Spring always takes my mind to Central Park and inevitably to some of my favorite museums which border Central Park. One such museum, the American Museum of Natural History, is most definitely on the top of my spring to-do list every year as the transition from going outside to inside fades away amongst the magnificent dioramas in the different animal halls.
The animal dioramas at the Museum of Natural History are, in my opinion, timeless. They have a rich history as representations of hundreds of expeditions that took place from the early to the mid 1900s. The Hall of North American Mammals on the first floor, Hall of Asian Mammals on the second floor, and the Hall of African Mammals on the second and third floors are some of the richest and most elaborately beautiful displays I’ve ever seen. The majesty of the animal kingdom truly comes to life in these displays. But while the labels for each diorama are jam packed with information on the featured mammal, what I love most is the stories that aren’t necessarily on display. For instance, in the Hall of African Mammals, one of the elephants on display was shot by President Teddy Roosevelt while he was on expedition for the Smithsonian. And in the Hall of North American Mammals, the very first expedition by the museum led to the creation of the bison diorama… but the one on display is not the original! Granted these stories are ones that I had to go digging for after I had first encountered the dioramas, but they serve as a reminder of how enchanting the displays can be.
The animal dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History are sure to instill wonder in anyone, whether you dream of going on safari with the men who created, or feel the sudden urge to sing songs from The Lion King as you walk through the halls. They are a perfect example of science meeting art and are not something to be missed!
