The American Museum of Natural History is one of the biggest natural history museums in the world, but it's far from intimidating – especially with someone like Russell at your side. He’s spent 19 years here, stacking up knowledge on pretty much every exhibit there is, helping coordinate the 100,000 hours volunteers contribute annually, and luckily for us, guiding the odd tour! We grilled him on all things AMNH...
We want to know… what does everyone else want to know?
Are the animals real?
“Yes! All the older dioramas are made from taxidermied specimens set in replicas of the exact locations where they were found.”
Is 'Night at the Museum' stuff really here?
“Lots of visitors ask about the movie – there’s even a virtual self-guided tour showing where you can find some of the exhibits featured in the film, though sadly most of them aren’t actually in the museum, or even real.”
Only a few things from the movie are actual exhibits found in the museum, like Dexter the capuchin, and the Easter island statue “Dum Dum” (a replica of a real moai/ Easter Island statue).
What about the dinosaurs?
“Every fossil is real or an exact cast model of the real thing. The museum houses the world’s largest fossil collection, including the “Big Bone Room” in the basement, which holds large fossils not currently on display.”
What else do you get asked?
“People have asked whether the elevator also goes down (it does!) and about Genghis Khan (thanks, Night at the Museum).”
Russell loves ALL the questions he gets asked, “Every day someone will ask something I don’t know the answer to… and I love that! It gives me something new to go away and find out about, so I’m still always learning”.
Everyone loves the dinos!
Russell’s top picks
When asked what he loves most, Russell doesn’t hesitate. “Gems and minerals,” he says, as we’re on our way to the vast collection of sparkling wonders. He’s not alone - everyone else we spoke to during our visit said the same.
We ask if there’s a particular item he’d take home if he could. “I’d have to go for the giant topaz,” he grins, and when we see it, we totally understand why. It’s dazzling, almost hypnotic, and just one of the many treasures in this glittering gallery we wouldn’t mind finding in a box under our Christmas tree!
Here, you can get hands-on with the science behind the sparkle too. At the periodic table touch screen, you can build your own minerals using different elements – ideal for any budding scientists or curious magpies.
Russell also tells us there’s no strict scientific definition of a gem. “Generally, they’re made up of minerals, they tend to be rare, and are well sought-after,” he explains. No wonder jewellery companies even bring their new employees here to learn about gem types in person.
“I also love the fourth floor,” Russell adds as we leave the glitter behind. “I love how it’s laid out like an evolutionary tree, connecting species through their traits and similarities.” It’s a clever, visual reminder of how everything in nature links together, just another reason why the dinosaur exhibits up there are so… roar-some. (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)
We can see why this is everyone's fave section!
What might people miss?
Russell loves pointing out the little details most visitors walk straight past.
“This giant squid is a good one, actually,” he says, stopping in front of a large hanging model in one of the first-floor halls. “It’s one of the oldest models in the museum, dating back to the late 1800s.”
Nearby, he shows us another creature, a giant clam shell you can actually touch. “Generally, here, if you can reach it, you’re allowed to touch it!”
That’s also true for one of the museum’s heaviest residents: a massive meteorite so weighty “it had to be mounted on metal poles drilled down to the bedrock to stop it falling through the floor.” (Yes, really.) It’s the heaviest meteorite on display anywhere, and visitors are encouraged to rest a hand on it and literally touch outer space.
Speaking of space – don’t miss the nano-diamonds tucked away on the wall in the meteorites exhibition. “They’re older than our solar system itself - that is literally stardust!”
Another old soul can be found nearby! “Lots of people love to look at the biggest tree!” Russell shows us the cross-section of a giant sequoia, one of the world’s biggest organisms, “but over here we also have part of the oldest tree in the world, dating back to ancient Egypt.”
Now that IS a giant shell!
Hidden in plain sight? The Banksy Beetle.
And then there’s one of the most intriguing stories: the mysterious Banksy beetle.
Rumour has it the anonymous artist himself once slipped an altered beetle model into one of the displays – complete with tiny missiles and airplane wings. “Someone spotted it, checked the CCTV, and saw a man in a trench coat walk right up and stick it on,” Russell tells us.
When a Banksy representative later called asking about it, the legend only grew. You can still see it today, on view in a quiet gallery inside the museum’s library on the fourth floor.
See it for yourself in the fourth-floor library! (Open on weekdays.)
What should avid explorers look out for?
Russell’s advice for curious visitors? Keep your eyes peeled — because some of the museum’s most fascinating finds are hiding in plain sight.
If walls could talk…
“One thing I always point out,” he says, “is the fossils embedded in the walls around the Roosevelt Memorial building.” The walls are covered with 195-million-year-old Hauteville Limestone, called 'fossiliferous', which literally means stone full of fossils. Once you know to look, you’ll start spotting ancient shells and sea creatures frozen in time right there in the architecture. Proof that at AMNH, even the walls are exhibits.
A diorama with no glass (gulp)
Most of the museum’s famous animal dioramas are safely behind glass, but not all of them. "If you venture into the darker corner of the Hall of Ocean Life, you might stumble upon one of the few that isn’t.” We won’t spoil exactly which creature it is… but let’s just say it’s big, tentacled and slightly unnerving to meet without a barrier between you.
A light show on the fourth floor
Up in the dinosaur halls, take a closer look at the display cases on the fourth floor. “If you spot faint outlines on the panels, try shining a light through them.” They’ll come to life, revealing hidden fossil shapes and ancient creatures in glowing silhouette. A little museum magic for those with an extra beady eye.
Okay, so Russell may have helped us spot these!
After chatting with Russell, it’s impossible not to catch his enthusiasm. Whether it’s a sparkling gem, a hidden fossil in the wall, or a possible Banksy bug, the museum rewards anyone who looks a little closer.
So keep your eyes peeled as you wander and see how many of his secrets you can spot.
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