American Museum of Natural History Tickets with Special Exhibition Options

Three things everyone wants to see here: the Tyrannosaurus rex, the 94-foot blue whale hanging over the ocean hall, and the Easter Island head. If you have seen Night at the Museum with Ben Stiller, you already know the building, and the real thing is bigger than the film makes it look.

The American Museum of Natural History has more than 45 galleries, covering animals, fossils, minerals, plants, meteorites and human cultures. It is a lot to choose from, so pick the three headline exhibits and one or two halls that match your interests, and let the rest be a bonus.

When you book, you choose one of three ticket levels. General Admission covers the galleries on nature and the universe. General Admission plus one ticketed exhibition adds a single paid extra: the Davis Family Butterfly Vivarium, a film, the Hayden Planetarium space show, or a special exhibition. General Admission plus all ticketed exhibitions adds entry to two or more paid exhibitions or experiences. If the planetarium is high on your list, this choice matters: the space show is not part of basic admission.

When this listing was updated the operator named these ticketed attractions: Invisible Worlds, an immersive look at nature's hidden systems; Encounters in the Milky Way, a narrated journey through the movements shaping our galactic neighborhood; Life at the Limits, on how organisms adapt to demanding environments; the Butterfly Vivarium, where up to 1,000 butterflies fly freely in an indoor habitat; and Impact: The End of the Age of Dinosaurs, on the asteroid collision 66 million years ago and the life that followed. The program changes, so check what is running on your date.

The operator lists opening hours as 10 am to 5:30 pm daily, and holiday schedules may differ. New York residents have a separate admission arrangement with the museum, so if you live in the state, check that before buying.

This ticket is for the American Museum of Natural History only.