The Museum of Natural History is celebrating its 150th anniversary in a big way.
Not only has the popular family attraction gifted paleontologists with the new exhibit, "T. rex: The Ultimate Predator," (a must for those who love dinosaur activities), but it has officially kicked off its grand expansion project.
As of today, the Museum broke ground on The Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation. This $383 million project—which encountered a few setbacks regarding its proximity to Theodore Roosevelt Park—will include new classrooms, an immersive theater, a redesigned library and other impressive amenities.
Photograph: Courtesy Ralph Appelbaum Associates
“For 150 years, the American Museum of National History has reigned as one the greatest cultural and scientific institutions in the world,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said during the event, according to a press release from AMNH. “In addition to the Museum’s outsized conservation efforts, it has also become a place of joy and exploration for children around the world. The City’s investment in the Gilder Center project will enable the Museum to provide enrichment programs to more children and share more of its vast collection with the public.”
Thanks to a new, year-round Butterfly Vivarium, four learning zones (middle school, high school, family and teachers), a Collections Core that boasts upwards of 4 million species and so many other features to explore, patrons just might be inclined to spend a night at the museum.
The project allegedly is expected to finish in 2022, but museum-goers can follow along at amnh.org for updates.
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