History and architecture
The American Museum of Natural History opened its first building on this site in 1877. Designed by Vaux & Mould, it was later enclosed by additions. The long Romanesque Revival front on West 77th Street is the work of Cady, Berg & See, with its central section completed in 1891.
Walk around the southeast corner to see a different architectural approach. On Central Park West, John Russell Pope's Theodore Roosevelt Memorial uses a large Roman triumphal-arch composition. Comparing the pink-granite 77th Street front with this limestone entrance reveals how the growing institution changed its public face over time.
What to look for
- Rounded arches, towers, and rough-textured pink granite on West 77th Street.
- The deeply recessed entrance arch on Central Park West.
- Carved animal reliefs beside the Central Park West entrance.
Sources and further reading
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission: American Museum of Natural History
- American Museum of Natural History: Theodore Roosevelt Memorial
Reviewed September 5, 2026.