All admission to the Museum is by timed-entry, and must be reserved online.
Part of Classes for Children & Families
The Science and Nature Program enhances children's understanding of and respect for the natural world, engages children in the foundations of scientific inquiry, and provides a window into the wonders of the Museum. Designed for children ages 4-11, the Science and Nature Program meets weekly throughout the school year. Parents or grandparents must attend class with their 4-8 year old children, drawing from research that young children attain deeper levels of understanding and richer connections to their learning when significant adults are present. Children ages 8-11 attend on their own, though special classes during the year include parent participation (e.g. guest scientists, dissections, etc.)
The staff of experienced science educators works with Museum scientists and specialists to create age-appropriate learning experiences that reflect the Museum's disciplines, including life sciences, earth and planetary sciences, anthropology, and paleontology. The Program's classrooms provide stimulating environments that contain artifacts and specimens from the Museum's collections, live animal habitats, a children's science library, scientific tools, and educational materials for first-hand investigation. These classrooms serve as "base camps" for in-depth studies and guided "expeditions" to destinations in the Museum such as the Hall of Biodiversity, the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, and other exhibits.
Once accepted, families participating in The Science and Nature Program are given priority for enrollment in subsequent years.
Weekly classes for 4-year-olds are offered from 9:15 am–11:15 am and 12:30 pm–2:30 pm. Classes for kindergarten through fifth grade students meet weekly from 3:30 pm–5 pm.
For more information about other class offerings affiliated with The Science and Nature Program, please see Early Adventures Program and Adventures in Science pages.
If you have questions about the Science and Nature Program, please email us at Science&[email protected]
Children and Family Learning at the American Museum of Natural History provides exciting science learning opportunities for young children and families through OLogy, the Discovery Room, The Science and Nature Program, and Public Programs.
Support for Children and Family Learning programing has been provided by Shaiza Rizavi and Jonathan Friedland, the Filomen M. D’Agostino Foundation, an anonymous donor, Jennie and Chris Coyne, and Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Guffey.