NYC Arts: The Complete Guide to Art and Culture

Many grown-up New Yorkers can tell their children—or grandchildren—about their own childhood visits to the American Museum of Natural History. Indeed, for more than a century young people have been exploring world cultures and the history of life at this unique, only-in-New York institution. The museum's astonishing collection includes more than 32 million artifacts and specimens, only a small portion of which is on view in more than 40 exhibition halls.

The interactive halls of vertebrate evolution features the famous dinosaur collection, where T. Rex now stands in a stalking position. The IMAX movie theater, with its four-story screen, is a perennial favorite. The Hall of Human Biology and Evolution; the amazing meteorites, gems and geological specimens; the Halls of Asian Peoples, African Peoples, and Peoples of Mexico and Central America; and the animal dioramas from Teddy Roosevelt's time have set the standard for natural history museums around the world. The Hall of Biodiversity opened in the spring of 1998; it features one of the world's largest dioramas, a recreation of a portion of rain forest from the Central African Republic.

Explorer, the AMNH’s interactive application for the iPhone and iPod Touch,  serves as a navigational tool through the museum’s 570,000 square feet and provides in-depth tours through the halls and a scavenger hunt option. The museum has about 360 devices that can be borrowed during a visit.

The stunning Rose Center for Earth and Space is a $200 million glass box created by architect James Stewart Polshek. Enclosing a great white sphere, it opened to international acclaim in early 2000. The center features the Heilbrunn Cosmic Pathway, where each step equals about 75 million years of cosmic evolution; the Scales of the Universe, which illustrates the vast range in sizes in our universe; the Cullman Hall of the Universe, focusing on discoveries in modern astrophysics; and the new Hayden Planetarium—the world's most technologically advanced—which offers an absorbing three-dimensional tour of the universe and a multisensory re-creation of the Big Bang.

• Directions: Subway: B, C to 81st Street - Museum of Natural History

• On-Site Food: Museum Food Court, adjacent to the Rose Center, offers hot and cold menu items; Cafe 77, in the 77th Street lobby, has sandwiches and salads; the Cafe on 4, fine dining on the fourth floor, Central Park West side.
• On-Site Parking: Metered on-site lot, enter from 81st Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West.
• ADA Compliant Restrooms
• Disability Access: Fully accessible
• Disability Assistance: Video displays are captioned for the hearing impaired.
• Gift Shops: The Planetarium Shop features scientific instruments and items related to space. The Satellite Shop is designed for children and features space-related toys and games. The Museum Shop is a three-story retail space on the Central Park West side.