AMNH Announces Summer 2011 Calendar

Museum Information- Hours
The Museum is open daily, 10 am-5:45 pm.
The Museum is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Space Show Hours
Space Shows are shown Monday through Friday every half hour, 10:30 am- 4:30 pm except Wednesdays (first show on Wednesday begins at 11 am). Saturday through Sunday, every half hour, 10:30 am-5 pm.

Admission
Suggested general admission, which supports the Museum's scientific and educational endeavors and includes 46 Museum halls and the Rose Center for Earth and Space, is $16 (adults) suggested; $12 (students/seniors) suggested; $9 (children) suggested.

The Museum offers discounted combination ticket prices that include suggested general admission plus special exhibitions, IMAX films, and Space Shows.
o Museum plus special exhibition, IMAX film, or Space Show: $24 (adults), $18 (students/seniors), $14 (children)
Museum Supersaver, which includes the Space Show, IMAX, and all special exhibitions: $32 (adults), $24.50 (students/seniors), $20 (children)

Visitors who wish to pay less than the suggested Museum admission and also want to attend a special exhibition, IMAX film, or Space Show may do so only on-site at the Museum. To the amount they wish to pay for general admission, they should add $20 (adults), $16.50 (students/seniors), or $11 (children) for a Space Show, special exhibition, or IMAX film.

Public Information
For additional information, the public should call 212-769-5100 or visit the Museum's website, amnh.org.

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Find the Museum on Facebook at facebook.com/naturalhistory or visit twitter.com/AMNH to follow us on Twitter.

JUNE

Joshua Light Show: Fulldome
Friday to Sunday, June 3 to 5
8 pm Visit Brain: The Inside Story
9 pm Performance
Hayden Planetarium Space Theater (Enter at 81st Street)
$40

Discover how the brain interprets light and sound with an after-hours visit to Brain: The Inside Story. Then, put your brain to the test in a multi-sensory experience in the Hayden Planetarium. For three nights only, New York's legendary Joshua Light Show presents Fulldome, an eye-popping, 360-degree work of light and sound that explores the neurological phenomenon synesthesia, or the blending of sensory experiences. Led by multimedia artist Joshua White, Joshua Light Show is noted for creating the hallucinatory visuals behind psychedelic rock bands such as "The Grateful Dead" and "The Who." Fulldome will be performed live by Joshua White and his current team of artists, including Ana Matronic of Scissor Sisters, Alyson Denny, Seth Kirby, Brock Monroe, Doug Pope, Bec Stupak, and noted illustrator Gary Panter. An original soundtrack features contributions from percussion artists Laraaji and Z'EV mixed with cosmic electronics by music director Nick Hallett and sound designer Jeff Cook, in addition to the neo-psychedelic rock of Oneida.

ID Day
Saturday, June 4
Noon-4 pm
Grand Gallery, first floor
Free with Museum admission

Bring your shells, rocks, insects, feathers, bones, and artifacts to the annual Identification Day! Museum scientists will attempt to identify your mysterious garage sale finds, exotic souvenirs, and flea-market discoveries. In conjunction with the new exhibition, The World's Largest Dinosaurs, some of the largest artifacts and specimens from the Museum's collection will be on display.

Exoplanets and the Search for Life Beyond Earth with Marc S. Kaufman and Sara Seager
Monday, June 6
7:30 pm
Hayden Planetarium Space Theater (Enter at 81st Street)
$15; $13.50 Members, students, seniors

Each day we learn more about the sheer number and surprising variety of planets orbiting distant solar systems. As our knowledge of exoplanets grows, does the likelihood of finding signs of life in the cosmos increase as well? Sara Seager, one of the nation's preeminent experts on exoplanets, will discuss this provocative line of inquiry and discovery with Marc Kaufman, author of Exoplanets and the Search for Life Beyond Earth, a new book on the science and scientists of astrobiology.

