Group Tour Magazine - August 2024 - 53

Replica of an African elephant
Some highlights: " Invisible Worlds, " an
immersive science-and-art experience
where visitors can discover how all life is
connected; the Susan and Peter J. Solomon
Family Insectarium, featuring live insects;
Davis Family Butterfly Vivarium, which is
open all year and is where visitors can mingle
with free-flying butterflies; and the David
S. and Ruth L. Gottesman Research Library
and Learning Center. Need a break to eat? No
worries, there's also dining at the Restaurant
at Gilder. Also, the center's very architecture
is designed to spark curiosity for your group.
Rohan says even though the center's
expansion and features are new, and while
attractions might be added from time to
time, its features will remain in place so people
can enjoy them for years to come.
Recent temporary exhibits in other areas
of the museum include " Grounded By Our
Roots, " which opened in April in the Northwest
Coasts Hall's rotating contemporary art
gallery and features the work of new Indigenous
artists; and " Ice Cold: An Exhibition of
Hip Hop Jewelry " that opened in May in the
Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery. Rohan
says both will be available for months.
The fun-and curiosity-doesn't stop. The
facility is one that prompts both questions
and answers about some of nature's most
puzzling mysteries. If you've ever been curious
about elephants, for instance, you can
learn how they can hear with their feet, use
the 40,000 muscles in their trunks, or help
reshape their environment. Group members
will learn about these and other interesting
aspects of the modern-day mammoth
at " The Secret World of Elephants. " Other
giant beasts featured at the museum are on
the fourth floor, where about 100 dinosaur
specimens are on display, primarily categorized
into two groups: Ornithischian and
Saurischian; and a life-size replica of a blue
whale, the largest mammal on earth (or in
the sea!), suspended from the ceiling of the
Milstein Family Hall of Ocean Life. As with
real-life whales, the " Blue Whale Model " is
huge-94 feet long and 21,000 pounds!
The museum's features are not tied to this
planet only; groups can explore the universe
at the Hayden Planetarium Space Show.
" Worlds Beyond Earth " takes viewers beyond
the blue planet to marvel at the latest discoveries
from its cosmic neighbors. The nature
of the worlds that orbit the Sun is taught
through immersive visualizations of space
missions and breathtaking scenes depicting
the evolution of Earth's solar system.
From tiny insects to giant mammals, and
from Earth to the far reaches of space, groups
can explore a variety of the world's natural
phenomena at the American Museum of
Natural History. And the best thing about it,
Rohan says, is that there is never a good time
not to visit. The museum has attractions and
activities all year, he says, for every group.
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PHOTO ALVARO KEDING
Group Tour Magazine - August 2024

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