ADVANCE SCHEDULE OF EXHIBITIONS AND PROGRAMS AT THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY SPRING 2010–SPRING 2011

Race to the End of the Earth

May 29, 2010–January 2, 2011

Race to the End of the Earth will recount one of the most stirring tales of the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration: the contest to be the first to reach the South Pole in 1911-1912. The exhibition will focus on the challenges that the two leaders—Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and British Royal Navy Captain Robert Falcon Scott—faced as they undertook their 1,800-mile journeys from the shores of the Ross Sea to the Pole and back. Nutrition, human endurance, equipment, logistics, and Antarctica’s extreme weather conditions were among the many challenges that each team had to face, with outcomes that included both triumph and tragedy. The exhibition also spotlights modern scientific exploration in the Antarctic and the latest research on this unique continent.

Photographs, paintings, videos, and rare historical artifacts from this Heroic Age will give visitors a feel for the remarkable story of Antarctic exploration and research during the past century. Hands-on activities will let visitors of all ages experience what it would have been like to travel to the coldest place on Earth 100 years ago, as well as what it is to conduct research there today. The exhibition will vividly re-create, through dioramas and period detail, the high points of the race: how Amundsen and Scott prepared for their polar journeys; and how they met, or were defeated by, the numerous challenges they faced. Additional hands-on activities will reveal what scientists are learning about Antarctica’s surprising landscape under the ice, possible effects of global warming on Antarctica’s wildlife, and how people manage to live year-round in this forbidding yet fascinating place. Gallery 4, fourth floor  

Race to the End of the Earth is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (www.amnh.org), in collaboration with Musée des Confluences, Lyon, France and the Royal BC Museum in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Generous support for Race to the End of the Earth has been provided by the Eileen P. Bernard Exhibition Fund.

Additional support for this program has been provided by the Government of the United Kingdom.




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The Butterfly Conservatory: Tropical Butterflies Alive in Winter

October 16, 2010–May 30, 2011

This exhibition, first presented in 1998 and now an annual favorite, features up to 500 live, free-flying tropical butterflies from the Americas, Africa, and Asia. The butterflies are housed in a vivarium that approximates their natural habitat and includes live flowering plants that serve as nectar sources; has controlled artificial light, temperature, and humidity; and measures more than 60 feet long, 21 feet wide, and 10 feet high. Among the species included in the vivarium are iridescent blue morpho butterflies, striking scarlet swallowtails, and large owl butterflies. Text panels located immediately outside the vivarium offer information about the evolution and life cycle of butterflies, including sections on mimicry, diversity, and butterflies’ important role in conservation. Whitney Hall of Oceanic Birds, second floor

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Brain: The Inside Story

November 20, 2010–August 14, 2011

Step into your brain. In this exhibition, explore how the brain—a product of millions of years of evolution—produces thoughts, senses, and feelings; experience how the brain is continually changing at different stages of life; and discover how new understanding of the workings of the brain may help scientists repair and reverse declines in brain function.

An installation at the beginning of Brain: The Inside Story will immerse visitors in the nonstop communication that occurs among the brain’s tangled forest of 100 billion interconnected neurons, or brain cells. Throughout the rest of the show, visitors will explore how the nervous system processes information from the senses and how the brain creates perception, how brain imaging and advances in biochemistry are deepening the understanding of the emotional brain, and how the highly developed neocortex allows humans to make plans and predictions as well as engage in symbolic thought. Visitors will also learn how the brain’s plasticity allows changes at different stages of life and how 21st century science can repair and improve the brain.

Throughout the exhibition, challenge your brain with interactive puzzles and games that probe neural connections and pathways. Gallery 3, third floor

Brain: The Inside Story is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York

(www.amnh.org).


Generous support for Brain: The Inside Story has been provided by the Eileen P. Bernard Exhibition Fund.


