Fossil Halls, American Museum of Natural History
New York, New York
The American Museum of Natural History is the United States’ largest science museum. Its collection of dinosaur fossils is the most complete in the world. RAA’s reinstallation and restoration of the museum’s dinosaur galleries in the early 1990s was the most comprehensive redevelopment project of its type in the museum’s history, introducing a new generation of visitors to the natural wonders of our prehistoric world.
RAA planned and designed the renovation of the six Fossil Halls and the Barosaurus installation in the museum’s rotunda. An unparalleled collection of fossils tells the complete story of vertebrate evolution. The halls were returned to their nineteenth-century grandeur, with daylight and details reemerging.
The installations demonstrate the changing nature of science, feature the work of the museum’s scientists, and give visitors insight into the scientific process through interactive programs that allow glimpses of behind-the-scenes research. The Orientation Center provides an open, sit-down theater for 150 people. Public circulation through the galleries becomes part of the interpretive program: visitors walk along the trunk and branches of a giant family tree that traces evolutionary relationships. Minimal barriers around the specimens allow the public to get close to the fossils.
Opening in the 1990s, the permanent exhibitions have been largely unchanged since. The museum continues to be a premier destination for New Yorkers and tourists alike, boasting an annual visitation of over five million.
Size 50,000 square feet
Year 1996
Architect Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates
Project Details
FabricationRathe Productions (Hall of Mammals and Their Extinct Relatives); Charles Maltbie Associates (Dinosaur Halls, Orientation Center and Hall of Vertebrate Origins)
Lighting Design H. M. Brandston & Partners, Inc.
Video SoftwareThe Chedd-Angier Production Company
Computer SoftwareC-Wave
AnimationHall Train
Audio-Visual Systems Electrosonic, Inc.
CastingsSculpture House Casting
Photography ©Scott Frances/Esto
“It’s one of those rare spots that makes you feel tiny, curious, and oddly proud all at once.”
—Debee M.
“It’s one of those rare places where learning, imagination, and awe come together seamlessly.”
—Diyaa M.
“Feels like walking inside a palace with a windows to from different parts of the world.”
—Jagadeesh R.
“I left with a deeper appreciation for geology and the animal kingdom.”
—Shane C.
“An absolute treasure trove of knowledge and wonder.”
—Miriam I.
“In short, the most beautiful collection of dinosaurs in the world.”
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“A fascinating journey through the wonders of natural history.”
—Em
“You can tell how much love and knowledge has gone into this museum.”
—Christelle T.
“So many beautiful pieces of history, mankind, flora, and fauna.”
—Mrimon G.
“A place where fossils, dinosaurs, animals, and nature all come together.”
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“Every room had something that stopped us in our tracks.”
—Katherine N.
“A remarkable balance between academic rigor and accessible presentation.”
—Raquel M.
“Educational, exciting, and capable of inspiring great curiosity and wonder in those who visit.”
—Alessandro B.
“It really reignited something that I haven’t felt since early school years.”
—Christo
“Makes you feel small in the face of nature’s grandeur.”
—Enric G.
“Even if you’re not a science person, standing under those massive skeletons hits differently.”
—Mohit K.
“Simply breathtaking in its size and richness.”
—Quentin P.
“Walking past the massive skeletons of creatures that lived millions of years ago never really gets old.”
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“A dream experience for our aspiring paleontologist.”
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“It’s educational without feeling dry, grand without feeling impersonal, and full of wow moments at every turn.”
—Beautiful Soul
“Culture is infinite between these walls.”
—Louis L.
“No words can describe how much we enjoyed it.”
—Robert C.
“More than a collection of fossils, it’s a place where science, history, and imagination collide … reminding us that long before skyscrapers and city life, giants once ruled our planet.”
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