ADVANCE SCHEDULE OF EXHIBITIONS AND PROGRAMS

AT THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

FALL 2009–SPRING 2010

The Butterfly Conservatory:  Tropical Butterflies Alive in Winter

October 10, 2009–May 31, 2010

This exhibition, first presented in 1998 and now an annual favorite, features up to 500 live, free-flying tropical butterflies from the Americas, Africa, and Asia. The butterflies are housed in a vivarium that approximates their natural habitat and includes live flowering plants that serve as nectar sources; has controlled artificial light, temperature, and humidity; and measures more than 60 feet long, 21 feet wide, and 10 feet high. Among the species included in the vivarium are iridescent blue morpho butterflies, striking scarlet swallowtails, and large owl butterflies. Text panels located immediately outside the vivarium offer information about the evolution and life cycle of butterflies, including sections on mimicry, diversity, and butterflies’ important role in conservation.

Whitney Memorial Hall of Oceanic Birds, second floor

Highway of An Empire: The Great Inca Road

October 17, 2009–September 2010

The vast Inca Empire owed its reach and power to an extensive and intricate network of roads. Linking forts, religious sites, and administrative centers from the Pacific coast to the Amazonian rainforest, the Inca roads allowed armies and imperial officials to conquer and then control the largest empire in the Americas . In this series of stunning photos, Highway of An Empire reveals the diversity of this road system—from broad paved highways to woven suspension bridges to beaten tracks through barren desert—and the diversity of landscape it criss-crosses. IMAX Corridor, first floor

Courtesy of Consulate General of Peru in New York .

Traveling the Silk Road : Ancient Pathway to the Modern World

November 14, 2009–August 16, 2010

This intriguing and exotic exhibition will transport visitors back to one of the greatest trading routes in human history, showcasing the goods, peoples, technologies, and cultures from four representative cities: Xi’an, China’s Tang Dynasty capital; Turfan, a verdant oasis and trading outpost along the silk road; Samarkand, home of prosperous merchants who thrived on the caravan trade; and Baghdad, a fertile hub of commerce and scholarship that became the intellectual center of the era.

Visitors will embark on an unparalleled journey exploring commerce, communication, and cultural exchange from the far reaches of China through the cities and empires of Central and West Asia from AD 600 to 1200. Children will become world travelers as well, collecting special stamps in Silk Road “passports” issued to them at the exhibition entrance.

Visitors will also be able to watch live silkworms spinning cocoons in the section devoted to Xi’an; wander through a replica of the desert markets of Turfan, complete with the sights, sounds, and smells of exotic spices, luxury goods, and precious raw materials; check out a life-size camel model in Samarkand as they explore the ancient skills of papermaking and metalwork; and in Baghdad, track the “stars” using a working model of an Arab astrolabe and discover the achievements of Islamic science and engineering.

Throughout the exhibition, hands-on activities and interactives will bring to life the golden age of the Silk Road , which made possible the extraordinary collaboration of peoples and cultures that influenced the world for hundreds of years. Gallery 3, third floor

The Presenting Sponsor of Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World is MetLife Foundation.

Additional support has been provided by Mary and David Solomon.

The Silk Road Ensemble residency is generously supported by Rosalind P. Walter.

Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (www.amnh.org), in collaboration with Azienda Speciale Palaexpo, Roma, Italy and Codice.Idee per la cultura srl, Torino, Italy; the National Museum of Australia, Canberra, Australia and Art Exhibitions Australia; and the National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan and United Daily News, Taipei, Taiwan.

Lizards & Snakes: Alive!