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The World’s Largest Dinosaurs

May 2011–January 2012

The World’s Largest Dinosaurs will examine the dinosaurs known as sauropods—a group that includes the largest animals ever to have walked on Earth. Focusing on the biology and behavior of sauropods ranging from the gigantic Apatosaurus, made famous in popular media, to new discoveries such as the long-necked Erketu, The World’s Largest Dinosaurs will present and examine evidence and technologies that are helping paleontologists unlock the secrets of these massive, memorable animals. The exhibition will include specimens from the Museum’s collections of sauropod skulls, teeth, vertebrae, skin impressions, and a variety of other ancient specimens. Hands-on, computer-based activities will investigate some of the leading questions in sauropod research. Gallery 4, fourth floor

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Frogs: A Chorus of Colors

May 28, 2011–January 8, 2012

Back by popular demand, this delightful exhibition introduces visitors to the colorful and richly diverse world of frogs. More than 200 live frogs, from the tiny golden mantella frog (less than an inch long) to the enormous African bullfrog (as big as eight inches in diameter), are shown in their re-created habitats, complete with rock ledges, live plants, and waterfalls. Featuring approximately 25 species from such countries as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Russia, Suriname, the United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Vietnam, the exhibition explores the evolution and biology of these amphibians, their importance to ecosystems, and the threats they face in the world’s changing environments. Interactive stations throughout the exhibition invite visitors to activate recorded frog calls, view videos of frogs in action, and test their knowledge about these fascinating amphibians. Gallery 77, first floor

This exhibition is presented with appreciation to Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland.


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UPCOMING PROGRAMS


10th anniversary of the Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space

“Rose Around the Clock” celebration

October 10, 2010

On October 10, the Rose Center for Earth and Space will host a celebration to mark its 10-year anniversary, part of a year-long series of events to commemorate this New York City icon. Since its establishment in 2000 as a premier center for learning about astronomy, astrophysics, and earth and planetary science, the Rose Center has produced four thrilling Space Shows, bringing cutting-edge concepts such as the evolution of galaxies and stars and the search for other planets to the public. On 10/10/10, the Museum will throw open its doors for a full day of unique programming that will include live musical performances, conversations about the latest discoveries in astrophysics, Space Show screenings, and more.

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Seventeenth Annual Family Party
Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 5–7:30 pm

The Family Party—one of the Museum’s best-loved traditions—features fascinating educational activities and spectacular entertainment for children of all ages. Children will have the opportunity to interact with live animals, measure skulls, look into a microscope to see the inside of an ivory tusk, walk with a giant tortoise, explore the Museum Science Center with scientists explaining their work, and much more. Tickets to this special event are $85 for children and $175 for adults. To purchase tickets, call 212-769-5166.

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Halloween Celebration
Sunday, October 31, 2010

More than 30 of the Museum’s popular halls will be open from 2 to 5 pm for trick-or-treating, arts and crafts, fun with roaming cartoon characters, and live performances. Past performers and characters have included Curious George®, Winnie-the-Pooh, Strawberry Shortcake, Clifford the Big Red Dog®, Madeline, Maya & Miguel™, David Grover and the Big Bear Band, Louie & Subanda, performers from the Big Apple Circus, stilt walkers, and master pumpkin carver Hugh McMahon.


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Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival

November 11–14, 2010

The Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival—the longest-running documentary film festival in the United States—will celebrate 34 years at the American Museum of Natural History this November, screening an outstanding and varied selection of titles culled from more than 1,000 submissions. The Festival is distinguished by extraordinary films that tackle diverse and challenging subjects, as well as exciting discussions with filmmakers and special guest speakers. Kaufmann and Linder Theaters, first floor

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Origami Holiday Tree
November 22, 2010–January 2, 2011

An annual Museum tradition, the delightfully decorated Origami Holiday Tree has marked the start of the holiday season at the Museum for more than 30 years. Volunteers begin folding in July to complete the 500 creations displayed on the tree. During the holiday season, volunteers will be on hand to teach visitors of all ages the art of origami folding. Past themes have included Folding the Museum, Fantastic Creatures: Mythic and Real; Origami in Flight; Under the Sea; Pocket Posy; and Origami Safari. Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall, first floor


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Kwanzaa Celebration

Sunday, December 26, 2010

A colorful cultural festival of African and African-American performing and visual arts commemorates the seven principles of Kwanzaa at the Museum. A feast for the soul and senses, this vibrant all-day event offers African dance, spoken word, live musical performances, and traditional crafts. A bustling Kwanzaa Marketplace, located on the mezzanine level of the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, will feature vendors, visual artists, and craftspeople, as well as representatives from major cultural institutions. In addition, special Kwanzaa foods will be available in the Museum Food Court. Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, first floor

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ONGOING EXHIBITIONS



Lizards & Snakes: Alive!

