Things to do in New York, United States: The Best Natural History Museums

September 1, 2021 Leonarda Pillsbury

New York State has it all – booming metropolises, majestic waterfalls, mountains, wine country, chicken wings. Yes, NYC is a magnet for tourists, but an exploration of the rest of the state can be equally thrilling. The Finger Lakes Wine Region is a vision of serene waters, quaint B&Bs, and pretty vineyards. Movie buffs will love Rochester, home of the George Eastman House and one of the world’s most comprehensive film archives. On your way to Niagara Falls, stop in Buffalo to fuel up on spicy wings.
Restaurants in New York

1. Shandaken Historical Museum

26 Academy St, Pine Hill, NY 12465-3021 +1 845-254-4460 http://www.shandaken.us/services/town-of-shandaken-historical-museum/
Excellent
100%
Good
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Satisfactory
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Poor
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Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 4 reviews

Shandaken Historical Museum

2. Hudson Highlands Nature Museum

120 Muser Dr, Cornwall, NY 12518-1127 +1 845-534-5506 http://www.hhnaturemuseum.org/
Excellent
89%
Good
11%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
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5.0 based on 9 reviews

Hudson Highlands Nature Museum

Established in 1959, the Museum has grown into a leading provider of nature education experiences in the Hudson Valley. Its mission is to develop responsible caretakers of the natural world through its special focus on environmental education. It uses its living collections of native animals, natural habitats and trails to present a wide variety of programs for people of all ages at its two locations.

3. Massena Nature Center

19 Robinson Bay Rd, Massena, NY 13662-3545 +1 315-705-5022 http://www.massenanaturecenter.com
Excellent
81%
Good
19%
Satisfactory
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Poor
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5.0 based on 21 reviews

Massena Nature Center

Reviewed By blackadder2016 - Ottawa, Canada

Beautiful location along the St. Lawrence River. The nature displays work on all age levels - kids to adults. Staff are very visible, knowledgeable, and easy to interact with. Didn't do all the many trails out to and along the river as I didn't allow enough time (next time for sure) - spent way more time inside than I thought I would. Spent a lot of time with an interactive audio book of hundreds of birds and their songs - pick a bird, enter the bird's index number, and you hear the bird. Though I went in the Fall, there are activities all year, including snow-shoeing on the trails in Winter. Allow at least an hour inside and if hiking the trails is your option, you could spend 3+ hours easily.

4. Women's Rights National Historical Park

136 Fall St, Seneca Falls, NY 13148-1517 +1 315-568-0024 http://www.nps.gov/wori/index.htm
Excellent
58%
Good
31%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 425 reviews

Women's Rights National Historical Park

Women's Rights National Historical Park tells the story of the first Women's Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls, NY on July 19-20,1848.

Reviewed By chasinUpstateNewYork - Romulus, United States

Everyone of us has a Mother. And many of us have sisters or wives. And 51% of the population is female. This museum is a MUST SEE! The Birthplace of Woman's Rights in the United States; come see where the battle was formalized. Read the declaration of sentiments. Understand why Woman's Rights are EVERYONE'S Rights.

5. American Museum of Natural History

79th Street Central Park West, New York City, NY 10024 +1 212-769-5100 [email protected] http://www.amnh.org
Excellent
59%
Good
25%
Satisfactory
12%
Poor
4%
Terrible
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Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 25,593 reviews

American Museum of Natural History

The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s preeminent scientific and cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1869, the Museum has advanced its global mission to discover, interpret, and disseminate information about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe through a wide-ranging program of scientific research, education, and exhibition. The Museum is renowned for its exhibitions and scientific collections, which serve as a field guide to the entire planet and present a panorama of the world's cultures.

Reviewed By bobb34576

This is one of the greatest museums in the world. It is what all other museums strive to be. The permanent exhibitions are one-of-a-kind, the changing exhibitions are interactive and first class, the Rose Center is a fantastic science museum, and the size of the museum allows for large scale items to be displayed, such as the famous blue whale.

6. Pember Museum

33 W Main St, Granville, NY 12832-1346 http://www.thepember.com
Excellent
50%
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50%
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4.5 based on 2 reviews

Pember Museum

7. New York State Museum

Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12230 +1 518-474-5877 http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/
Excellent
64%
Good
29%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,092 reviews

New York State Museum

Under the leadership of the New York State Education Department, this museum and research center preserves New York State's artistic, social, historical and environmental legacies through such exhibits as "Native Peoples of New York," "The Cohoes Mastodont" and "Black Capital: Harlem in the 20s."

Reviewed By GypsyJules1111 - Albany, United States

We always enjoy visiting the NY State Museum, from the vast selection of exhibits, children’s play/ learning room, cafe & the top floor carousel, there is always more than enough to see & do to capture the interest & attention of my young son & his mom too! We highly recommend visiting here!

8. Museum of the Earth

1259 Trumansburg Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850-1313 +1 607-273-6623 [email protected] http://museumoftheearth.org
Excellent
51%
Good
40%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
2%
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Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 167 reviews

Museum of the Earth

The Museum of the Earth was established in 2003 to provide visitors with a unique opportunity to explore our world through a mix of natural history displays, interactive science features, and art exhibitions. The museum's 8,000-square-foot permanent exhibition takes visitors on a journey through 4.5 billion years of history, from the Earth's origin to the present day. Through hands-on, visual exhibitions and outreach, the Museum of the Earth encourages critical thinking about life on Earth in the past and today, and how our species is affecting the natural world.

Reviewed By BillK455 - Spencerport, United States

Been wanting to go here for a few years and finally made it happen. We arrived early and I liked the design of the building as well as some of the outside art. We walked in to see a skeleton of a North Atlantic Right Whale which was amazing. We checked out the gift shop which had some nice items ad then walked downstairs and started with the current exhibit on bees. I thought it was a nice exhibit but I was here for dinosaurs. The lay out of the fossils and dinosaurs displays was really done well and I really enjoyed the diversity of fossils on display. If you love paleontology, this is a must do museum that everyone should enjoy. Lot of nice photo ops with the Stegosaurus model and Mastodon skeleton among others. Make the trip

9. Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History

311 Curtis St, Jamestown, NY 14701-9620 +1 716-665-2473 http://www.rtpi.org
Excellent
61%
Good
29%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
2%
Terrible
4%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 51 reviews

Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History

10. Audubon Community Nature Center

1600 Riverside Rd, Jamestown, NY 14701-9340 +1 716-569-2345 [email protected] http://auduboncnc.org/
Excellent
67%
Good
28%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
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Terrible
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Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 43 reviews

Audubon Community Nature Center

There is something for almost anyone at the Audubon Community Nature Center. Hike six miles of trails through forests and wetlands, visit a live Bald Eagle, or enjoy having a picnic and playing in the Nature Play Area. There are play areas, live animals, a gift shop and a wildlife viewing area inside the Nature Center, while outside there are also gardens, a native tree arboretum, picnic pavilions, towers and more. Visit the website to learn what programs might be happening while you are there!

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