March 20–September 6, 2010

With more than 60 live lizards and snakes from five continents, Lizards & Snakes: Alive! will introduce visitors to a diversity of legged and legless lizards, including snakes, that make up a group known as squamates. Grounded in the evolutionary history of the group, Lizards & Snakes showcases live animals and some of their remarkable adaptations including projectile tongues, deadly venom, amazing camouflage, and surprising modes of locomotion.  Representing more than 20 species from countries such as Australia, Cuba, Egypt, Guatemala, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Sudan, and the United States, the specimens—which include the veiled chameleon and the Madagascan giant day gecko—will be displayed in re-created habitats complete with ponds, tree limbs, rock ledges, and live plants. Gallery 77, first floor

The Race to the South Pole: Discovering the Last Continent (working title)

May 2010–January 2011

The Race to the South Pole: Discovering the Last Continent will recount one of the most stirring tales of the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration: the contest to reach the South Pole in 1911-1912. The exhibition will focus on the challenges that the two leaders—Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and British Royal Navy Captain Robert Falcon Scott—had to face as they undertook their 1,800-mile journeys from the shores of the Ross Sea to the Pole and back. Nutrition, human endurance, equipment, logistics, and Antarctica ’s extreme weather conditions were among the many challenges that each team had to face, with outcomes that included both triumph and tragedy. Visitors will also learn about modern scientific exploration with a spotlight on current research into Antarctica ’s distant past as well as its probable future.

Photographs, paintings, videos, and rare historical artifacts from this Heroic Age will give visitors a feel for the remarkable story of Antarctic exploration and research during the past century. Interactives and hands-on activities will let visitors of all ages experience what it would have been like to travel to the coldest place on Earth 100 years ago, as well as what it is to conduct research there today. The exhibition will vividly re-create, through dioramas and period detail, the high points of the race: how Amundsen and Scott prepared for their polar journeys; and how they met, or were defeated by, the numerous challenges they faced. Additional interactives and hands-on activities will reveal what scientists are learning about Antarctica’s surprising landscape under the ice, possible effects of global warming on Antarctica ’s wildlife, and how people manage to live year-round in this forbidding yet fascinating place. Gallery 4, fourth floor

The Race to the South Pole is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (www.amnh.org), in collaboration with the Royal BC Museum in Victoria , British Columbia , Canada .

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

SciCafe NEW!

First Wednesday of every month, beginning October 7, 7pm

Attendees will be able to experience the Museum after-hours, enjoying drinks and stimulating conversation with scientists. Featuring brief presentations on topics ranging from microbes to DNA, and space travel, the SciCafe sessions will be free with a cash bar for guests 21 and up.

Proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston.

Media Partner for SciCafe is Seed Magazine.

Sixteenth Annual Family Party

Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 5–7:30 pm

The Family Party—one of the Museum’s best-loved traditions—features fascinating educational activities and spectacular entertainment for children of all ages. Children will have the opportunity to interact with live animals, measure skulls, look into a microscope to see the inside of an ivory tusk, walk with a giant tortoise, explore the Museum Science Center with scientists explaining their work, and much more. Tickets are $85 for children and $175 for adults. To purchase tickets, call 212-769-5166.

Halloween Celebration

Saturday, October 31, 2009, 2-5pm

More than 30 of the Museum’s popular halls will be open from 2 to 5 pm for trick-or-treating, arts and crafts, fun with roaming cartoon characters, and live performances. Past performers and characters have included Curious George^®, Winnie-the-Pooh, Strawberry Shortcake, Clifford the Big Red Dog^®, Madeline, Maya & Miguel™, David Grover and the Big Bear Band, Louie & Subanda, performers from the Big Apple Circus, stilt walkers, and master pumpkin carver Hugh McMahon.

Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival

November 12–14, 2009

The Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival—the longest-running documentary film festival in the United States—will celebrate 33 years at the American Museum of Natural History this November, screening an outstanding and varied selection of titles culled from more than 1,000 submissions. The Festival is distinguished by extraordinary films that tackle diverse and challenging subjects, as well as exciting discussions with filmmakers and special guest speakers. This years films are set in Austria, Bosnia, the Czech Republic, China, Croatia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United States. Kaufmann and Linder Theaters, first floor

