Yale Peabody Museum

Come check this museum out if you're into dinosaurs mammals and animals and crystals Egyptians and really cool old stuff. So much to learn here you'll be busy the entire visit there's three floors of educational fun facts. Super crowd on weekends weekdays are better and parking can be difficult.

We went there on a hot summer day. The staff is very kind and nice. And also helpful. This was my first time seeing a dinosaur fossil skeleton. And it’s so impressive. And they got like three or four skeletons and ample of information to read. There is also a section for other mammals and fish birds etc. also with skeletons. It was an amazing experience. The gift shop can be a bit pricey but worth it.

This is a world-class museum, plain and simple. Collections include fossil dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, taxidermy collections , incredible minerals and geodes, and ethnographic collections from the America's, the Pacific abd the Middle East. Admission is totally free, the facilities are modern and immaculately maintained. The gift shop is also a highlight. They stock good quality merch for both kids,and grownups and don't upcharge - although they easily could! If you're in New Haven, invest an hour or two in this museum.

Great place to visit, especially if you want to see some dinosaur bones. There is much more than just dinosaurs here, but definitely the highlight. There is 3 floors of exhibits. Elevator access at all floors and plenty of restrooms. There is a small gift shop. Best of all its free to visit and parking is free with validation.

My fiancé took me to the Peabody because he knew I loved dinosaurs and Ancient Egypt. I loved this little museum! Our first encounter, however was with parking. Visitor parking is ONLY in LOT 22V and it's very tiny at the moment due to construction. Do take your parking ticket with you - parking is free when you validate your ticket at the front desk. It was also a bit confusing for us to find the museum - we ended up going in two different directions before finding the dino footprints on the sidewalk at the far front corner of the lot (we arrived from a direction where we couldn't see the sculpture out front until we were walking toward it.) It is a three minute walk from the visitor's parking lot to the museum. There are three floors in the museum. My first bit of advice is to give yourself plenty of time to see it. The museum closes at five p.m. We arrived around two in the afternoon and only got to see the first floor and the Egyptian exhibit - there are a LOT of informational signs, some videos and an app to see, especially in the dino and early mammal exhibits. The dino exhibit is incredible! Several of the exhibits feature real dino bones, not casts. When you first walk in, you're met by a HUGE brontosaurus towering over the entire room. There are several other dinos and bones to be seen as well. (Part if me wants to start gushing over the dinos and another doesn't want to spoil it for anyone!) There is one bit of the exhibit that was the inspiration for the triceratops sculpture that stands out front. There are two actual triceratops skulls in an exhibit of other skulls - TRex, Lambeosaur, Hadrosaur...the triceratops skull on the left was the one that inspired the sculpture. Upstairs is the Ancient Egypt and Sumerian exhibits. It is a relatively small one, but an interesting one! While it does have some other things, the main stars of the exhibit are the funerary items. They are mostly in the center of the floor and can be seen from most sides. The Sumerian part of the exhibit includes a copy of the world's first known cookbook. I intend to go back one of these days to see the exhibits on the third floor and to revisit the dinos. It was a great experience!

An average museum has many cast items strewn about with signs that give a brief overview. At Yale Peabody everything is numbered and has detailed descriptions. My favorite was the dinosaur exhibit. The signs showed what displays were original and what was cast. Also, the authenticity is incredible. They have more authentic fossils and historical pieces than any museum in its class. Parking was easy and free, staff were incredible. Whoever organized this place went above and beyond and I am grateful for the opportunity to visit

We had such a great experience visiting the Yale Peabody Museum! The museum has three floors, and the first floor made the biggest impression on us-especially since we were there with our 3-year-old daughter who absolutely loves dinosaurs. She was amazed, and honestly, so were we! The other two floors we went through more quickly, which makes sense when you’re traveling with a little one, but the overall visit was wonderful. To our surprise, admission was free-and it turns out it’s now permanently free for everyone, which is amazing. After the museum, we took a stroll around the Yale University campus, which was the perfect way to end the day. Highly recommend this experience!

You can’t beat free! Really lovely museum that’s much larger than you’d think. I recommend setting aside 3-5 hours to be able to see all of the exhibits. Lots of fun topics for children and adults alike! My personal favourite highlights are the living lab and dioramas on Floor 3. They do close fairly early at 5pm on Friday, so be aware of the time when you go!

