Museum of Natural History

Museum of Natural History
Name	Museum of Natural History
Established	1869
Location	Central Park West, New York City, United States
Type	Natural history
Accreditation	American Alliance of Museums
Director	Lisa J. Gugenheim
President	Sean M. Decatur
Publictransit	81st Street
Website	www.amnh.org

Museum of Natural History. Located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, it is one of the largest and most celebrated natural history institutions in the world. Founded in 1869, the museum is renowned for its extensive scientific collections, groundbreaking research, and iconic public exhibitions. Its complex of interconnected buildings occupies over 2 million square feet and hosts millions of visitors annually.

History

The museum was co-founded by figures like Albert S. Bickmore, who garnered support from prominent citizens including Theodore Roosevelt Sr., father of the future U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. Its original Victorian Gothic building, designed by Calvert Vaux and J. Wrey Mould, opened in 1877 within Manhattan Square. The institution grew rapidly through expeditions such as those led by Roy Chapman Andrews to the Gobi Desert and the Central Asiatic Expeditions. Major expansions occurred under the presidency of Henry Fairfield Osborn, and the museum has been a fixture in popular culture, notably featured in the 2006 film Night at the Museum.

Collections and exhibits

The museum houses over 34 million specimens and cultural artifacts across 45 permanent exhibition halls. Iconic displays include the Fossil Halls, featuring massive sauropod skeletons like the Tyrannosaurus rex and the Mamenchisaurus. The Milstein Hall of Ocean Life is dominated by a suspended model of a blue whale, while the Rose Center for Earth and Space, designed by James Polshek, contains the Hayden Planetarium. Other notable halls are dedicated to human evolution, biodiversity, meteorites like the Willamette Meteorite, and cultures from Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Architecture

The original 1877 structure by Calvert Vaux forms the core of a sprawling complex that exemplifies the Romanesque Revival style. The main entrance on Central Park West is through the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall, a grand rotunda dedicated to the former governor and president. Subsequent additions, including the Morgan Memorial Hall of Gems and the Planetarium, showcase Beaux-Arts and Modernist influences. The most contemporary structure is the Rose Center for Earth and Space, a striking glass cube enclosing the spherical Hayden Sphere.

Research and education

The museum is a premier scientific research institution, with over 200 scientists conducting work in fields like anthropology, astrophysics, genomics, and paleontology. It operates major research facilities such as the Southwestern Research Station in Arizona and is affiliated with the Richard Gilder Graduate School, which grants Ph.D. degrees. Educational outreach includes the Discovery Tours, the National Center for Science Literacy, Education, and Technology, and extensive programs for New York City schoolchildren, often developed in collaboration with the New York City Department of Education.

Notable specimens

Among its most famous holdings is the Star of India, the world's largest gem-quality blue star sapphire. The Fossil Halls contain the first specimen of Tyrannosaurus rex ever discovered and a near-complete Deinonychus skeleton. The Ahnighito, part of the Cape York meteorite, is the largest meteorite on display in any museum. Other irreplaceable items include the Canopy of the Tsars, a unique malachite artifact, and the skeletal mount of a Barosaurus rearing up to protect its young, the tallest free-standing dinosaur mount in the world.

Governance and funding

The museum is a private 501(c)(3) organization governed by a Board of Trustees that includes leaders from finance, law, and philanthropy. It operates with a significant endowment and relies on funding from sources such as the City of New York, federal grants from agencies like the National Science Foundation, and major donations from individuals and foundations, including the Rose family and the Richard Gilder Foundation. The current president is Sean M. Decatur, and the museum maintains memberships in the American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Science-Technology Centers.

Category:Natural history museums in New York City Category:Museums established in 1869 Category:American Alliance of Museums