March 6–September 6, 2010
With more than 60 live lizards and snakes from five continents, Lizards & Snakes: Alive! will introduce visitors to a diversity of legged and legless lizards, including snakes, that make up a group known as squamates. Grounded in the evolutionary history of the group, Lizards & Snakes showcases live animals and some of their remarkable adaptations including projectile tongues, deadly venom, amazing camouflage, and surprising modes of locomotion. Representing more than 20 species from countries such as Australia, Cuba, Egypt, Guatemala, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Sudan, and the United States, the animals—which include the veiled chameleon and the Madagascan giant day gecko—will be displayed in re-created habitats complete with ponds, tree limbs, rock ledges, and live plants. Gallery 77, first floor



This exhibition is presented with appreciation to Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland.



Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World

November 14, 2009–August 15, 2010

This intriguing and exotic exhibition transports visitors back to one of the greatest trading routes in human history, showcasing the goods, peoples, technologies, and cultures from four representative cities: Xi’an, China’s Tang Dynasty capital; Turfan, a verdant oasis and trading outpost along the silk road; Samarkand, home of prosperous merchants who thrived on the caravan trade; and ancient Baghdad, a fertile hub of commerce and scholarship that became the intellectual center of the era.



Visitors embark on an unparalleled journey exploring commerce, communication, and cultural exchange from the far reaches of China through the cities and empires of Central and West Asia from AD 600 to 1200. Children can become world travelers as well, collecting special stamps in Silk Road “passports” issued to them at the exhibition entrance.



Visitors can also watch live silkworms spinning cocoons in the section devoted to Xi’an; wander through a replica of the desert markets of Turfan, complete with the sights, sounds, and smells of exotic spices, luxury goods, and precious raw materials; check out a life-size camel model in Samarkand as they explore the ancient skills of papermaking and metalwork; and in Baghdad, track the “stars” using a working model of an Arab astrolabe and discover the achievements of Islamic science and engineering.



Throughout the exhibition, hands-on activities bring to life the golden age of the Silk Road, which made possible the extraordinary collaboration of peoples and cultures that influenced the world for hundreds of years.



Every Sunday afternoon (1:30, 2:30, and 3:30 pm) this exhibition is also the setting for live musical performances brought together by the Silk Road Project, which include the lively sounds of violins, cellos, Indian tabla, flutes, and Chinese bowed lutes. The Silk Road Project is a not-for-profit artistic, cultural and educational organization founded in 1998 by celebrated cellist Yo-Yo Ma that takes inspiration from the historic Silk Road trading route as a modern metaphor for multicultural and interdisciplinary exchange. Gallery 3, third floor



The Presenting Sponsor of Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World is MetLife Foundation.



Additional support has been provided by Mary and David Solomon.



The Silk Road Ensemble residency is generously supported by Rosalind P. Walter.



Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York ( www.amnh.org), in collaboration with Azienda Speciale Palaexpo, Roma, Italy and Codice.Idee per la cultura srl, Torino, Italy; the National Museum of Australia, Canberra, Australia and Art Exhibitions Australia; and the National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan and United Daily News, Taipei, Taiwan.

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Highway of An Empire: The Great Inca Road

October 17, 2009–September 2011

The vast Inca Empire owed its reach and power to an extensive and intricate network of roads. Linking forts, religious sites, and administrative centers from the Pacific coast to the Amazonian rainforest, Inca roads allowed armies and imperial officials to conquer and then control the largest empire in the Americas. In this series of stunning photos, Highway of An Empire reveals the diversity of this road system—from broad paved highways to woven suspension bridges to beaten tracks through barren desert—and the diversity of landscape it criss-crosses. IMAX Corridor, first floor



Courtesy of Consulate General of Peru in New York.



