Top of Rock vs. ESB and MMA vs. Natural Hist museum

We booked hotel with New York City Vacation Packages. Included with this were a number of coupons and discounts. Couple of questions about our choices:

1) We%26#39;ve got free admission (though it seems silly since it%26#39;s on a donation basis anyway) to MMA or the Nat. His. Museium. I%26#39;ve been to MMA and LOVED it and would like to go again. I%26#39;ve never been to the Nat. Hist. Museum. I%26#39;m traveling with my 13 y/o daughter and she%26#39;s quite torn. She%26#39;s an artist in her own right, but then loves animals, dinosaurs, etc. (and we just saw the movie with Ben Stiller). Maybe Nat His museum and then a different art museum (Guggenheim, MoMA)? How to choose?

2) We have tickets to either ESB or ToR. Can we combine ToR with NBC tour? I wouldn%26#39;t mind doing both, one in morning, one at sunset. Any opinions on this or how to choose?

Thanks!

Top of Rock vs. ESB and MMA vs. Natural Hist museum

How many days will you be here?

Depending on your collective stamina, you can see both the Met and the Natural History. They are only a crosstown busride away from each other.

You could - in theory - take the ';highlights'; tours of each museum. Start at the Met, then take the bus to the west side. Eat a burger and fries at Big Nick%26#39;s, gather up your strength, and then go to the Natural History.

http://bignicksnyc.com/

Top of Rock vs. ESB and MMA vs. Natural Hist museum

If your daughter loves animals and is an artist, then the Natural History museum may giver her special pleasures. The dioramas in the museum are justifiably famous -- these are exhibits where an animal is mounted (dead, of course) in a recreation of its natural environment. My kids (11 and 9) love them. Your daughter may be especially interested in them due to their high artistic merit. Here%26#39;s a fascinating link to a very recent radio interview on WNY: ';Diorama artist Stephen Christopher Quinn explains just what goes into crafting the one-of-a-kind nature scenes鈥攆rom the Mountain Gorillas to the Squid and the Whale鈥攁t the American Museum of Natural History. '; You can listen to the entire interview at www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/2007/01/02 and scroll down to the 3rd segment. I heard it and it%26#39;s a great interview.

I don%26#39;t know if your reference to MMA is the Metropolitan Museum of Art or to the Museum Of Modern Art, but the Metropolitan Museum is directly across central park from the Natural History museum. If the weather is agreeable you can easily walk it, else take a bus. Admission is by donation and while they suggest $20 the reality is that you can give them anything you want and you won%26#39;t be embarrassed (I know because I%26#39;ve done it), so a ';free'; ticket there is meaningless.

Also, the Guggenheim, which is near the Metropolitan, has what looks like a great exhibit on Spanish painting from El Greco to Picasso http://www.guggenheim.org/picasso/index.html

One other thing, if you%26#39;re coming in February, you should consider The New Victory Theater which will be showing ';Looking Glass Alice'; from Feb 9 - 25 -- see www.newvictory.org/show.m?showID=1007152. This looks like a great show and I%26#39;m taking my family on the 10th. I%26#39;ve been to many shows at The New Vic and am happy to report that it%26#39;s very cheap by Broadway standards (regular ticket prices from 12.50 - 40.00). I%26#39;ve often gotten the cheap balconey seats and they%26#39;re great.

We%26#39;re there for 3 full days, plus half day on each end, Thurs-Mon.

I hadn%26#39;t considered doing both, what with the NBC tour she wants to do too.

My original itinerary had MMA in morn, NBC and ToR in the afternoon...probably Friday, perhaps Saturday. After the tours, dinner and a show.

You posted while I was writing. :-)

We%26#39;re coming end of March, otherwise I would love to see the show you mentioned. Our community theater is doing Alice in Wonderland this coming summer. It would have been fun to see a different adaptation!

Yes, MMA is supposed to be the Met (I forget the right nicknames!). I%26#39;m kind of leaning towards Nat. Hist. Museum and the Guggenheim, neither of which I%26#39;ve seen (it%26#39;s nice for me to see new stuff too). And yes, a free ticket to the Met does seem ridiculous!

Haven%26#39;t followed all of this but:

1) use the free ticket for Mus. of Nat. hist. and then pay you want to go to the Met. If you don%26#39;t have enough time for both, I%26#39;d go to the Met.

2) TOTR is the nicer experience and you get a good view of the ESB from TOTR. If you only have time for 1, go there--TOTR. No combo entry for NBC tour but it is in the same building.

the new vic has a very interesting show, a drama for kids, march 16-25, if those dates work: www.newvictory.org/show.m?showID=1007310