American Museum of Natural History: 81st St and Central Park West

I've been to the American Museum of Natural History a few times, and each time I go I get overwhelmed with all that the museum has to offer.  I mean really, they start with dinosaurs and end with outer space (at the Hayden Planetarium--catch the IMAX movie)!  So this time I decided to go with a kind of goal.  I did a scavenger hunt with Watson Adventures and it was terrific.  I saw parts of the museum that I had never seen before, and although my team came in second to last, we had a good time running around the museum discovering interesting things throughout.

Of course we saw the numerous dioramas of animals (see above and right).  And as we went through the elephant room, my 19 year old nephew (who can hardly be called a museum fan) declared that this was the best museum he'd EVER been to.  High praise, indeed!

The museum was absolutely packed (more so than I had ever experienced, although it is generally crowded on the weekends).  I think the outside temperatures over 100 degrees drove everyone to indoor attractions.  In fact, there were a few parts of the museum that could not keep the air conditioners running strongly enough to counteract the heat from all the bodies.

If you, your kids, or adults in your life are interested in dinosaurs (see T-Rex at left), outer space travel, gem stones, wild animals, forests, underwater sea life, or anything else that is of nature, this is the Mecca of natural history for you.  If, like me, you are overwhelmed by large museums, consider taking a guided tour, participating in a scavenger hunt, or signing up for a special museum event like the Night at the Museum sleepovers (Yes, you may remember that the movie "Night at the Museum" was set at this world famous museum).

This is definitely a don't miss location in NYC.