Museum Tours

All tours are free with admission and begin at the entrance of the Bernard Family Hall of North American Mammals on the first floor.

See our self-guided tours, and our accessible tours below.

Public Tours

Museum Highlight Tours

These tours highlight the Museum's collections. Daily at 10:15, 11:15, 12:15, 1:15, 2:15, and 3:15.

Spotlight Tours

These tours focus on specific halls or themes. Times and topics vary. Ask any information desk for schedule.

Foreign Language Tours*

These tours are in a foreign language and highlight the Museum's collections. Times and languages vary.

• Spanish (Español)
  Tours begin at 2:30 pm
  July 12, 19, 26

• Chinese (中文导览)
  Tours begin at 1:30 pm
  June 30
  July 1, 8, 12, 13, 14, 19, 21, 26, 27   

• French (Français)
  Tours begin at 1:30 pm
  June 25
  July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
  Additional tours begin at 12:30 pm
  June 28

• Hebrew (סיור מודרך בעברית)
  Tours begin at 2:30 pm
  June 26
  July 3, 10

• Italian (Italiano)
  Tours begin at 2:30 pm
  June 27
  July 11, 25

*Tours are subject to change

Self-Guided Tours

• Dinos
• Earth and Space
• Highlights Tour
• Night at the Museum

Explainers

Monday–Friday, 1 pm–5 pm
Saturday and Sunday, 10 am–5 pm

Fossil Explainers, identified by a red button, staff the fourth floor to answer any questions about fossils and paleontology.

Earth and Space Explainers, identified by a purple button, staff the Rose Center for Earth and Space, the Arthur Ross Hall of Meteorites, the Harry Frank Guggenheim Hall of Minerals, and the Morgan Memorial Hall of Gems to answer questions about astrophysics and geology.

Accessible Tours

The Museum offers a variety of specially designed tours for visitors with disabilities and their families.

*Learn more about Accessibility at the Museum.

Sign Language Tours

Experience informative, entertaining, and inspiring presentations of permanent and special exhibitions for both deaf and hearing audiences with simultaneously signed and spoken tours.

Registration required: unfortunately, no walk-ins are accepted. Email accessibility@amnh.org or call 212-313-7565 at least 72 hours in advance. 

Free for Members or with Museum admission. Programs subject to change. Upcoming tours:

• Saturday, July 13 at 12:30 pm
  Art of the Diorama
  Take an in-depth look at the Museum’s dioramas and learn how these iconic “windows on nature” play a role in wildlife conservation and public education.

• Saturday, September 7 at 12:30 pm
  From Earth to Space & Beyond
  Discover the Rose Center for Earth and Space to understand our place in the Universe, explore the range of sizes in the cosmos, and investigate what lies beyond.

*Programs with sign language are intended primarily for the Deaf community. ASL students may attend, but we do not sign attendance sheets.

Tours for Blind or Partially Sighted Visitors

Visitors who are blind or partially sighted are invited to attend this program, held monthly in the halls of the American Museum of Natural History. Specially trained Museum tour guides highlight specific themes and exhibits, engaging participants through extensive verbal descriptions and touchable objects. Science Sense tours are available to individuals or groups.

Registration required - unfortunately, no walk-ins are accepted. Email accessibility@amnh.org or call 212-313-7565 to register.

Free for Members or with Museum admission. Programs subject to change. Upcoming tours:

• Saturday, July 6, at 10:30 am
  Wednesday, July 11, at 2:30 pm
  Explore Human Origins
  Explore the incredible evolutionary story of the human family in the Spitzer Hall of Human origins and investigate the fossil and genetic evidence of our ancestors

• Wednesday, July 24, at 2:30 pm
  Tuesday, August 20, at 2:30 pm
  T. Rex: The Ultimate Predator
  *These tours will require a general admission + 1 ticket for entry to T. rex. Tickets can be purchased upon arrival at the Museum.
  Through touch and verbal description, this popular special exhibition will introduce you to the entire tyrannosaur superfamily and reveal the amazing story of the most iconic dinosaur in the world through stunning life-sized models, fossils and casts, and engaging interactives.

• Wednesday, August 7, at 2:30 pm
  Saturday, August 10, at 10:30 am
  Art of the Diorama
  Take an in-depth look at the Museum’s dioramas and learn how these iconic “windows on nature” play a role in wildlife conservation and public education. This tour will explore multiple halls within the Museum.

• Saturday, September 7, at 10:30 am
  Scales of the Universe
  Explore the Rose Center for Earth and Space to understand our place in the universe, and discover the range of sizes in the cosmos.

• Thursday, September 19, at 2:30 pm
  Spectacular Biodiversity
  Encounter the amazing variety of life in the Hall of Biodiversity, highlighting our planet’s major habitats, critical resources, and the factors that threaten them.

*Please note: two weeks advance notice is required to request a Science Sense tour on a date that is not scheduled above.

Tours for Families Affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders

The Discovery Squad is a unique tour program designed for families affected by autism spectrum disorders. The program was developed in collaboration with the Seaver Autism Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Registration is required: unfortunately, no walk-ins are accepted. Call Central Reservations at 212-769-5200 (Monday–Friday, 9 am–5 pm) to register.

Discovery Squad tours take place before the Museum is open and are free. Programs subject to change. Upcoming tours:

• Saturday, June 22, 2019
• Saturday, July 13, 2019
• Saturday, August 10, 2019
• Saturday, September 7, 2019