Welcome to the American Museum of Natural History #3 Dinosaurs

Aaarrgh...

The claws are hanging high, ready to snap whatever standing in front of it...
The head is slightly tilting to the upright, checking what's coming from behind.
And the smile... those jaws are grinning widely, letting out the roar we are so familiar with...

Yuuuup... I'm talking about the dinosaurs.

Well, we're not back to the era when all these giants were alive and kicking. Or in the middle of the movie theater clinging our hands on our seats as the t-rex were viciously chasing their dinner.

We were on the 2nd floor of the American Museum of Natural History here in New York.

Fossils Hall, to be exact.

Welcome to the American Museum of Natural History #3 Dinosaurs

I have to admit that when I first asked the kids and Udi to come and visit this museum, dinosaurs are the main attraction that I used to lure them in.
And as always, it worked its magic.

We started our dinosaur tour from David H. Koch Dinosaur Wing. 

And by the time you enter this hall, you'll be amazed to see those giant structures fulfiling the room.
The exhibits we have in this hall belongs to Ornithischian Dinosaurs, those which are classified as bird-hipped dinosaurs. In short, they have similar structure as big birds, if I'm not mistaken. 

Like this Stegosaurus, for example

Do you see how big they are ... although they are obviously not the biggest one.

It's amazing that Stegosaurus can manage their big body with one small brain and even with this huge structure and fierce look, they were actually herbivore.

Stegosaurus...

There is something misteriously attracting many, if not all, of us to these extinct giants.

Well, as we no longer see them alive,  anything to do with them successfully intrigued us. At least in my family's case.

The eggs, the bones, their tracks, the magnificent structures, even the replica of it all have kept us digging for more and more information.

wanna have some eggs :) ...

As you can see above, we had Stegosaurus. 
Below, we saw Triceratops, which is also classified as Ornitischian dinosaurs.

Those large frills are their trademarks, including their horns. 

aaaargh...Bo et Triceterop and his scooter :)

Another highlight of this hall is Corythosaurus.

In the photo below, Corythosaurus is the one on the wall...that looks like big bird running with its hind legs.

While two big ones here are Anatotitan or the duck-billed dinosaurs.

Another major group of the dinosaurs is Saurischia Dinosaurs, or the reptile-hipped dinosaurs. Some of the examples of there dino are Velociraptor. and again, the famous T-rex.

Say hi to uncle T :)...photo is taken from here

You see...there are definitely many types of dinosaurs, not only T-rex that is notoriously famous :)

It's also very convenient to get more information from one of the monitors provided there..

Very handy for me who have almost-zero knowledge about dinosaurs except what I got from the movie :). And kids love to check it out, too ...

After the visit, for sure my kids are getting more  and more obsessed with these giant creatures.  And we were lucky enough to find one colorful children book Bones, bones, Dinosaur Bones by Byron Bartan.

And the kids instantly love it... Asking mama to read it again and again before bedtime :).

bones, bones, bones.

In this floor, we have many more exhibits showcasing primitive animals, advanced animals like mammoth and saber-tooth cat, and many more.

Our visit to American Museum of Natural History, especially the dinosaurs parts, is indeed a very rewarding one. Would definitely come back and explore more :). Truly one museum in  the long list of NYC attractions that you shouldn't miss :)

Do you or your kids like dinosaurs as well? Which one is your favorite :)..

American Museum of Natural History  (AMNH)
Central Park West, 79th Street, New York City, New York, 10024-5192
Phone: +1 212 7695100
Open daily from 10 AM - 5.45 PM, except on Thanksgiving and Christmas 

Thank you :)

Welcome to the American Museum of Natural History in NYC #2 Islam

Hellooo and welcome back...

As I have promised before, I will get back with some more stories and details about the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. I feel like there are so many details that are too good to pass. And as we are in the middle of Ramadhan, the holy month for Muslims all over the world, I feel like sharing some segments of the AMNH about Islam.

So let's see what we have here :)..

Welcome to the American Museum of Natural History in NYC #2 Islam 

Awalnya saya tidak menyangka ada bagian khusus yang menampilkan Islam  di American Museum of Natural History ini, karena saya pikir akan banyak display mengenai alam dan kekayaannya. But of course I was wrong.. Dan display mengenai Islam sangat menarik lho, bahkan buat saya yang juga muslim.