Origami Holiday Tree

November 23, 2009–January 1, 2010

An annual Museum tradition, the delightfully decorated Origami Holiday Tree has marked the start of the holiday season at the Museum for more than 30 years. The theme of this year’s tree is Origami, A to Z, featuring a colorful paper-shaped alphabet soup. The 13-foot tree will be covered with letters and a corresponding object: an A and an Apatosaurus, a B and a butterfly, a C and a chimpanzee, an F and a frog, an M and a Mastodon, an S and a Sabertooth Tiger, and a T and a Tyrannosaurus rex. Volunteers begin folding in July to complete the 500 creations displayed on the tree. During the holiday season, volunteers will be on hand to teach visitors of all ages the art of origami folding. Past themes have included Folding the Museum, Fantastic Creatures: Mythic and Real; Origami in Flight; Under the Sea; Pocket Posy; and Origami Safari. Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall, first floor

Kwanzaa Celebration

Sunday, December 27, 2009

A colorful cultural festival of African and African-American performing and visual arts commemorates the seven principles of Kwanzaa at the Museum. A feast for the soul and senses, this vibrant all-day event offers African dance, spoken word, live musical performances, and traditional crafts. A bustling Kwanzaa Marketplace, located on the Mezzanine Level of the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, will feature vendors, visual artists, and craftspeople, as well as representatives from major cultural institutions. In addition, special Kwanzaa foods will be available in the Museum Food Court . Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, first floor

Il Mondo della Luna (The World on the Moon)

January 19–28, 2010

Gotham Chamber Opera and the American Museum of Natural History, in association with American Repertory Theatre, present Il Mondo della Luna (The World on the Moon) by Joseph Haydn. This new production is staged by Diane Paulus, director of Hair, which received the 2009 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. Tickets are $30-$125 and are available at www.ticketcentral.com or by phone at 212-279-4200. Il mondo della luna will fuse live opera and stargazing, immersing the audience in a completely new kind of theatrical event—an out-of-this-world experience for opera lovers, science buffs, and theatergoers alike. Hayden Planetarium, Rose Center for Earth and Space

NEW AT THE MUSEUM

Spider Silk

On display starting September 23

This extremely rare textile, woven from golden-colored silk threads from some one million spiders in Madagascar , measures 11 feet by 4 feet. Drawing on the legacy of a French Jesuit priest who worked with spiders in Madagascar in the 1880s and 1890s, this contemporary fabric took more than three years to make, using a painstaking process that involved 70 people who collected the spiders every day and a dozen more who extracted the silk with hand-powered machines. The silk for this intricately-patterned textile was derived from the spider Nephila madagascariensis, renowned for the lustrous golden hue of its silk fiber. Previously, the only known spider silk textile of note was exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900, and it was subsequently lost. The spider silk is on loan from Simon Peers and Nicholas Godley. Grand Gallery, first floor

ONGOING EXHIBITIONS

Extreme Mammals: The Biggest, Smallest, and Most Amazing Mammals of All Time

Through January 3, 2010

Extreme Mammals explores the surprising and sometimes bizarre world of extinct and living mammals. Featuring spectacular fossils from the Museum’s collections, the exhibition examines the ancestry and evolution of numerous species, ranging from huge to tiny and speedy to sloth-like, and showcases animals with oversized claws, fangs, snouts, and horns. Extreme Mammals also explores how some lineages died out while others diversified to form the groups of well-known mammals living today. Highlights of the exhibition include taxidermy specimens—from the egg-laying platypus to the recently extinct Tasmanian wolf—and fleshed-out models of spectacular extinct forms, such as Ambulocetus, a “walking whale.” Visitors encounter an entire skeleton of the giant, six-horned Uintatherium, which has dagger-like teeth; a life-size model of Indricotherium, the largest land mammal that ever lived; one of the oldest fossilized bats ever found; and a diorama featuring the hippo-like Coryphodon, the ancient tapir Thuliadanta, and the tree-climbing carnivore Vulpavus in the once warm and humid swamps and forests of Ellesmere Island, located in the Arctic, about 50 million years ago. The exhibition also includes dynamic media displays, animated computer interactives, hands-on activities, touchable fossils, casts, taxidermy specimens, and live animals that highlight mammals’ distinctive qualities and illuminate the shared ancestry that unites these diverse creatures. Gallery 4, fourth floor

Extreme Mammals is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (www.amnh.org), in collaboration with the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco; Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada; and Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Major funding for Extreme Mammals has been provided by the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment

Fund.

