GENERAL GUIDE TO THE MUSEUM 



INTRODUCTION 



The History and Work of the Museum 



THE American Museum of Natural History was founded and incor- 

 porated in 1869 for the purpose of establishing a Museum and 

 Library of Natural History; of encouraging and developing the 

 study of Natural Science ; of advancing the general knowledge of kindred 

 „. subjects and to that end, of furnishing popular instruction. 



For eight years its temporary home was in the Arsenal in 

 Central Park. The corner stone of the present building in Manhattan 

 Square was laid in 1874 by President U. S. Grant, and in 1877 the first 

 section (South Central Pavilion) was completed. 



The Museum is located at 77th Street and Central Park 

 Location 



West, and can be reached by the 8th or 9th Avenue surface 



cars, the 6th or 9th Avenue elevated to 81st Street station, or by the sub- 

 way to 72nd or 79th Street station. The Museum is open 



. , . . free every day in the year; on week days from 9 a. m. to 



Admission " o ' , f i + r 



5 P. M., on Sundays from 1 to 5 p. m. 



The Museum building is one of the largest municipal structures in the 

 City, and has cost approximately $5,000,000. The South Fagade is 710 

 feet in length ; the total area of the floor space is 470,789 square feet, or 

 about 10 acres, of which 271,886 square feet are open to the public. The 

 building when completed is designed to occupy all of Manhattan Square. 



The building is erected and largely maintained by the City, through 



the Department of Parks. Building funds are provided for 



and^'^*ort'°° ^^ ^^^^^^ "^ Corporate Stock, which have been made at 



intervals since 1871. The annual appropriation, known as 



the Maintenance Fund, is devoted to the heating, lighting, repair and 



supervision of the building and care of the collections. 



The Museum is under the control of a self-perpetuating Board of 

 Trustees, which has the entire direction of all its activities as well as the 

 guardianship of all the collections and exhil)its. The Trustees give their 

 services without remuneration. 



The funds which enable the Trustees to purchase specimens, to carry 

 on explorations and various forms of scientific work, to prepare and 

 publish scientific papers and to enlarge the library are raised by contri- 

 butions from the Trustees and other friends. These contributions come 

 from three sources — namely, (1) the Endowment Fund, (2) Member- 

 ship Fund, (3) voluntary subscriptions. 



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