The American Museum of Natural History Introduces Their New Explorer App

Yesterday I attended an event at the Museum of Natural History for their media preview to showcase their newest and latest creation – The Explorer App for iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch.

The app is amazing and if you have either of these devices; iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch, you won’t need the paper map and we can all help save some trees by not using the map.

How’s that for helping the planet? 😉

Earlier this year, the museum launched its first iPhone app – Dinosaurs: The American Museum of Natural History Collections — which displays the Museum’s world-class fossil collection through more than 800 images and stories about eight popular specimens’ discoveries.

Their second iPhone App, the Explorer App has tons of features. Here are a few that it includes:

  • Pre-Loaded Tours: Choose from Museum highlights or in-depth guided tours.
  • Dinosaur Treasure Hunt: Use clues to find specimens and exhibits in the Museum’s fossil halls.
  • Bookmarking: Bookmark an item and receive a link to more information when you get home.
  • Custom Tours: Plan your own tour before you arrive to the museum or on the spot. Explorer comes pre-loaded with over 100 museum exhibits for you to choose from.
  • Museum Info: See opening times and directions to the Museum plus event information.
  • Social Media: You can post links for sharing and posting to Facebook and Twitter!
  • And lots more!

photocredit: AMNH.org

My kids and I loved the new Explorer App. We each took turns holding the iPod Touch so we can see where we were going and look at the museum in 3D. It was absolutely incredible! It made our yearly visit to the Museum even better.

It’s extremely easy to use and easy to find any exhibit, any hall using the Explorer App and if you need to know where the closest restroom from where you are standing (my personal favorite with 3 kids;)), the app will give you a turn-by-turn directions directly to the closest restroom.

The best part of the Explorer App is that it’s free to download from the iTunes Apple store.

The App uses the museum’s free wifi and turns your device into a “indoors GPS” so it can pinpoint your location anywhere in the museum.  It’s basically like having your own personal museum guide right under your fingertips.

In addition to serving as a guide, the Explorer App is also an educational resource that provides visitors with additional information on more than 140 specimens and objects on display, including such iconic exhibits as the blue whale and the Tyrannosaurus Rex.

If you don’t have an ipad/iPhone/iPod touch, don’t fret – the museum has over 350 devices that are available to their visitors on a first come, first serve basis at no additional charge.  Please note, to borrow a device, visitors will need to present a credit card and an authorization hold of $250 will be placed on the credit card and removed when the device is returned.

If by any chance you are having trouble with the Explorer App or cannot seem to access it through your device, the museum has trained a group of 25 New York City high school students as the new App Support Team to assist visitors with the new technology during the summer hours. They can easily be found because they’ll be wearing distinctive blue t-shirts.

Click on the LINK to check out how the Explorer App works on the Museum’s Youtube channel.

Look out for a brand new Astronomy App that will launch later this Fall. It will highlight the research and exhibits of the Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space.

Early next year, the museum will also launch a new web site featuring more content about the museum’s research, collections, programs and
exhibitions.

The American Museum of Natural History
200 Central Park West (at 79th Street)
New York, NY, 10024
Open daily from 10 to 5:45 pm

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