2 Kids & A 20
Day at the Museum
A Ben Stiller Movie that Inspires Learning? Hey, Whatever Works.
By Cindy Morgan
"Can we go to the Natural History Museum?"
It was all I could do not to choke on my turkey burger the other night when my son asked this. Not Legoland? Disneyland? Any expensive theme park that ends in "land?" I don't think my kids have EVER requested a trip to place where they might learn something.
I looked at my daughter: did she want to go to a Natural History Museum too? She nodded along as she chewed her burger. They are at that charming sibling stage where they can't agree on anything, so I immediately made plans for us to go to the Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles on Saturday.
When Saturday rolled around and my daughter asked what we were doing, I reminded her that she and her brother wanted to go to the Natural History Museum.
"Not that one," she wailed.
Huh? Then it hit me. They had been watching "Night at the Museum."
"I want to go to the one in New York."
"Well it's a little late for that now. We're going to the one we can get to in an hour." She stomped off with a scowl on her face to go get ready for what was rapidly turning into a misadventure. Luckily there was no traffic, we had a good audiobook and we were meeting friends at the Museum, so at least they weren't surly by the time we paid our admission and went in.
I think the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles is as old as the city itself‚ the building that houses the collection is easily one of the most ancient and stately around. While some of the exhibits feel a little dusty and in need of a sprucing up, it is definitely worth the price of admission. It has a much narrower collection than the Natural History Museum in New York (no Huns or mummies), but it has plenty of dinosaur bones and rooms of cool stuff.
"What should we see first, the dinosaur bones?" I asked.
My son looked up from the map he was intently studying and shook his head. Instead they agreed to start at the animal dioramas in the Africa and North American rooms. Literally, every animal group includes a baby animal, and so my daughter was transfixed: from the baby elephant to the cuddly looking coyote pups, she would pull me along from scene to scene showing me the baby animals.
We spent the bulk of our visit in the gems and minerals exhibit. They could not get enough of studying the huge variety of crystals, gems and rocks on display. It is a truly amazing collection, and I think based on this section alone my kids might even ask for ANOTHER trip to a Natural History Museum.
"Your diamond isn't real like those, is it mommy?" My son asked as he studied a case of cut and uncut diamonds.
"Of course it's real."
"Really? I thought it was fake."
It is truly amazing to learn what goes on inside the heads of 8-year-olds.
"Did you guys have a good time?" I asked as we made our way past the T-Rex and Triceratops skeletons in the entryway.
"Yeah." They said in unison. A positive consensus on an educational outing? And we didn't have to go to New York for a great Natural History museum.
What I spent: $21: $13 admission ($9 adult; $2 each for kids 5-12); $8 parking (though you can park on the street and feed a parking meter).
What I learned: Eight-year-olds prefer gems to dinosaurs, and whether you are 8, 38 or 58, a Natural History Museum is a place to come back to, because you will never see it all.
What they learned: A family trip to the Natural History Museum can still be fun, even if mom and dad aren't Ben Stiller and Robin Williams and the stuff doesn't come to life while you are there.
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Boulevard,
Los Angeles. 213-763-DINO The museum is open seven days a week, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.