Additional generous support for Extreme Mammals has been provided by the Bill and Ann Ziff Foundation, the Eileen P. Bernard Exhibition Fund, and Harlan B. Levine, M.D. and Marshall P. Levine.

Frogs: A Chorus of Colors Through January 3, 2010

Back by popular demand, this delightful exhibition introduces visitors to the colorful and richly diverse world of frogs. More than 200 live frogs, from the tiny golden mantella frog (less than an inch long) to the enormous African bullfrog (as big as eight inches in diameter), are shown in their re-created habitats, complete with rock ledges, live plants, and waterfalls. Featuring approximately 25 species from such countries as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Russia, Suriname, the United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Vietnam, the exhibition explores the evolution and biology of these amphibians, their importance to ecosystems and the threats they face in the world’s changing environments. Interactive stations throughout the exhibition invite visitors to activate recorded frog calls, view videos of frogs in action, and test their knowledge about these fascinating amphibians. Gallery 77, first floor

This exhibition is presented with appreciation to Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland.

On Feathered Wings

June 21, 2008–July 1, 2010

On Feathered Wings is an exhibition of more than 40 full-colored photographs that portray dramatic images of birds in flight. These compelling and revealing shots from the collective lenses of four of the most acclaimed aviary photographers in the world represent nearly every continent and examine the kinetic and aerodynamic traits common to all birds in flight. On Feathered Wings is divided into four categories: Killers on the Wing (hunting birds of prey), Wings Along the Shore (shorebirds, gulls, and terns), Wings of the Wetlands (water fowl and wading birds), and Songbirds of the Wing (colorful, melodious birds).

Akeley Gallery, second floor

The presentation of On Feathered Wings at the American Museum of Natural History is made possible by the generosity of the Arthur Ross Foundation.

Vital Variety: A Visual Celebration of Invertebrate Biodiversity

This extraordinary exhibition of 23 large-format color photographs by Piotr Naskrecki, director of the Invertebrate Diversity Initiative at Conservation International, pairs beautiful close-up photographs with informative captions that highlight the immense diversity of invertebrates, which comprise more than 80 percent of Earth’s known species and play a critical role in the survival of humankind. Among the highlights are images of vibrant red velvet mites, a giant land crab, intricately woven silk moth cocoons, a Malagasy katydid that looks like a leaf, a head-on view of a tiger beetle, and a number of recently discovered and yet-to-be-undescribed species. IMAX Gallery, first floor

IMAX AND LARGE-FORMAT FILMS, LeFrak IMAX Theater, first floor

Wild Ocean

Through January 3, 2010

With original music by award-winning directors Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, Wild Ocean captures one of the world’s greatest migrations. Produced by the creators of the international sensation STOMP and directors of the award-winning Giant Screen film Pulse: a STOMP Odyssey, Wild Ocean explores the annual feeding frenzy that takes place in the oceans off the coast of South Africa as billions of sardines migrate up the KwaZulu-Natal Wild Coast followed by whales, sharks, dolphins, and gannets.

Beavers

Through January 3, 2010

Beavers follows a pair of these industrious creatures as they leave the shelter of their colony in search of a site to build a new home.  The film chronicles their daily activities and the dangers they face as they find a site, build a dam, and start their own family.

SPACE SHOW, Hayden Planetarium, Rose Center for Earth and Space

Journey to the Stars

Journey to the Stars, a spectacular new Hayden Planetarium Space Show, launches visitors through time and space to experience the life and death of the stars in our night sky. Travel 13 billion years into the past, when the first stars were born, and witness brilliant supernovas that sent new kinds of matter coursing through the universe, into the atoms of our bodies, and into the air we breathe. Visit the heart of our fiery Sun and glimpse its distant future as it transforms into a massive red giant. Tour familiar stellar formations, explore new celestial mysteries, and discover the fascinating, unfolding story that connects us all to the stars. Hayden Planetarium, Rose Center for Earth and Space

Journey to the Stars was developed by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (www.amnh.org), in collaboration with the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco; GOTO INC, Tokyo, Japan; Papalote • Museo del Niño, Mexico City, Mexico; and Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C.

