Rose Center for Earth and Space
West 81st Street and Central Park West
Manhattan

The Hayden Planetarium has long been part of the American Museum of Natural History, housing astronomical exhibits and presenting sky and 3-D laser light shows. It has been revamped and is now part of the much heralded Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space, which opened to accolades (and controversy) in February 2000.

The Planetarium
The new Hayden Planetarium itself is an 87-foot sphere that appears to float within a 95-foot-high glass cube. The top half of the great sphere contains a state-of-the-art Space Theater, where presentations are created with the aid of highly advanced visual technologies. Video screens in the entrance hall display information to help explain basic space science before the planetarium show begins. The Museum touts the Planetarium as housing "the most sophisticated virtual reality simulator in the world" in civilian use. The Space Show, entitled "The Search for Life: Are We Alone?" uses scientific data to create the sense that visitors are travelling to the depths of the earth's ocearns, then up to the planet Mars, to Europa, one of Jupiter's giant moons, and to stars and planets beyond our solor system. Narrated by Harrison Ford, it is an amazing exploration of how life might exist elsewhere in the universe.

Other Exhibits
The bottom half of the sphere is home to the "Big Bang Theater," where visitors, standing on a transparent glass floor and looking down, witness the explosive beginning of time and space in a re-creation of the first moments of the universe (narrated by Jody Foster). After the 2-minute show, you continue on a gently sloping walkway that chronicles the evolution of the universe, taking you through 13 billion years of cosmic evolution at 3 million years per inch. Above your head, the Scales of the Universe hang suspended in the glass cube enclosure, an exhibit designed to give visitors a tangible sense of the scale and relative sizes of the universe, and of humanity’s place in it.

In the Cullman Hall of the Universe, located on the Lower Level, exhibits and interactive technology explain the discoveries of modern astrophysics, examining such questions as how the universe evolved into galaxies, stars, and planets; how the atoms from which we are made were created in cosmic events; and where the matter necessary for life came from. In a section on "The Search for Life," visitors can explore where life could exist and how it might manifest itself in the universe, for example, on such places as Jupiter’s moon, Europa, or planetary systems around other stars. An especially powerful component of this hall is the mini-theater where you can journey inside a black hole, using computerized visualizations to convey the crush of gravity and the warping of time and space.

The Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth is dedicated to exploring how the Earth works, as well as the phenomena and circumstances that make our fragile planet habitable. The Hall contains an array of 168 rock samples, collected from around the world, and 11 full-scale models of classic outcroppings from 25 countries. Each rock was chosen to tell visitors the most comprehensive story of how the Earth works. Exhibits include, for example, a rare ice core from Greenland that contains in its strata evidence of climatic shifts that occurred thousands of years ago, and towering "black smokers," chimney-like sulfide structures that grow at hydrothermal vents in the deep ocean. Black smokers harbor fantastic life-forms that thrive without sunlight, offering an especially fascinating means of exploring the origin of life on Earth and the possibilities of life on other planets. In the center of the Hall, a suspended eight-foot hemispherical globe re-creates an awe-inspiring view of Earth much like what astronauts see from space. Here, sitting in an amphitheater, you can watch the Earth's rotation and witness projections of clouds and oceans form and recede across the globe's surface, dramatizing the dynamism of our planet. Visitors also experience the sights, sounds and sensations of nature as volcanoes explode, storms thunder, and earthquakes rumble. The Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth also includes an electronic science bulletin the "Earth Event Wall" a seven-by-twelve-foot digital video offering continually updated, in-depth explanations of global events such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and major storms as they occur, and reporting on NASA satellite investigations of the Earth.

Starry Nights
A program of live music and authentic tapas makes visiting the Rose Center even more fun. Each Friday evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., a stellar line-up of musicians performs live on a bandstand below the four-million pound Hayden Sphere, entertaining visitors in the magical setting of New York City’s newest architectural icon, while they nibble on Spanish appetizers like grilled shrimp, and nutty Spanish cheeses, and wonderful olives, accompanied by Sangria or Amontillado sherry. Café tables are located in the Cullman Hall of the Universe, under the Hayden Sphere, where you can sit and relax until the Rose Center closes at 8:45 p.m.

Logistics
Admission to the Rose Center (and to Starry Nights) is included in the museum's admission price (see the museum's web site for details) but there is an additional fee to see the Space Show in the Planetarium. We recommend that you buy your tickets in advance (online or by calling 212-769-5200) because this attraction has proved very popular and tickets can sell out quickly.

Directions and Other Details
To get there by subway, take the B (weekdays) or C train to 81st Street ; or take the 1or 9 to 79th Street. By bus, take the M7, M10, M11 or M104 to 79th Street; or the M79 to Central Park West. A 3-story underground parking garage is part of the Museum campus; enter from West 81st Street.

The Museum Food Court (located on the lower level) has a nice variety of offerings (including a great salad bar) designed to please the palates of both the young and sophisticated foodies. You'll find everything from California rolls to dino-shaped chicken nuggets, with a tempting selection of desserts to boot.

The 77th Street and the Rose Center entrances are handicapped accessible (but avoid the steps on the Central Park West entrance). All public areas are accessible to wheelchairs; all video displays are captioned for the hearing impaired; infrared hearing aids are available in theaters.

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