We were recommended this place as it has dinosaur fossils which the kids might find interesting. I was skeptical as these kids get bored easily. But after three hours at the museum, the kids were thirsty for more and refused to leave! Kids aside, I loved the museum as well. The dioramas on the third floor were absolutely stunning. One can spend hours looking through the details of the varied landscapes and have fun searching for various animals and life forms. The fossils are another story, they are magnificent. I read through how the museum's past directors didn't follow ethical practices to get these fossils and how the museum is now trying to make up for it. They also have a living lab where they have some live fish, butterflies, frogs, lizards and snakes. The third floor also has various minerals and extra terrestrial objects. And to top it all off, the entry is free. Place is a must visit especially if you have young kids and even otherwise!

Wow! This was my first time here since they reopened. This place absolutely overwhelmed me! It was too much to take in on one day. I need to go back again and again to fully appreciate this museum. The dinosaur skeletons and the crystals were my favorite things. They have a few tables inside and sell some food and drinks. I highly recommend visiting this absolute treasure of a museum!

Kids love finding their way from the parking lot to the museum. You simply follow the dinosaur footprints in the cement sidewalk. This isn't a large museum, but the exhibits are well-spaced out, providing ample room for walking and viewing. The museum exhibits are highly educational and span three floors, including an impressive collection of dinosaur bones, minerals, stunning 3-D displays, and much more. It's an excellent place to take children of all ages. It's hard to believe that admission is free!

My trip to Boston fell through halfway, and I found myself in Connecticut for the afternoon with the need for something fun to do for a couple hours. The Peabody was the PERFECT solution. So many cool prehistoric creatures to view, including the OG stegosaurus fossil from 1910, the world's largest collection of eurypterids (sea scorpions), great ammonites and trilobites, some very neat overhead layout choices (a Tylosaur chasing an Archelon on the ceiling, while a Pteranodon perched at the foyer), and so nice to see an entire exhibit on the fantastic Cambrian organisms of the Burgess Shale. Best of all, it was FREE as was the parking!

After 13 years of living in CT I have finally made it to the Peabody to see the dinosaurs. I went with one of my other favorite Yelpers to check out the new updates and this museum is impressive. My favorite thing is a tie between the dinosaurs room and the gemstones on the third floor because with both you just walk into the room and stop and stare in wonder and awe by everything that surrounds you. Great way to spend a few hours and their gift shop has some really cute Dino swag.

What a great experience! Getting to see Real dinosaur skeletons was really something else. The wealth of knowledge by the staff really blew me away. They went above and beyond to show my son and I some special projects they were working on and my appreciation is beyond words. Thank you to the staff and we will definitely be back very soon.

I am beyond thrilled to say the Peabody is back and better than ever! Free admission too which is an absolute PLUS! We had the best time walking to the museum and seeing the Dino statue and footprints leading up to the doorway. We were greeted by the nicest people and were given a parking voucher. My 1.5 year old loves running around, pointing at all the Dino, skeletons and figurines on display. We went to every floor and loved each level. We even loved the live animal section with fish and butterflies! I wouldn't recommend a stroller though because it can get difficult to meander through crowds. If your child is walking get them moving and see all the exhibits! Very toddler friendly. Will definitely be back!

Came here before celebrating that New Year's Eve! Lovely museum, but a bit sparse. There was an amazing set of displays across the 3 levels. Very informational and very interesting. However, it was a small set of displays and not a whole lot to see, only about 1-2 hours worth of displays; for the price of free it's not bad!

Fantastic museum with free admission for everyone. Spread over 3 floors, it unwinds so many mysteries of earth and civilizations back in time. World of change aka dinosaurs skeleton section is really popular among visitors. The mineral, earth and space section was my personal favorite, had all sorts of glowing gems and rocks. The technology advancement section was also very educational. Through out the museum Yale's contributions are highlighted. It takes good 3-4 hours to fully explore the museum. Restrooms are very well maintained, super clean everywhere. They have their own parking lot. Associates are friendly. But the gift shop is very small, not much variety of produce.

Love this museum of natural history in New Haven. Admission is always free. You can spend a few hours here. They have a few areas you can sit and relax if you need a break. It's a great winter outing.

The Peabody was a 10 out of 10 in my book! A perfect place for a date or to take kids.

