Visit: Vertebrate Paleontology Collections and Archive

Applications to visit the collection must be made in writing at least six weeks in advance. Visiting hours are Monday-Friday, 9:30 am–4:30 pm, excluding New York State public holidays. 

Letters of application and reference should be directed to the appropriate Curator-in-charge and visitor contact for the collection in question. The request should specify the purpose of the visit and the specimens to be examined, together with the proposed dates. First-time student visitors should also provide a letter of reference from their graduate or undergraduate advisor, on institutional letterhead.

To apply to visit now, please complete an online request form by selecting from the collections below:

During your visit, we will provide you with desk space and access to a power supply. Free public WiFi is available. Please ensure that you bring all the equipment you need to undertake your work (e.g. camera, spare batteries, laptop cables, travel adapters, measuring equipment, scale bars, etc.). Please note, we prefer visitors to use vernier calipers with carbon fiber tips instead of metal whenever possible as this reduces the risk of damage to specimens.

There may be limitations on viewing oversized material, depending on the research timeframe, and staff availability for forklift operation. Please specifically note any oversized material in your research request.

Specimens must be correctly cited in any resulting publications. A pdf copy of any publication citing AMNH specimens must also be sent back to collections staff as soon as possible after publication.

Please verify all specimen acronyms and numbers with collections staff prior to publication, formatted as seen here:

Fossil Amphibians, Reptiles and Birds: AMNH FARB 12345
Fossil Fish: AMNH FF 12345
Fossil Mammals:

• If the specimen was part of the Frick collection: AMNH F:AM 12345
• If the specimen was not part of the Frick collection: AMNH FM 67890

Fossil Plants: AMNH FP 12345

Photography of specimens is limited to scientific use only. Images must not be used for social media or commercial purposes without prior written consent from AMNH.

Including but not limited to CT scanning, photogrammetry, laser scanning, structured light scanning, and synchrotron scanning from AMNH specimens is prohibited without advance application, review, and approval from the Curator-in-Charge. Please refer to our 3D imaging page for further details on our 3D imaging policies and procedures.

Molding, casting, preparing, coating, wetting, adhering materials, destructive sampling, or altering the specimens and/or labels in any other way, is prohibited without advance application, review, and approval from the Curator-in-Charge. Please see our Destructive Sampling policies and procedures for further details.

Please inform us as soon as possible if you would like to borrow material during your visit. All approvals for loans must be made by the Curator-in-Charge. Some loans may not be able to be issued before your departure, depending on the complexity of the loan and the availability of staff. If that is the case, we may be able to send the specimens by courier at a later date, if appropriate. Please see Loans for further details on our loans policy and procedure.

Applications to visit the collection must be made in writing at least six weeks in advance. Visiting hours are Monday-Friday, 10:00 am–4:30 pm, excluding New York State public holidays. First-time student visitors should also provide a letter of reference from their graduate or undergraduate advisor, on institutional letterhead. 

To apply to visit, please complete an online request form, and a member of collections staff will get in touch with you to discuss your request further. 

Visitors must follow the rules of conduct for the Gottesman Research Library.

Use extreme care handling the collections; archival materials are fragile and irreplaceable.

• Only one folder from one box may be open on the table at one time. 
• View one item at a time within its folder, flat on the table. 
• Preserve the existing arrangement of all archival materials within folders and boxes. 
• If any materials appear to be misfiled, call this to the attention of the archivist. 
• Do not rearrange any archival materials, even if they appear to be misfiled. 
• Do not set objects on top of archival materials. 
• Do not trace from or write on archival materials. 

Use of Photography

• Handheld photography without flash is permitted at the Department’s discretion.
• Do not photocopy archival materials without prior approval from the Department of Vertebrate Paleontology.
• Photography of maps is not permitted.
• Do not remove clear sleeves or any mounts. 
• Do not remove paper clips or staples.  
• Do not hold material or apply pressure while photographing. 
• Do not photograph entire collections. 
• Do not photograph the reading room, staff members, or patrons. 

In accordance with the Library’s policies, researchers will be asked to refrain from photography if the activity is disturbing others or poses a risk to materials. 

Researchers agree to use photographed material for private research only; publication quality scans of materials may be produced by the Department on request, at the expense of the visitor. Permission to publish, display, distribute or quote from materials in the Vertebrate Paleontology Archives must be granted in writing by the Department of Vertebrate Paleontology or Global Business Development. 

See the Library’s policies on Copyright, Permission, and Citation for more information. 

The Department requires use of the following preferred citation when archival records are reproduced or referenced in a work:

• Author of document; or author and intended recipient of letter
• Title of document (or brief description).
• Date of document or letter. 
• Name, and classification number of collection; box and folder number.
• American Museum of Natural History Vertebrate Paleontology Archive.
  • Example: Osborn, Henry Fairfield, Letter to William Diller Matthew, June 15, 1927. Henry F. Osborn Papers, VPA 125, Box 4, Folder 6, American Museum of Natural History Vertebrate Paleontology Archive.
  • Example: Brown, Barnum, “Rhodes and Other Dodecanesia,” 1927. Barnum Brown Papers, VPA 114, Box 10, Folder 80, American Museum of Natural History Vertebrate Paleontology Archive.
  • Example: Kaisen, Peter C., Photograph of elk antler in Alaska, 1930. Ted Galusha Collection, VPA 120, Box 1, Folder 1, American Museum of Natural History Vertebrate Paleontology Archive.