American Museum Of Natural History Gem Halls Are Reopening

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — After four years of closure, the American Museum of Natural History will reopen the revamped Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals within the iconic Upper West Side museum.

The gem halls closed for renovations in 2017 and planned to reopen in the fall of 2020, but the pandemic delayed it. The reimagined gem and mineral collection will reopen to the public on June 12.

The American Museum of Natural History recently released a video preview of the new gem and mineral halls.

The hall's redesigned exhibits will feature more than 5,000 specimens from 95 countries, and "tell the fascinating stories of how mineral diversity arose, the environments in which minerals formed, how scientists classify them, and how humans have used them throughout history."

The now refurbished 11,000-square-foot halls hold a handful of some of the most spectacular and rare gems in the world, including "the legendary 563-carat Star of India sapphire."

A few of the other stars of the new gem halls include a 3,000-pound block of green and blue labradorite, two remarkable amethyst geodes that are the world's largest on display, and a slice of a fossilized tree that lived 35 to 33 million years ago.

The hall's first temporary exhibition space, the Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery, is opening with the show "Beautiful Creatures," which looks to celebrate the history and contemporary jewelry inspired by animals.

“Generations of New Yorkers have loved the Museum’s mineral and gem halls, storing up memories of family visits and marveling at the glamorous displays of utterly spectacular minerals and gems, while learning about the latest scientific explanations for their formation. Now, as New York continues to endure the many challenges posed by COVID-19, we are proud to be among the first major new museum spaces to open,” said Ellen V. Futter, President of the American Museum of Natural History, in a news release.

Entrance to the gem halls will be included with a General Admission ticket; you can get more info here.