Founded in 1869, New York’s American Museum of Natural History is situated in Manhattan’s Upper West Side. As one of the world’s largest museums, it includes 45 permanent exhibition halls, which make up a large part of the 28 buildings used to create the Museum. While the Museum has upwards of 33 million different types of specimens, not all are displayed at the same time. This is why so many people choose to visit the museum more than once, as the items displayed will change throughout the year.

Famous Attractions

The list below includes 4 famous attractions included in New York’s Museum of Natural History. Tours are available, and are included with the price of admission.

The Milstein Hall of Ocean Life – The Great Blue Whale. The blue whale is the largest animal existing on the planet, and now it can be viewed up close and personal. This famous attraction was built in the mid-sixties using a photograph taken of a blue whale that washed up on a beach in South America. The entire whale is 94 feet long, and was made using more than 20,000 pounds of foam and fiberglass.

The Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs – Dinosaur Skeletons. The Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of dinosaur skeletons and fossils.  There are many different types of dinosaur skeletons on display, with the Tyrannosaurus Rex being one of the more popular displays. Additional displays include learning about the types of dinosaurs, looking at fossilized dinosaur eggs, and watching videos to learn dinosaur facts.

The Spitzer Hall of Human Origins – Lucy. Lucy is a name given to one of the most complete skeletons found of an early hominid. Her bones were discovered in Ethiopia in 1974, and were determined to be about three million years old. This was the first almost complete skeleton that proved that hominids walked upright, making this discovery one that is well-known around the world.

The Hall of Gems – The Star of India. This world’s largest gem not only weighs in at an impressive 563 carats, it’s also believed to be around two billion years old. This blue star sapphire is one that’s close to flawless, has a whitish hue inside due to its include a certain minerals, and has stars on both sides, making this gem one that is unusual. It’s current worth is believed to be around 300 million dollars.

Jody’s Travel Inc