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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2132 State Route 35
Holmdel,
NJ
US
In support of her high-decibel new album, Rihanna kicks off her hotly anticipated LOUD tour with emphatic gusto and a sizzling roster of special guests. Like an art show at a sundae bar, the LOUD tour floods the senses, enchanting audiences with lavishly designed sets, myriad costume changes, move-busting dancers, and Rihanna's songbook of Grammy magnets. Crooner Cee Lo Green augments the songful offerings with his own vocal talents, and Roc Nation rapper and rhythm scientist J. Cole further helps resuscitate ear drums traumatized by the outside world's blaring car horns and shrill howler monkeys.
Exit 116 Garden State Pkwy.
Holmdel,
New Jersey
US
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1420 Highway 36
Hazlet,
NJ
US
One of the state's oldest on-site photo stores, Custom Photo and Framing offers a wealth of services for taking, preserving, and transferring treasured images. On-site experts develop film and turn digital files into prints, which can reside in custom-made frames or scurry in the nude as the wind whips against their bare pixels. Aside from printing and framing, technicians also transfer images to keepsakes, including mousepads, holiday ornaments, and dog bowls. Instructors teach aspiring shutterbugs the fundamentals of composition, color, and lighting through the digital travel-photography class, and sure-handed computers retouch and restore archived photographs. Video-to-DVD conversion and photo-digitalization services bring memories into the modern age via shiny, compact time capsules.
1205 State Route 35
Middletown,
NJ
US
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80 Crawfords Corner Road
Holmdel,
NJ
US
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1203 State Route 35
Middletown,
NJ
US
