Membership FAQ
Purchasing and Using Your Membership
The Museum is open daily from 10 am to 5:30 pm—Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Your adherence and the adherence of anyone in your group (including children) to the Museum's Code of Conduct is mandatory, and noncompliance may result in removal from the Museum.
You'll always be able to find the most complete, up-to-date information here.
Your membership will be activated immediately. You can use it onsite even if your membership cards haven’t yet arrived (though reserving advance timed tickets is currently required for entry).
Online
You will receive a confirmation email that you can print and bring to the Museum for admission. Select your membership level here!
At Any Membership Desk
Membership Desks are located at the Member Entrance on Central Park West (ground level, via the driveway) at 79th Street, the main Rotunda entrance at 79th Street and Central Park West, and at the Rose Center for Earth and Space at 81st Street.
New Members are issued a temporary card to use until permanent cards arrive.
By Phone
Call 212-769-5606 to purchase your membership. The Membership Office is open Monday through Friday, 9 am–5 pm. The Membership Associate assisting you will provide you with a membership number.
To begin enjoying your benefits, simply provide your full name, membership number, or online confirmation number (if purchased online) at the Membership Desk for verification and admission.
Online
Visit our Membership Renewal page.
At Any Membership Desk
Membership Desks are located at the Member Entrance on Central Park West (ground level, via the driveway) at 79th Street, the main Rotunda entrance at 79th Street and Central Park West, and at the Rose Center for Earth and Space at 81st Street.
By Phone
Call 212-769-5606. The Membership Office is open Monday through Friday, 9 am–5 pm.
Register your membership and create a profile. If you already have a profile, you may click on the profile icon wherever you see it at the top right corner of the website and log in from there.
If you encounter any errors while registering or have difficulty logging in, please contact the Membership Office at [email protected] for assistance.
Unfortunately, we do not have reciprocity with other institutions.
Yes. Purchase a gift membership:
Online
Select the gift membership here!
At Any Membership Desk
Membership Desks are located at the Member Entrance on Central Park West (ground level, via the driveway) at 79th Street, the main Rotunda entrance at 79th Street and Central Park West, and at the Rose Center for Earth and Space at 81st Street.
By Phone
Call 212-769-5606 to get a gift membership. The Membership Office is open Monday through Friday, 9 am–5 pm.
By Fax/Mail
Download the Membership Gift Application and fax the completed form to 212-769-5427 or mail to:
American Museum of Natural History
ATTN: Membership Department
200 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024-5102
No, at this time we do not offer special memberships for seniors or students.
Yes. Simply give your caregiver the membership card or have your caregiver provide the name and address associated with the membership account.
Children younger than 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Members enjoy 12 months of wonder and discovery at the Museum. Memberships are valid through the end of the month of purchase, plus twelve full months thereafter. (For example, a membership purchased on October 11, 2022 will be valid through October 31, 2023.)
Membership Cards
Limited operations due to COVID-19, both at the Museum and at our card fulfillment center, may result in longer-than-usual wait times for cards. You should receive your cards approximately three weeks after purchase. If you do not receive them within that time, please notify the Membership Office at [email protected] or 212-769-5606 to verify your address or to request new cards.
Yes. You do not need to have your card with you to visit the Museum. Simply show your ID to anyone at the Membership Desk for verification and admission.
If you would like to receive a replacement membership card, please notify the Membership Office at [email protected] or 212-769-5606.
First, please note that we never require you to show a membership card to visit the Museum. Simply show your ID to anyone at the Membership Desk for verification and admission.
Now to our green and recycling options:
- You can opt out of receiving new cards (we issue new cards each year).
- You can drop off your current or old card at any Membership Desk for recycling.
- You can download the Explorer app and use a digital version of your membership card in the app.
- You can download a digital version of your membership card to Apple wallet.
We're always looking for greener, more sustainable and environmentally responsible ways to do our work. Have a suggestion? Please submit it using our suggestion form.
Membership Benefits
Full listing of updated benefits at every level.
Yes! We are delighted to welcome Members and their guests to the Member Entrance located on Central Park West (ground level, via the driveway) at 79th Street.
The Member Entrance is accessible by wheelchairs and strollers.
Members enjoy complimentary General Admission to the Museum along with complimentary admission to temporary special exhibitions.
You will need to reserve timed-entry tickets for these exhibitions online in advance of your visit or at a Membership Desk. Please review the benefits for each category carefully or call the Membership Office at 212-769-5606 for assistance. After reserving, you will receive an email with the tickets to print or show on a mobile device to gain entry.
