I recently re-visited the American Museum of Natural History. I have first visited it on my first trip to the United States which was more than ten years ago. My first impression when I walk through the door today is mostly the same impression I had when I first stepped in: it’s huge(!), there are many children on field trips, many families, many tourists, it sort of feels like a fake zoo in some galleries and it’s a place where I could get lost very easily.

One thing that has changed a lot over the years at the museum is the technology. One of the galleries that especially caught my attention is the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life. The technology was used very effectively there. The sounds, videos, and water-like projections on the roof are much more attractive and they make the hall seem more alive. All throughout the museum, I’ve really appreciated the use of technology. It was only used sparingly for exhibits where it really made a difference. There are some halls that only have surround sound. At first, I didn’t even realize that the sounds were there, they are very discrete, but effective in setting the mood.

Despite the shape and size of the building, I found it very easy to get around. The guards were friendly, the restrooms were well placed, and there was many seating areas all around. One thing that I thought they could change was thinking out the subway entrance better. I entered through the bottom-most entrance and I thought the signs were not very helpful. There was a tiny help desk, but it had no fliers.

One thing I find very interesting about the American Museum of Natural History is that it encourages social activity and conversation through its content. The exhibits are easy to digest and talk about casually, and they are especially easy to talk about with children. This is one of the reasons why there were mostly groups of visitors there, and not many were visiting alone. For example, at the Frick Collection there were many more individuals visiting alone because of the content – visiting art seems more personal – and probably the structure of the tour – the audio guides are free and therefore that forces people to visit alone or separate. It works out well for the museum because it creates a more quiet environment (and I assume that’s what they are looking for in a place like Frick).

Different Perspectives

Spanish tourist who doesn’t know English: “It’s easy enough for me to get around, I have a map in Spanish with a detailed floor plan. However, most of the descriptions for the dioramas are in English. It’s easy enough to grasp their content, but it would be nice to be able to read more detailed information in Spanish.”

A kid on a school field trip: “This place is so huge. But it’s the best! It’s so much fun!”