Typically, it’s hard not to notice a gigantic mastodon skeleton. But at the American Museum of Natural History, looming fossils often get overlooked as guests explore five levels of seemingly infinite rooms, all packed with eye-catching exhibits. So, what might you be missing in favor of that famous blue whale? We reached out to Brad Harris, the senior director of visitor services at the museum, for his list of six unfairly overlooked gems. Here they are, from the fourth floor down to the first.
The Warren Mastodon
Paul and Irma Milstein Hall of Advanced Mammals, 4th Floor
This poor mastodon met its untimely end in a bog in what is now New York. Its death was fortuitous for scientists, however—this is the first entire mastodon skeleton ever found in the US, and every bone that you see is real.
Komodo Dragons
Hall of Reptiles and Amphibians, 3rd Floor
The fearsome lizards in this diorama once reigned over the Indonesian island of Komodo. They were brought to the museum by an expedition team in 1926, and are now forever posed in predatory victory over a wild boar.
Chinese Wedding Chair
Gardner D. Stout Hall of Asian Peoples, 2nd floor
Adorned with tassels, embroidery, and tiny figurines galore, this chair would have carried a Chinese bride-to-be on her way to meet her husband for the first time. The chair was not only decorative, but practical: it kept the bride’s feet from touching the ground once she had dressed to be married, thereby saving her from bad luck.
Roosevelt Murals
Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda, 2nd floor
These murals tend to play second fiddle to the huge barosaurus skeleton in the middle of the room. If you look past the rearing dinosaur, though, you’ll see the major life milestones of President Theodore Roosevelt, which were painted by William Andrew Mackay in 1935.
Giant Squid and Sperm Whale
Irma and Paul Milstein Family Hall of Ocean Life, 1st floor
Because it mimics the darkness of the deep sea, this diorama can be tough to make out at first. Once you get closer, you’re treated to a zoomed-in view of two underwater titans engaged in battle. Although mankind has yet to witness such a duel, sucker marks on sperm whales confirm that they do indeed take place in the inky depths.
Star of India
Morgan Memorial Hall of Gems, 1st floor
Walk through the Hall of Meteorites and the Hall of Minerals to get to the Hall of Gems, and you’ll find one of the largest star sapphires in the world. The 563-carat Star of India proves that some things only get more wondrous with age: it’s approximately 2 billion years old. For a smidgen of that time in 1964, it was stolen from the museum by legendary cat burglar Jack Murphy. Authorities recovered the gem months after Murphy’s arrest, finding it in a Miami bus-station locker.
Photos courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History.
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Things To Do In Freehold
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Freehold Academy of Performing Arts
Dance-Class Package at Freehold Academy of Performing Arts (Up to 53% Off). Four Options Available.
Studio boasts a 9,000 square-foot facility with five separate dance rooms that feature a variety of modern and classical dance styles
Freehold
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Wine Tasting for Two or Four with Souvenir Glasses and Bottles of Wine at Tomasello Winery (Up to 54% Off)
Tomasello Winery at Wemrock Orchards
West Freehold
$75
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$49 for Four Private 30-Minute Piano Lessons at Music University ($105 Value)
Music University
Freehold
$105
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Two or Four Hours of Semiprivate Horseback-Riding Lessons at Cream Ridge Equestrian Center (Up to 56% Off)
Cream Ridge Equestrian Center
Upper Freehold
$100
$50
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Indoor-Theme-Park Visits with Unlimited Rides at iPlay America (37% Off). Three Options Available.
iPlay America
West Freehold
$79.95
$50
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Christina Grimmie at iPlay America on Saturday, December 27, at 6:30 p.m. (Up to 50% Off)
Christina Grimmie
iPlay America’s Event Center
$30
$15
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Gymnastics Classes or Childcare at Freehold Elite Gymnastics (Up to 79% Off). Three Options Available.
Freehold Elite Gymnastics
Freehold
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1 Month of Muay Thai Kickboxing or Tae Kwon Do at Shido Martial Arts (76% Off)
Shido Martial Arts
Shido Martial Arts
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Party or Karate and Barre Classes at Master Park's Black Belt America (Up to 88% Off). Three Options Available.
Master Park's Black Belt America
Multiple Locations
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10 or 20 Classes at Yoga Solace Club (Up to 65% Off)
Yoga Solace Club
Freehold
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If a subject is art-related, chances are you can learn about it at Around the Corner Art Center. With a slate of teachers who specialize in working with specific age groups and art mediums, students can learn how to sketch or sew, hone their brush strokes, and construct mixed-media pieces. With all these disciplines under one roof, there is a class for everyone from children to college art students to adults. The staff's love of art even extends to the birthday parties they host, with artistic themes that may include recreating a famous painting or learning how to draw cartoons, anime, and manga.
290 Mounts Corner Dr
Freehold,
NJ
US
Bulldog Bootcamp & Nutrition combines the CrossFit approach to exercise with a highly disciplined nutritional regimen. As coach Maria likes to say, "Abs are made in the kitchen." The coaches embrace this outlook, challenging students with one-hour sessions of intense daily exercise that never involve exactly the same movements. They then equip students with nutritional insights and recipes to help them recover their strength, fuel the next day's workout, and avoid consuming foods that keep midsections squishy, such as raw pillows.
2 Monmouth Ave
East Freehold,
NJ
US
Whether the sun shines or hail falls from the sky, kids at Fun Play USA stay safe from the elements while having fun. In this colorful indoor playground, they clamber up the ladder to race down the slide, then glide through the air on the swings before jumping around the bounce house. With other toys and games, the arena plays host to many a birthday party, and the staff also stocks swing sets for purchase and installation at home or in the company break room.
1151 Highway 33
Farmingdale,
NJ
US
Through the use of Legos, Bricks 4 Kidz encourages children to explore their imaginations and introduces them to the basics of engineering and architecture. Using Lego's bricks and robotics software, kids learn the basics of scientific concepts, such as torque, friction, and gravity, while developing creativity and critical-thinking skills. Aside from classes, Bricks 4 Kidz also offers open play, mommy-and-me sessions for preschoolers, and summer camp.
843 Route 33
Freehold Township,
NJ
US
Cartwheels, jumps, and tumbles are just a few of the skills that children learn at Freehold Elite Gymnastics. Instructors teach them to complete each skill safely, helping them increase their physical strength and personal confidence with each class. The center also hosts private birthday parties with fun activities centered around the birthday child.
6 Paragon Way
Freehold,
NJ
US
To help sugar artists of all skill levels take their desserts to new heights, Francesca Elmenshawy, owner of Francesca’s Cakery, joined accomplished cake designer Silvina Barboza to teach intensive baking courses. Though their 10- to 12-student classes range from Baking 101 to an intensive course held in Spanish, most of the lesson plans fall somewhere in the middle. Fondant classes, for instance, introduce the versatile cake-decorating and sculpting medium to cake decorators who prefer their art to be edible. A three-part series on gum-paste flowers targets lessons to specific skill levels, teaching beginners the basics of rolling and cutting material for the dessert flowers. The hands-on, accessible classes earned a mention on Food Babbles, a blog whose writer described the teacher as "a gracious hostess."
32 West Main Street
Freehold,
NJ
US
