East Rivers. Its waterfront paths, monuments and Castle Clinton connect the city’s harbor history with today’s public park life.
Broadway Theatre District
The Broadway Theatre District concentrates historic playhouses around Times Square, where marquees announce live performance amid a dense transit and commercial hub. The district moved north with Manhattan’s growth and settled here as transportation made audiences easier to gather.
Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo combines a large urban park landscape with animal habitats and conservation work. Its wooded grounds create a surprising sense of distance from city streets, while exhibits connect visitors with wildlife and the ecosystems that need protection.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Brooklyn Botanic Garden brings plant collections, landscape design, and public education together in a city setting. Its Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, completed in 1915, was among the earliest public Japanese gardens in the United States.