SciCafe: The Hidden Reptiles of Madagascar
Wednesday, June 13
Doors open at 7 pm
Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth (Enter at 81st Street)
Free admission with cash bar; 21+ with ID

Despite more than 200 years of exploration, new species of snakes, chameleons, geckos and skinks are still being discovered in Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world. At this SciCafe, Associate Curator Christopher Raxworthy will explain what's making discovery possible: a mix of modern technologies, including satellite imagery and DNA sequencing, and "muddy boots" field biology to some of the most remote and poorly explored regions of the island.

Proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston.

This program is made possible by a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) grant from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Summer Solstice Celebration!
Tuesday, June 21
6-8 pm
Hayden Planetarium Space Theater and Arthur Ross Terrace
$15 adults; $10 children; $13.50 Members, students, seniors)

Come celebrate the longest day of the year! Join astronomers Steve Beyer, Joe Rao, and TEd Williams in the Hayden Planetarium as they explain the apparent path of the Sun as the Earth travels around it throughout the year. Observe the Sun's position on the solstice today compared to its position thousands of years ago. Then, enjoy a performance on the Arthur Ross Terrace by Sinchi Kuna, who will present music and dance of the Andes celebrating the Inti-Raymi, or Festival of the Sun.

Astronomy Live in the Hayden Planetarium: Summer Stars with Joe Rao
Tuesday, June 28
6:30 pm
Hayden Planetarium, Space Theater
$15; $13.50 Members, students, seniors
Summer season pass, 3 for $40

Summer nights afford beautiful views of the Milky Way as it arches high across the sky. The familiar "Summer Triangle" and the brightest of the zodiacal constellations, Scorpius, the Scorpion, are clearly in view. Join Joe Rao for an exploration of the summer sky using the Zeiss Mark IX Star Projector and glimpse ringed Saturn and speedy Mercury, both of which will be in prime position for observation this summer.

JULY

Experience Manhattanhenge with Jackie Faherty
Wednesday, July 13
7 pm
Hayden Planetarium Space Theater (Enter at 81st Street)
$15; $13.50 Members, students, seniors

Does the grid of New York City have any astronomical significance? As the Sun sets on July 13, it will be perfectly aligned with the avenues of Manhattan. Join Jackie Faherty, a research scientist in the Museum's Department of Astrophysics, for a viewing of this special event. The program will begin in the Hayden Planetarium with a visual explanation for Manhattanhenge. Then, view the sunset from 79th Street, where photographers will capture the event.

Evening Bat Walks in Central Park
Fridays, July 15, 22, or 29
8:30 pm
$40 adults; $25 children ages 12 and younger

At dusk, bats leave the warm spaces under city roofs to feed on flying insects. Join Brad Klein, Danielle Gustafson, and other members of the New York City Bat Group for a walk through Central Park. Aided by a detector that amplifies the bats' otherwise inaudible high-frequency chirps, bat-watchers monitor and catalog the species that call New York City home. Meet at the Museum entrance on 77th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue. Enrollment is limited. Please register no later than one week in advance. Rain date is Saturday, July 30.

Astronomy Live in the Hayden Planetarium: World Astronomy with Emily Rice
Tuesday, July 26
6:30 pm
Hayden Planetarium Space Theater
$15; $13.50 Members, students, seniors
Summer season pass, 3 for $40

This presentation combines unparalleled views of the night sky from the Zeiss Mark IX star projector and soaring flights across the Earth's surface with the Digital Universe Atlas to showcase the night sky from around the world. Led by Emily Rice, a research scientist in the Museum's Department of Astrophysics, the journey will take you from Central Park to the South Pole and back with many exciting stops along the way.

AUGUST

Astronomy Live in the Hayden Planetarium: Our Solar Neighborhood with Jackie Faherty
Tuesday, August 30
6:30 pm
Hayden Planetarium Space Theater
$15; $13.50 Members, students, seniors
Summer season pass, 3 for $40

Take an unparalleled 3D adventure through our local solar neighborhood with Jackie Faherty, a research scientist in the Department of Astrophysics at the Museum. Lift off from familiar New York City and launch into the night sky to see nearby asteroids, planets, stars, and more.