Being part of the Gardner D. Stout Hall of the Asian Peoples, we found many interesting facts about the journey of Islam in many parts of the world. Especially in the beginning of the 7th century onwards. Even for a moslem like myself, I feel priviledged to know and learn more about Islam here in this museum.

Some of the artifacts being shown are hand-written Al- Quran, the holy Koran, that was found and brought from Africa. Some other artifacts, the old ones I should say, including elaborated swords and handicrafts can be witnessed here as well. One that caught my attention was the sword and something that looks like a club to me. 

As it says on the display, "Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia harbor relics of a cult of crocodile scabbards for ritual swords and knives...".  So the scabbard was made of crocodile . I have to say it looked like on as well :). Interesting... Have a closer look...

Do you see the croc in there..

On the same area, we also have more display of  the chart of Prophet Muhammad SAW (PBUH) and the Kulafaur Rashyidin, or the great khalifah after Prophet Muhammad SAW (PBUH) passed away.

There is sort of an introduction of the architecture of mosque and its minaret (tower), mihrab (niche) and courtyard. It makes me miss the many beautiful mosques we have back home.

And the music of Islam... How's that for another interesting  face of Islam. 

Too bad I didn't really catch the details of it. Do you see any familar musical instruments here? 

Another colorful spot we have here is about women of Islam. 
Some traditional yet beautiful costumes from different part of the Islamic countries  are there to see. Love to see them.. So elaborated and fashionable. Some even looks like haute couture to me :)...

Women of Islam

As we walked along the hall, we found the replica of the pillars and the windows of La Alhambra's famous Nasrid Palace. I just remembered our own journey to this amazing place of La Alhambra as I shared here.

I found this part of the displays very informative. Not only for us Muslims who like to know more about the journey of Islam in many parts of the world, including here in the US, but also those who are not familiar about this religion.
The basic 5 pillars of Islam, for example, is also explained here.

it was a bit dark but the information is clear..

And the display is superb as well...
Clearly depicting  the Islamic spirit and cultures ... 
in beautiful patterns and bright colors :).

I took all the photos using my smartphone, so some of them are not very clear.

This very segment also displays the rise of other religions like Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism. 

So, what do you think? Do you find this part as interesting as I do?


American Museum of Natural History  (AMNH)
Central Park West, 79th Street, New York City, New York, 10024-5192
Phone: +1 212 7695100
Open daily from 10 AM - 5.45 PM, except on Thanksgiving and Christmas 

Welcome to the American Museum of Natural History in NYC #1

Did you watch the Night at the Museum movie with Ben Stiller and the late Robin Williams on it? 

Watching all those animals and exhibits in the museum came to life is quite an experience indeed. And we were lucky enough to get the opportunity to visit the real Museum being depicted as the site of this movie. :)

Welcome to the American Museum of the Natural History in New York City.

Museum will always be fascinating for me and my kids. So many interesting things to see, explore and learn.

And as summer break is here,  a lovely visit to the museum will be great.
We went there last May.

Located in Central Park West at 79th  Street, New York City, this museum is the perfect place to start exploring the amazing world of discoveries, cultures and science at the same time. In 1869, the museum was firstly created after the proposal from Albert Smith Bickmore, a zoologist, to establish a natural history museum in NYC, was fully supported by Theodore Roosevelt  (remember Teddy... brilliantly played by Robin Williams in the movie..the US President as well as an avid explorer), William Dodge, J.P. Morgan,  and Joseph Choate. Initially located in the Central Park Arsenal on the eastern part of the Park, the Museum's first building located in 77th  - 81st street  was erected in 1874. Long story short, this monumental building comprises 5-story square is now the house of enormous collection from many parts of the world in many forms and objects.


So, as we were ready to explore the museum, we decided to take the train here as driving and paring in Manhattan an drive you crazy :). It was very convenient for you who live in or visit NYC to come to this Museum because subway 1 or 2 take you directly to the 81st St, right underneath this museum. By the time you are stepping out of the subway, even the tiles along the way show you the path to the entrance. So cute...

Look at all those ceramic murals :)

When you arrived at the lobby, you will be welcomed by the gigantic fossil replica of Balosaurus and Allosaurus in a combating scene under the remarkable dome. 

say hi :)..

