Most anyone who grew up in New York – or visited the city when they were a youngster – remembers their first foray into the American Museum of Natural History. It’s easy to see why: The massive museum houses an incredible collection of fossils, skeletons, robotic dinosaurs, stuffed mammals, and sparkling minerals and gems, including the Star of India, the largest blue sapphire ever discovered. Suffice it to say, the museum offers hours of captivating, educational fun – for kids and adults. Founded in 1869, it’s one of the oldest natural history museums in the world. Housed in a series of neoclassical and Romanesque buildings, it’s also one of the largest museums of its kind, so you – and the little ones – will probably get pooped out quickly if you try to explore it all in one day. Instead, peruse the museum map upon entering and target specific exhibits. On everyone’s must-see list is the Dinosaur Exhibit, with massive skeletons and hands-on computer programs on the history of these prehistoric giants. The Reptiles and Amphibians Hall and the Hall of Gems and Minerals are also hits, as is the dazzling Rose Center of Earth and Space, opened in 2000, with a massive sphere that seems to be floating in mid-air and splendid exhibits on the universe and our (small) place in it.