The presentation of Highway of an Empire at the American Museum of Natural History is made possible by the generosity of the Arthur Ross Foundation.

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Spider Silk

September 23, 2009–August 22, 2010

This extremely rare textile, woven from golden-colored silk threads from some one million spiders in Madagascar, measures 11 feet by 4 feet. Drawing on the legacy of a French Jesuit priest who worked with spiders in Madagascar in the 1880s and 1890s, this contemporary fabric took more than three years to make, using a painstaking process that involved 70 people who collected the spiders every day and a dozen more who extracted the silk with hand-powered machines. The silk for this intricately-patterned textile was derived from the spider Nephila madagascariensis, renowned for the lustrous golden hue of its silk fiber. Previously, the only known spider silk textile of note was exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900, and it was subsequently lost. The spider silk is on loan from Simon Peers and Nicholas Godley. Grand Gallery, first floor

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On Feathered Wings

June 21, 2008–July 1, 2010

On Feathered Wings is an exhibition of more than 40 full-colored photographs that portray dramatic images of birds in flight. These compelling and revealing shots from the collective lenses of four of the most acclaimed aviary photographers in the world represent nearly every continent and examine the kinetic and aerodynamic traits common to all birds in flight. On Feathered Wings is divided into four categories: Killers on the Wing (hunting birds of prey), Wings Along the Shore (shorebirds, gulls, and terns), Wings of the Wetlands (water fowl and wading birds), and Songbirds of the Wing (colorful, melodious birds).

Akeley Gallery, second floor



The presentation of On Feathered Wings at the American Museum of Natural History is made possible by the generosity of the Arthur Ross Foundation.


IMAX AND LARGE-FORMAT FILMS, LeFrak IMAX Theater, first floor

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Mysteries of the Great Lakes

Through June 2010

Home to varied wildlife, the Great Lakes—which comprise the world’s largest concentration of freshwater—are also the source of water for 40 million Canadians and Americans rely. It takes a single drop nearly 400 years to travel from the headwaters of Lake Superior to the edge of Lake Ontario, past towering cliffs dotted with early Native-American pictographs, moose and caribou grazing on shores, giant prehistoric sturgeon lurking among thousands of shipwrecks, and millions of people who live along more than 10,000 miles of coastline. Following this path, the film takes viewers on an exhilarating journey through some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world. Mysteries of the Great Lakes delves into the dramatic story of degradation and redemption. Over the last hundred years, the Great Lakes have experienced some of the worst environmental atrocities in North America. Today they are the site of one of the most extensive cleanup projects in history, and international efforts have helped bird and fish species rebound from the brink of extinction.



SPACE SHOW, Hayden Planetarium, Rose Center for Earth and Space



Journey to the Stars

Journey to the Stars, a spectacular new Hayden Planetarium Space Show, launches visitors through time and space to experience the life and death of the stars in our night sky. Travel 13 billion years into the past, when the first stars were born, and witness brilliant supernovas that sent new kinds of matter coursing through the universe, into the atoms of our bodies, and into the air we breathe. Visit the heart of the fiery Sun and glimpse its distant future as it transforms into a massive red giant. Tour familiar stellar formations, explore new celestial mysteries, and discover the fascinating, unfolding story that connects us all to the stars. Hayden Planetarium, Rose Center for Earth and Space



Produced by the American Museum of Natural History, the Rose Center for Earth and Space, and the Hayden Planetarium.



Journey to the Stars was developed by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (www.amnh.org) in collaboration with the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco; GOTO INC, Tokyo, Japan; Papalote • Museo del Niño, Mexico City, Mexico; and Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C.



Journey to the Stars was created by the American Museum of Natural History, with the major support and partnership of NASA, Science Mission Directorate, Heliophysics Division.



Made possible through the generous sponsorship of Lockheed Martin Corporation.





And proudly sponsored by Accenture.



Supercomputing resources provided by the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin, through the TeraGrid, a project of the National Science Foundation.



