The Authentic Source for
The Authentic Source for
A major feature of the Rose Center is the Scales of the Universe exhibit along the 400-foot-long walkway that hugs the glass wall of the cube. This unique exhibit, which employs the facility's architectural features by using the Hayden Sphere as a ba... read more
Following the explosive Big Bang experience, visitors exit onto the Harriet and Robert Heilbrunn Cosmic Pathway, a dramatic, spiraling ramp that ushers them through 13 billion years of cosmic evolution. At the start of the walkway, visitors can measu... read more
Dominating the Rose Center is the magnificent Hayden Sphere, which features the world's largest virtual reality simulator. Weighing four million pounds and measuring 87 feet in diameter, the Hayden Sphere houses the Space Theater in its upper half an... read more
The Hall of Northwest Coast Indians, the Museum's oldest hall, showcases the research conducted during the Museum's first major field expedition, the Jesup North Pacific Expedition (1897-1902), considered one of the most important anthropological fie... read more
These halls showcase artifacts such as cooking utensils, clothing, weapons, and jewelry from traditional Native American cultures in the East and in the Plains. The Hall of Eastern Woodlands Indians focuses on the traditional cultures of the Mohegan,... read more
Africa, a continent of nearly 12 million square miles and more than 700 million inhabitants, boasts a rich array of cultures. The Hall of African Peoples explores this great diversity, highlighting the traditional lifestyles and customs of people liv... read more
The Museum's holdings in Asian ethnology constitute one of the finest such collections in the Western Hemisphere. This extensive collection provides the foundation for the Hall of Asian Peoples, the Museum's largest cultural hall. The hall explores s... read more
The diverse art, architecture, and traditions of the Maya, Toltec, Olmec, Aztec, and other Mesoamerican pre-Columbian cultures are the subjects of this hall. The outstanding collections on display include monuments, figurines, pottery, and jewelry th... read more
This hall explores the pre-Columbian cultures of South America as well as the traditional cultures living in the region today, encompassing the ancient Inka, Moche, Chavin, and Chancay cultures as well as the many peoples of modern Amazonia. Especial... read more
The renowned anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901-1978) worked in the Museum's Anthropology Department from 1926 until her death. Through her groundbreaking expeditions to Samoa, New Guinea, and Bali, Mead brought anthropological work into the public c... read more
Between 1922 and 1928, Museum Trustee Arthur S. Vernay and British Colonel John C. Faunthorpe conducted six expeditions to collect animal specimens in India, Burma (now Myanmar), and Siam (now Thailand). The specimens were then donated to the Museum ... read more
More than 25 Museum expeditions, ranging from Mexico to Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic and from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans, produced the magnificent examples of North American mammals displayed in this hall. James Perry Wilson (1889-... read more
Since its opening in 1936, the Akeley Hall of African Mammals has been considered one of the world's greatest museum displays. The hall is named after Carl Akeley (1864-1926), the explorer, conservationist, taxidermist, sculptor, and photographer who... read more
This hall's dioramas represent the bird life of the far-flung islands of the Pacific. These islands are geologically diverse, ranging from low coral to high mountains. One of the dioramas represents the bird population of the Guano Islands, named aft... read more
Amphibians were the first vertebrates to live on land. From them evolved reptiles, which in turn gave rise to mammals and birds. This hall reviews the relationships, life histories, habits, behavior, and various adaptations of the coldblooded vertebr... read more
Although some bird species cross the boundaries of oceans and mountains and a few are found worldwide, each area of the world has its indigenous birds. The Birds of the World Hall shows some major faunal areas and their characteristic birds. Its purp... read more
The Hall of North American Birds is named for Frank M. Chapman (1864-1945), the Museum's renowned ornithologist. Under the direction of Chapman, a leader in the study of bird speciation and distribution in the Western Hemisphere, the Museum's bird co... read more
This hall exploring the ecology of North American forests features a piece of a giant sequoia tree. The sequoia, which was cut down in 1891, had survived for more than 1,300 years and its full height exceeded 300 feet. Around the central point of the... read more
The primate order, one of the many subdivisions of mammals, includes monkeys, apes, and humans. This hall provides an overview of primates through skeletons, mounted specimens, and artwork. The order is broken down into families, in displays that tra... read more
This hall chronicles the development of New York State's natural landscape over time. It describes the geological history from Precambrian times (2 billion years ago) to the present day, including glaciation, and displays of local fossils showing tha... read more