New York State Museum
The
NY State Museum began in 1836 when it was established
as the State Geological and Natural History Survey.
Over the years, it has grown into a major research and
educational institution dedicated to preserving New
York's rich artistic, social, historical, and environmental
legacies under the leadership of the New York State
Education Department.
Through historic artifacts, full-size
dioramas, and challenging interactive displays, the
New York State Museum showcases the history of the Empire
State from prehistoric times to the present.
Permanent exhibitions include:
- Adirondack Wilderness
- Ancient
Life of New York - A Billion Years of Earth History - Come see numerous ancient life forms from the Museum's
exhaustive fossil collection, many are unfamiliar
to the casual visitor. The youngest specimens date
back 100 million years, when dinosaurs were in their
heyday, the oldest are over a billion years old. New
York State has the oldest animal fossils in the eastern
United States. In this exhibition, visitors will see
billion-year-old blue-green bacteria, fossilized tree
stumps and spiders from Gilboa, trilobites, and armored
fish - just to name a few.
- Birds
of New York - New York is home to a wide variety
of unique birds. See over 170 species of New York
birds displayed in their environmental settings.
- Black
Capital: Harlem in the 20s - This celebrated
American community is portrayed in this exhibition
regarding the rich and diverse culture of Harlem in
the 1920s. Harlem became a center of struggle for
civil and economic equality and flourishing culture
and art and forever altered the encounters of black
and white New Yorkers.
- The
Cohoes Mastodont - Thousands of years ago herds
of Mastodonts wandered what is now New York. Today
the mastodont is an icon of the State Museum. Excavated
in 1866, the conserved and reassembled Cohoes mastodont
is currently on exhibition in the museum's main Lobby
with an in-depth interactive station with interviews
with leading scientists studying this magnificent
specimen.
- Fire
Engine Hall - Come and visit many examples
of fire apparatus of all times from the 18th, 19th
and 20th century all with a history of service in
New York. Each apparatus is unique in function and
form. This gallery is a long time favorite to museum
visitors.
- New
York Metropolis - This history of New York
City and its environs is traced as the natural harbor
transforms into a bustling port, open spaces into
canyons of skyscrapers and a wilderness into a word
city.
- Minerals
of New York - This spectacular exhibit located
within Adirondack Wilderness Hall showcases a fraction
of the State Museum's enormous mineral collection.
Specimens on view represent over 150 years of private
mineral collecting and from the public from the state's
mines, quarries, road construction and outcrops.
- Native
Peoples of New York - Explore New York's cultural
history and natural landscapes from the last Ice Age
12, 000 years ago to present day ethnology. Lifelike
dioramas, scale models, artifacts, and a life size
longhouse take the visitor through New York's changing
cultures and populations over time. New computer stations
bring the latest museum research, vast collections
and new information to each area.
- The
World Trade Center: Rescue, Recovery, Response - The World Trade Center: Rescue, Recovery, Response
tells the history of the World Trade Center, the September
11 attacks, the rescue efforts, the evidence recovery
operation at the Fresh Kills landfill, and the public
response to the September 11th events. The exhibition
includes many objects, images, videos, and interactive
stations documenting this tragic chapter in New York
and America's history, from the State Museum's comprehensive
collection.
- Discovery Place - Discover Our World! Discovery Place, a hands-on
learning center for kids. Children from pre-school
to eighth grade will enjoy this special area of the
State Museum set aside just for them. There are no
"Do Not Touch" signs in this part of the
Museum where kids learn by doing. Enjoy everything
from books to computers and microscopes to mastodonts.
Kids can design and build things in the Discovery
Place. They can even generate electricity! Pedal a
machine and see how the energy you generate powers
lights, sirens and a fan. Look at slides through a
microscope. Put together a giant puzzle of a mastodont
skeleton. Play computer games that give you a new
perspective on how things work. See the Museum's popular
bug exhibition, which is now a part of the Discovery
Place. The Discovery Place features something for
visitors of all ages. Parents will delight in discovering
alongside their children. Together they can flop down
on the comfortable furniture for a story, examine
bugs through magnifying lenses or play an old-fashioned
game of checkers. The Discovery Place in the New York
State Museum means more fun for the entire family!
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Cost
The NYS Museum is free. Donations are accepted at the
door. The Carousel is free. Donations are accepted
Hours
Open daily from 9:30am to 5:00 pm. Closed Thanksgiving,
Christmas, and New Year's Day. Admission is free (suggested
donation of $2/person or $5/family)
Museum Cafe
The Museum Cafe is a great place to stop for a break
while you're touring our exhibits or for lunch anytime.
Located on the fourth floor, above the exhibit halls,
the Cafe is open 7 days a week. Monday - Friday, 7 AM
- 3 PM and on Weekends, 11 AM - 3 PM.
The Museum
Shop
The Museum Shop is a delightful place to shop for gifts
or souvenirs. The Museum Shop is open 7 days a week,
9:30 AM - 5 PM. (518) 449-7860
Discovery
Place
Hours: Open Daily (Weekdays, Weekends, Holidays) 10:00
- 4:30 |