ROSE CENTER FOR EARTH AND SPACE PROGRAMS



One Step Beyond

The American Museum of Natural History’s popular One Step Beyond, an ongoing party series featuring the biggest names in techno, electronica, and hip hop continues its season through June. Guests can get their groove on while cocktails keep the party going. Each ticket includes one pass to the Museum for future use.



SonicVision—How Do You See Your Music?

Every Friday and Saturday at 7:30 and 8:30 pm

Presented in association with MTV2, SonicVision, a groundbreaking, digitally animated alternative music show, takes audiences in the Hayden Planetarium Space Theater on a mind-warping musical roller-coaster ride. The music, a mix by Moby that features tracks from Radiohead, U2, David Bowie, Coldplay, Queens of the Stone Age, Prodigy, The Flaming Lips, Fischerspooner, Spiritualized, Audioslave, Stereolab, Boards of Canada, David Byrne and Brian Eno, Goldfrapp, Zwan, White Zombie, and Moby ignites this one-of-a-kind, computer-generated musical and visual experience, while next-generation digital technology illuminates the Planetarium’s dome with a dazzling visual display. Hayden Planetarium Space Theater



Presented in association with MTV2 and in collaboration with renowned artist Moby.



HAYDEN PLANETARIUM PROGRAMS


Virtual Universe

The first Tuesday of every month, 6:30–7:30 pm

Enjoy the Hayden Planetarium’s three-dimensional atlas of the universe. Step into the Hayden Sphere for a tour through charted space—an experience that will redefine your sense of “home.” Hayden Planetarium Space Theater


Celestial Highlights

The last Tuesday of every month, 6:30–7:30 pm

Learn about the stars, constellations, and planets currently visible in the night sky, as well as about special upcoming sky events such as meteor showers and eclipses, in this monthly, hour-long tour of the heavens. Celestial Highlights is presented by renowned Museum astronomers under the brilliant stars of the Hayden Planetarium’s Zeiss Mark IX—the most advanced star projector in the world. Hayden Planetarium Space Theater



These programs are supported, in part, by the Schaffner Family.



AMNH EXPEDITIONS

The Museum established AMNH Expeditions, the first museum educational travel program in the country, in 1953. For 57 years, AMNH Expeditions has presented educational travel programs that reflect the Museum’s past and current areas of interest and exploration and enable travelers to embark on their own explorations of the world in the company of scientists, curators, and educators. Participation helps to support the Museum’s mission to discover, interpret, and disseminate, through scientific research and education, knowledge about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe. Trip categories include Cruises, Expeditions, Family Programs, and Private Jets, Planes & Trains. More information on this and other educational travel opportunities available through AMNH Expeditions can be found at amnhexpeditions.org.



MUSEUM INFORMATION


Hours

The Museum is open daily, 10 am–5:45 pm

The Museum is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.



Space Show and SonicVision Hours

The Space Shows are shown every half hour Sunday–Thursday and Saturday, 10:30 am–4:30 pm, and Friday,

10:30 am–7 pm. SonicVision is shown Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 and 8:30 pm.



Admission

Suggested general admission, which supports the Museum’s scientific and educational endeavors and includes 46 Museum halls and the Rose Center for Earth and Space, is $16 (adults) suggested, $12 (students/seniors) suggested, $9 (children) suggested. All prices are subject to change.



The Museum offers discounted combination ticket prices that include suggested general admission plus special exhibitions, IMAX films, and Space Shows.

o Museum plus special exhibition, IMAX film, or Space Show: $24 (adults), $18 (students/seniors), $14 (children)

o Museum Supersaver (includes all special exhibitions, IMAX film, and Space Show): $32 (adults), $24.50 (students/seniors), $20 (children)



Visitors who wish to pay less than the suggested Museum admission and also want to attend a special exhibition, IMAX film, or Space Show may do so only on-site at the Museum. To the amount they wish to pay for general admission, they should add $20 (adults), $16.50 (students/seniors), or $11 (children) for a Space Show, special exhibition, or IMAX film.



Public Information

For additional information, the public may call 212-769-5100 or visit the Museum’s website at amnh.org.



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