(Photo courtesy of is ©AMNH/D. Finnin)
Everyone is sick of the miserable winter we had, so it’s time to appreciate the spring and all it has to offer. I get the reality of having a hectic schedule. Family life these days requires lots of running around to participate in all sorts of activities and showing up at various appointments. Next week is the perfect excuse to get away for the day with the kids if you aren’t able to fly to the Caribbean or Florida.
In searching for something to do with my daughters Rachel, age 11, and Nicole, age 7, I came across the Night at the Museum. It’s not the movie, but in actuality, the opportunity to literally stay overnight at the American Museum of Natural History (www.amnh.org) in New York City. As the museum closes, the night of exploration begins. Bring your flashlight, sleeping bag, pillow and toothbrush. Our base camp wound up being in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life under the 94-foot-long blue whale that hangs from the ceiling.
The best part of the night was the “behind-the-scenes” self-guided, personal tour. We were free to roam
at will with only about 500 people in the entire museum, which itself encompasses 45 permanent exhibitions covering four floors. Founded in 1869, the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) always has something new to explore. For this visit, it was the “Nature’s Fury Exhibit: The Science of Natural Disasters,” which included a section dedicated to Hurricane Sandy. Plus there’s always time to go back to the traditional favorite of the dinosaurs with the Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil, one of the most important dinosaur specimens in the world, found in the Koch Dinosaur Wing on the fourth floor.
Approximately 5 million annual visitors from around the world come to the museum. Why not be one of them or one of the few that stay the night? The cost is $145 per person; $105 for members.
If you’re looking for a great day trip, how about the Central Park Zoo? Located at 64th street and 5th avenue, it’s a great value at $12 for adults and $7 for children. Upon entering the zoo, the first place to explore is the Tropic Zone. It’s literally a walk through a rain forest with birds overhead. After that, the walking tour continues to encompass snow leopards, red pandas and snow monkeys. The latest addition to the zoo are a pair of grizzly bears. All this in the center of Manhattan.
We wrapped up our day with a stop at the Sea Lion feeding and of course a visit to the gift shop to get what else—a stuffed, red panda. All that sightseeing, which also included watching the dogs at the dog run and walking through a farmer’s market, made us hungry. If you are looking for a nice place to eat near the zoo, take a walk to Lexington and 63rd to Burger Heaven. Sit down and have a nice family meal: burger on a homemade bun with a great side of mac and cheese.
Enjoy some family time during the upcoming school break.