What an incredible sight...
No wonder this Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda, the name of the the Hall, is incredible famous. Bo et Obi surely devour the moment here :).

the Grand Entrance of the Museum...

As this museum is extremely popular, the line for the entrance ticket is long and packed. But the great thing is, I got one-year free membership from my NY ID and we have a special line for that. Yaaaay....with my free membership, I can take 4 kids with me and less than 5 minutes, we got our tickets.

the tickets...

As usual, the suggested ticket price for this museum is USD 22 for adults, USD 12.50 for kids (2 - 12 years old) and USD 17 for senior and students. You can pay extra for 1 admission to the special exhibition, including the 3D IMAX movie, by paying USD 27 for adults, USD 16 for kids (2 - 12 years old) and USD 22 for senior and students. For SuperSaver tickets, where you can see verything, it will be USD 35 for adults, USD 22 for kids (2 - 12 years old) and USD 28 for senior and students. For more updated information about the tickets, feel free to check the website. 

Sooooo there we were...getting ready to explore and sooo excited about it.

Well, I have to warn you though, this museum is hugeeeee.
A lot to see indeed.
There are 45 permanent halls and one visit certainly won't cover everything.

As an illustration, the 4 of us explored it for almost 4 hours (that's the maximum we got with the kids :)), but we only managed to see 14 permanent exhibitions :). 

Basically, the Museum has permanent and temporary exhibitions, classified in several themes including biodiversity and environmental halls, animals, fossils, human origins and cultures, earth and space and sooo much more.

We started our visit with the Akeley Hall of the African Mamals, warmly welcomed by real-size African Elephants. Bo et Obi were fascinated with all those indigenuous animals from African deserts, savanas, plains, rivers and more. 

Lions, giraffes, deer, gorillas and so much more, complete with the information about their natural environments. 

I can almost hear his growls :)

Really...looking at those exhibitions made feel like we were there in Africa. 

Then we continued to browse the next hall, which is the African Peoples. 
Here we saw the interesting trails of civilizations in this continent. Stories about cultures, including their artifacts like masks, costumes and handicrafts were displayed.

what do you think :)

Next,we followed the path and saw the Birds of the world. 
Another fascinating part indeed...

fly high...

From here, we were heading to the Stout of Asian People Hall and Asian Mammals. Then of course we didn't want to miss dinosaurs part :).  As a matter of fact, Bo et Obi have been  been wanting to come to this spot in the first place.

sneak peak to the Fossils Hall..

Wanna know what we saw in the Fossils Hall ? And other parts of the American Museum of Natural History?
I'll be back with more stories and pictures on the next post.

Do you like museum, too? What is you favorite?


American Museum of Natural History  (AMNH)
Central Park West, 79th Street, New York City, New York, 10024-5192
Phone: +1 212 7695100
Open daily from 10 AM - 5.45 PM, except on Thanksgiving and Christmas

Reference:
American Museum of Natural History

Queens Museum in Winter..

Looking for a great time with your family during this super cold days in winter?
Visiting museum can be a great choice!

Di tengah udara yang super dingin di NYC, memang agak susah untuk mencari kegiatan yang menyenangkan buat keluarga, tapi dilakukan di luar rumah. Apalagi Bo et Obi beberapa waktu yang lalu tengah libur pertengahan musim dingin. Jadi kami memilih untuk mengunjungi museum yang ada di dekat rumah, yaitu Museum Queens

My family and I were enjoying our recent visit to Queens Museum during the mid-winter recess. This museum is located around the neighborhood so it didn't take that long for us come here and have one lovely afternoon together.

The building itself is grandeurly historical. Originally built for the pavilion of the World's Fair in 1939 - 1940, it once housed the world's leaders and diplomats from many member states as the United Nations used it as its headquarters from 1946 - 1950. Before the UNHQ in Manhattan was built, this building has accomodated many important meetings of the UN, including, among others, on the issue of Palestine and the establishment of UNESCO. 