Journey to the Stars was created by the American Museum of Natural History, with major support and partnership of NASA, Science Mission Directorate, Heliophysics Division.

Made possible through the generous sponsorship of Lockheed Martin Corporation.

And proudly sponsored by Accenture.

Supercomputing resources provided by The Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin , through the TeraGrid, a project of the National Science Foundation.

ROSE CENTER FOR EARTH AND SPACE PROGRAMS

One Step Beyond

The American Museum of Natural History’s popular One Step Beyond, a monthly event featuring the biggest names in techno, electronica, and hip hop will continue this fall. Guests can get their groove on while cocktails keep the party going. Guests may also enjoy a complimentary screening of the Museum’s Space Show in the Hayden Planetarium Space Theater. Each ticket includes one pass to the Museum for future use. One Step Beyond will take place on October 9, November 13, January 8, February 12, March 12, April 9, May 14, and June 11.

SonicVision—How Do You See Your Music?

Every Friday and Saturday at 7:30 and 8:30 pm

Presented in association with MTV2, SonicVision, a groundbreaking, digitally animated alternative music show, takes audiences in the Hayden Planetarium Space Theater on a mind-warping musical roller-coaster ride. The music, a mix by Moby that features tracks from Radiohead, U2, David Bowie, Coldplay, Queens of the Stone Age, Prodigy, The Flaming Lips, Fischerspooner, Spiritualized, Audioslave, Stereolab, Boards of Canada, David Byrne and Brian Eno, Goldfrapp, Zwan, White Zombie, and Moby, ignites this one-of-a-kind, computer-generated musical and visual experience, while next-generation digital technology illuminates the Planetarium’s dome with a dazzling visual display.  Hayden Planetarium Space Theater

Presented in association with MTV2 and in collaboration with renowned artist Moby.

HAYDEN PLANETARIUM PROGRAMS

Virtual Universe The first Tuesday of every month, 6:30–7:30 pm

Enjoy the Hayden Planetarium’s three-dimensional atlas of the universe. Step into the Hayden Sphere for a tour through charted space—an experience that will redefine your sense of “home.” Hayden Planetarium Space Theater

Celestial Highlights

The last Tuesday of every month, 6:30–7:30 pm

Learn about the stars, constellations, and planets currently visible in the night sky, as well as about special upcoming sky events such as meteor showers and eclipses, in this monthly, hour-long tour of the heavens. Celestial Highlights is presented by renowned Museum astronomers under the brilliant stars of the Hayden Planetarium’s Zeiss Mark IX—the most advanced star projector in the world. Hayden Planetarium Space Theater

These programs are supported, in part, by the Schaffner Family.

AMNH EXPEDITIONS

The Museum established AMNH Expeditions, the first museum educational travel program in the country, in 1953. For 56 years, AMNH Expeditions has presented educational travel programs that reflect the Museum’s past and current areas of interest and exploration and enable travelers to embark on their own explorations of the world in the company of scientists, curators, and educators. Participation helps to support the Museum’s mission to discover, interpret, and disseminate, through scientific research and education, knowledge about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe. Trip categories include Cruises, Expeditions, Family Programs, and Private Jets, Planes & Trains. More information on this and other educational travel opportunities available through AMNH Expeditions can be found at http://www.amnhexpeditions.org.

MUSEUM INFORMATION

Hours

The Museum is open daily, 10 am–5:45 pm

The Museum is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Space Show and SonicVision Hours

The Space Shows are shown every half hour Sunday–Thursday and Saturday, 10:30 am–4:30 pm, and Friday,

10:30 am–7 pm.  SonicVision is shown Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 and 8:30 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. All prices are subject to change.

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)

o        Museum Supersaver (includes 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 may call 212-769-5100 or visit the Museum’s website at http://www.amnh.org.