At the recent social media breakfast, I had a chance to check out the outstanding new exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History: The World’s Largest Dinosaurs. As a native New Yorker, the AMNH and its captivating exhibits of creatures large and small, local and exotic, extinct and current plays a large role in my childhood memories and I can tell it has already claimed a place for my kids.
Dinosaurs are a sure-fire hit with the younger crowd and when you want a huge impact, you can’t fail when you go big. The subject of the exhibit is how lifeforms of such large proportions function–from their organs, to their reproduction, to the volume of food they must consume every hour to sustain life.
The centerpiece is a reproduction of a Mamenchisaurus that appears to breathe as a projector and narrator illustrate and explain how something so large was able to survive.
The AMNH continues to lead the cutting edge of museum exhibits, installing highly interactive displays that kids cannot resist. Highlights for my young children included the “heart pumps” that demonstrate the extra effort it takes for a heart to circulate blood through a larger organism and the simulated fossil dig.
And the AMNH is embracing the new technology even as it explores prehistoric creatures in increasing depth. There are new smartphone apps and the Mamenchisaurus, who you can help name through an online poll, tweets with fans as @Giant_Dino.
If you find yourself in the New York area this summer, The World’s Largues Dinosaurs is a must-see at one of New York City’s favorite family-friendly museums.