Museum ini sebelumnya juga pernah menjadi Markas Besar PBB lho...untuk tahun 1946 - 1950, saat PBB baru awal-awal dibentuk, Majelis Umum PBB bersidang di gedung ini. Banyak kepala negara dan diplomat dari berbagai negara yang datang dan bersidang di gedung bersejarah ini. Setelah gedung Markas Besar PBB yang terletak di Manhattan selesai dibangun, maka gedung ini pun kembali berfungsi sebagaimana awalnya.

For me who spend so much time at the UN, this is a very interesting facts :). So now, I have so far visited 4 UN Offices in New York, Geneve, and Vienna :).

Well, wanna see what's inside?
Penasaran pengen liat seperti apa di dalamnya?

Come and join us here then...

There are several exhibitions going on at this moment at Queens Museum, besides the permanent display that they have here.

1. the Panorama of New York City.

This is the first exhibition we saw during our visit. The whole New York City built in tiny, tiny pieces, but built in such accuracy it reflects the city's 895,000 buildings made prior to 1992. 
Can you imagine that....
So many buildings, yet so tiny!

Terbayang ngga sih seluruh kota New York dibuat dalam miniatur, lengkap dengan semua gedung, jembatan, taman dan arsitektur lainnya. 
Saya terpana melihat panorama ini...
Benar-benar details dan pasti dikerjakan dengan tingkat akurasi yang tinggi.

I took one spot of the UNHQ :)

No wonder it becomes the huge attraction during the World Fair in 1964 when the panorama was firstly introduced and continue to wow everyone who sees it now. It is indeed the crown jewel of the Queens Museum :).

do you see the Central Park :)

Looking at all those tiny pieces, I cannot imagine how long it took to finish them all...

the bridge connecting Manhattan and Queens...my daily route :)

Bo et Obi really enjoyed this exhibition. We even tried to find Bo's school and we found it :).

Sekolah Bo yang memang sudah berdiri sejak lama pun ada lhooo..

From the brochure we read, it took more than 100 persons to work on this project, celebrating NYC's municipal infrastructure. None other than Robert Moses, the President of the World's Fair as well as the urban mastermind who commissioned it. 

It was done approximately in 3 years and originally displayed during the 1964 World Fair. But then in 1992, the panorama was updated and this is what we are seeing now.

It costed US 672,662.69 in 1964 or equivalent to US 5 million today! 
Woow... and the result was astonishing!

Let's see more details from the panorama...

that looks sooo familiar :)

still amazed by its details...

2. Floral Lamps from the Tiffany Studios

I just love this collection. 
So pretty..and colorful as well :). 
Looking at all those glass lamps reminded me of Serendipity Cafe :)

The Neustad family founded this one, with the collection of incredible floral lamps made by the Tiffany Studio.

They put the information on the wall as well about the women behind this beautiful designs...

And the simulation of the process of producing those beautiful lamps...

Love to have one at home :)

Share Garden collection truly steal people's attention with its vibrant colors, stunning design and meticulous process it took to produce one...

This is my fave...the dragonfly lamp...

3. The face of Islam

This is a temporary exhibition and the photos put on on it are lovely...

love this particular alley :)

the many beautiful faces of Islam...

4. Behind the Curtain...Collecting the New York Fair

This collection shows the many mementos and memorabilia from the New York Fair back in the 60s. Very interesting indeed..

Mulai dari poster World's Fair yang di awal tahun 1900an memang hits bangeeet, sampai seragam dan hal-hal kecil yang ditampilkan saat pameran tersebut berlangsung.
Kebayang ngga sih mengumpulkan semua benda-benda kenangan itu :)

I love the posters...very artsy :)

Then some other interesting items are also on display..

5. Polit-sheer-form

The Polit-sheer-form Office is the art group formed in China in 2005. They brought many interesting objects as well, but too bad my photos were not that good :(.


So...what do you think? Such a great place to visit, right..
And many lessons as well as interesting info and subjects we learnt during our visit.
Get more information and updates on Queens Museum on their websites as well.

The suggested admission fee is  USD 8 for adults and children over 12 years old, USD 4 for students and seniors, and free for children under 12. But again, just like in many museums here in NYC, it's the suggested admission fee, so if you want to give more or less than that, you are still welcomed to the museum :).

Which on is your favorite exhibition (s) ?

Queens Museums
New York City Building
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Queens, NYC 11368
Open hours : Wednesday - Sunday, from 12pm - 6 pm