The American Museum of Natural History in New York is about to open its new building, a stunning piece of architecture that cost $465 million and took nearly a decade to build. The city’s new attraction is scheduled to welcome the public starting next Thursday (May 4).
Jeanne Gang, the architect responsible for the building, said at a press conference on Wednesday (27) that when thinking about the project, she asked how the space could contribute to people’s natural desire to learn. “This led us to look at geological landscapes, where you can see how natural forces truly shape matter, shape our world,” she said.
The Gilder Center already houses over half a million small inhabitants, which are part of an insect exhibition featuring 18 species of living creatures and an indoor garden where visitors can mingle with hundreds of moths and butterflies.
And then there are the ants: the museum has placed about 500,000 ants to build a massive colony in the insectarium. The tiny workers collect their leaves from a glass enclosure and then march across a suspended bridge to cultivate their fungus banquets in large glass lamps installed along the wall.
The goal of this space, according to the museum, is to bring people closer to insects and highlight their importance to the natural world.More News
A new interactive show, “Invisible Worlds,” highlights the ways our lives are interconnected.
The “Collections Core” showcases a wide range of items, from megalodon teeth to Mayan bricks and spider silk coils, and gives visitors the opportunity to see the evidence on which science is based.
“This is the vision: to help visitors see and understand our world more deeply. To appreciate that all life is interdependent. To trust in science and be inspired to protect our precious planet,” said Ellen Futter, former president of the museum who oversaw most of the creation of the Gilder Center before retiring in March of this year.
In other words, if the American Museum of Natural History was already a must-see attraction in New York, it is now even more appealing for those who are fans of science and nature.
Museum members are invited to preview the new building this weekend, April 29 and 30, before it opens to the public next Thursday.
Admission to the Gilder Center is included in the general admission to the museum ($28 for non-residents of NY-NJ-CT. Tri-state residents can pay what they wish). Additional tickets are required for the Davis Family Butterfly Vivarium and the immersive Invisible Worlds experience, which are free for members only.
Want to know more? Visit: www.amnh.org