Spring finally arrived in the city after a long winter. The past several months, we looked for fun things keep us busy and not inside our little apartment all the time. We live in NYC, we don’t have a car, and rely on public transportation (and our stroller) to move around this amazing city. One of the places that became our favorite stop to go this winter is the American Museum of Natural History. I have always loved this museum, but had never taken Dylan there.
Why we love the American Museum of Natural History
We live in downtown and the museum is uptown, basically a short 30 minutes or less ride on the subway for us. My son is a little bit older now and every time we go, he enjoys more and more. I have to say that this museum is the perfect place to go with kids of any age, including toddlers. We had some bad experiences before taking Dylan to “fancier” museums and appreciate some art, but this one is totally fine. Dylan loves all animals, dinosaurs, and everything related to space and planets, so the American Museum of Natural History is the perfect combo.
Our favorite time to visit the museum
We like to go early in the morning on weekdays. Since Dylan is just going 2 times per week to school in the morning, we have at least one morning with no activities. We always end up going to museum or something like that. The museum opens daily at 10 a.m., so that’s the time we usually get there. It’s less crowded and there is something magical at getting into a museum when is still a bit empty. We like to walk around and just explore, guess the animals, talk about them, learn about the solar system, and mostly just have fun. Dylan is 2.8 years old, so just a two to three hours for us there are enough for him.
What to do after the museum
The museum has basic restaurants inside and bakeries, but I usually pack some snacks for us and if we’re really hungry, we like to go eat at the Shake Shack right by the museum. Shake Shack is basically our favorite place ever for burgers, fries, and milk shake. Can’t go wrong with that. The museum has also some really cool shops and you feel like you want to buy everything, for adults and kids!
How to get there
The American Museum of Natural History is a must go for all the tourists and people that live here, so I just wanted to affirm one more time if you’re having any concern about taking a toddler there – it’s the PERFECT place to take them. The entrance for the museum for adults is $23, students pay $18, senior $18, and kids between 2-12 is $13. The price is a suggested donation though. But if you want to see the special exhibitions you have to pay a little extra. It’s really worth it though. It’s also pretty easy to get to the museum if you’re near a subway. We usually take C train towards uptown and stop at the 81st street right at the museum, but here (https://www.amnh.org/plan-your-visit/#directions) are all the directions to get there and the subway map.
We try to expose Dylan to museums as early as we can, we always do. But we have to be conscious to places we take them so they will enjoy. The American Museum of Natural History is enjoyable at any age and the kids will always ask to go back.
Do you have a favorite museum to visit with your kids?
Fernanda Seelos contributed this post as a guest writer. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, 2 year old son, and two kittens. Originally from Brazil, Fernanda has lived here for over 11 years. She and her family love the on-the-go city life. They love to travel, especially with their toddler, which isn’t an easy task, but always fun. She enjoys sharing their lifestyle on social media, and you can see more from Fernanda on her blog and her Instagram.