Yes. Reserving advance tickets is currently required for entry into the Museum. After reserving, you will receive an email with the tickets to print or show on a mobile device to gain entry.
Online
Log in to your account, or click the Reserve Tickets button from any page, then follow the prompts to log in to your account.
If you are an IDNYC member, corporate member, corporate rewards program member, a library pass/voucher holder, or eligible to receive complimentary tickets to the Museum, please use the link to the ticketing page.
On the tickets page, check the box next to “I am a Corporate Member, Corporate Rewards Program Member, a Pass/Voucher holder, IDNYC member, or have a Library Pass or Culture Pass.”
Tickets & Admission
General admission plus tickets to special exhibitions, films, and Space Show. Reservations for timed-entry admission are required.
At Any Membership Desk
Advance tickets can be purchased at any Membership Desk until 4:30 pm.
By Phone
Please call Central Reservations, the Museum's ticketing office, at 212-769-5200. Be sure to have your membership number ready! Central Reservations will be open Wednesday to Friday from 9 am–5 pm until the Museum resumes a 7-day/week schedule. After reserving, you will receive an email with the tickets to print or show on a mobile device to gain entry.
Tickets for any additional guests beyond the number covered by your membership are full price and must be purchased in advance of arriving. Per health and safety guidelines, the maximum number of people in any party entering the Museum is ten.
The parking discounts for Members are as follows:
Flat rate of $12 from 4 pm to 11 pm, 7 days a week.
Show your Membership card on exit and the cashier will adjust the rate.
Birthday parties are not currently available as a benefit.
Other Questions
By Phone
Call 212-769-5606. The office is open Monday through Friday, 9 am–5 pm.
Membership Department
American Museum of Natural History
200 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024-5102
You can call or email the Membership Office to update your information. Call us at 212-769-5606 Monday to Friday from 9 am–5 pm. Or email us at [email protected].
For verification and processing of donations, please make sure to enter your address and zip code to the online donation form exactly as it appears on your bank or credit card statement. If you included a phone number on the form, please ensure it contains no more than 10 digits.
Should you continue to receive an error message, please email us at [email protected] to complete the process.
Be sure you to update your subscriber preferences on your online Member profile and to add us ([email protected]) to your email contacts list. If you still do not receive emails from us, please contact the Membership office at [email protected] or 212-769-5606.
The Museum does not sell or rent its mailing (i.e. street address) lists but does occasionally share its mailing list with trusted third parties. Please call 212-769-5606 or email [email protected] if you do not wish to have your mailing information shared with any third parties.
Please bring your valid IDNYC card to any Museum Membership Desk. A Membership Associate will help you enroll and you will be able to begin using your membership that day! Some restrictions apply.
Please note: You will need to reserve General Admission tickets in advance of your visit or at a Membership Desk to enter the Museum.
You can park and lock up your scooter at one of several racks located outside the entrances at 81st Street (Rose Center for Earth and Space) and 77th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue (though that entrance is currently closed).
Small, foldable scooters for young children may be carried by an adult if they do not bring a lock.
You can learn more at the Museum's Sustainability Principles page.
Corporate Patron Members
Yes, the Museum works with many corporate partners to match employees' charitable contributions. Adult Membership with the Museum is tax deductible and qualifies to be matched by most company programs. The Museum does not accept matching gift payments in lieu of membership contributions from the employee. Check with your employer or the Museum's Corporate Relations Office for more information.
Library Voucher Program
We are pleased to offer a Library Voucher Program, which allows local libraries to extend Museum access to their patrons at a substantial discount.
With this program, libraries can choose from three options that provide them with a pre-selected number of vouchers. Each voucher is valid for free General Admission to the Museum for one person. In addition, the voucher is valid for one ticket to a Special Exhibition. Reserving tickets is currently required for entry into the Museum.
Vouchers expire one year after the date of purchase. You (the library) decide how the vouchers are distributed to patrons; allocate them however you see fit! Please note however that these vouchers are for patrons of your library and vouchers cannot be resold for more than face value.
Voucher-holding library patrons will also receive the discounted Members' rate on additional temporary special exhibition tickets they purchase that day. No advance purchases allowed.
The available Library packages are:
Library Basic: 25 vouchers for $250
Library Plus: 50 vouchers for $500
Library Premium: 100 vouchers for $1000
For additional information, please call the Membership Office at 212-769-5606 or download and mail a completed application to us today!