I was so excited to visit the newly renovated Peabody Museum. It's been a long four years! I have such wonderful memories of visiting on field trips as a child and of taking my own children there and wasn't sure what to expect. We spent the night in a local hotel and were in line prior to the 10 a.m. opening which seems to be the thing to do, as the website indicates the free tickets are frequently sold out for consecutive days. If you stand in line before they open, it is possible to get in without tickets, as we did. Upon entering I was so happy to find that they did a beautiful job bringing the museum into the 21st century while retaining the soul of the old Peabody. I can remember standing in the Gothic Revival entrance as a kid and feeling like I was somewhere really special, and also the feeling of awe after walking into the Hall of Dinosaurs. The Gothic Revival entrance was retained, as were the Hall of Dinosaurs, the 110' Age of Reptiles mural, evolution exhibits, dioramas, living displays and many other "old friends". There are clear, concrete, and hands on examples of evolution and extinction. The hands on busts of the evolutionary progression from primates to humans and the Dodo bird exhibit as a well known extinction are powerful and timeless exhibits. Only now all of exhibits are well lit and are surrounded by bright walls and clean glass. The place absolutely sparkles. Now for the not so great stuff: There were some truly appalling displays of bad behavior on the second and third floors. There were kids climbing on the dioramas, repeatedly knocking on the glass of the live exhibits, running, shrieking, etc. Not just a few kids, lots of kids. I saw very few parents redirecting, and it really put a damper on the ability of other museum patrons to enjoy the exhibits. I know this isn't the fault of the museum, however, most of the security staff was on the first floor. Also, I realize things have changed while the museum was closed--perhaps parents should be coached on the fact that this is a museum of natural history, not a children's museum, and acceptable and unacceptable behavior in a natural history museum. Finally, the gift shop is clearly a work in progress--there were many empty shelves and displays. I realize they're just getting their footing. However, I rarely go to a museum gift shop without buying something, but I did on this visit. Overall, the Peabody Museum has retained its magic. It is full of learning opportunities and as another reviewer mentioned, in many ways it's like a smaller version of the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. For me it was well worth the four + hours of travel time and I look forward to returning.

Beautiful museum ! Recently opened back up again after being closed for a few years. I remember going when I was in elementary school. So it was nice to go back. 3 floors. It's huge. Took is a few hours in there. There's a bit of everything. Culture, earth, dinosaurs, history and more. . It is free but it's best to go on the website and register for the day you plan to go. It'll tell you if they are booked for the day. Once you register it'll tell you I. More details about parking. There is a nice big lot that is free on the weekends. Museum is wonderful for families. They do have elevators .

Being born and raised in the D.C. area, I'm used to a pretty high caliber of amazing free museums. And it was certainly a bit of a culture shock when I started traveling the country to realize that all museums arn't also both amazing and free to enter. Luckily, New Haven Connecticut feels like a slice of home to this D.C. area native. The Peabody Museum was just incredible. If you scroll through the first 100 Yelp photos or so like I did, you would think that the museum is almost solely dedicated to dinosaur bones and fossils. And it almost certainly could be made up of just that epic first floor and still be an incredible museum. But as you go up the levels and see the absolutely engaging exhibits which include rocks and minerals, live insect exhibits, ancient civilizations art and more - it just dawns on you how crucially epic their collection is. I particularly love minerals and stones and this part of the museum left me starry eyed. You really could spend a good deal of time in this museum. And it would be well worth it. If you're in New Haven, I'd REALLY suggest paying a visit. Did I mention it's free?

Great museum. Free admission, plenty of rest spots. Updated, modern and clean. Had a great time!

I hadn't been to the Peabody Museum since I was a kid and I am super impressed with the improvements. My son especially liked the geode and mineral exhibit and we all really enjoyed the dinosaurs and fossils. The museum is free for all admission right now also which is amazing. The museum is 3 floors of exhibits and there are stairs or elevators to access each floor. The gift shop is small with limited options.

I've lived in CT my whole life and never visited the Yale Peabody. I was so happy to see after extensive renovations they are open once again. It's stunning to me they also have free admissions to everyone! We visited today. We were greeted and helped right away. If you park in their lot remember to have them validate your parking! I loved the Dino tracks to the statue outside. I didn't get too many other pics as I don't like to post pics that may have others in the background. It was a busy day and schools must have been on field trips. The museum is open, inviting and has informative displays detailing every piece. I also saw and overheard workers taking great care to ensure signs that needed updating were inclusive and helpful to all visitors. Way to go! My husband enjoyed the second floor best that shows early technology and other studies. We visited the gift shop as we like getting a magnet to each place we visit. It was bright, filled with many options and we heard the workers helping visitors find items they needed. We will be back as we certainly can see more in another day. 5 stars!

One year into the new renovations this is a gem; both information wise and architectural! Signage is the best. Elevators and accessibility are superior. Staff is very helpful. Spent a few hours and there was so much more. I was especially interested in the Pacific Islands section as I lived and worked in that area for five years. AND it is free! Glad we were on a trip that included bus transportation as the parking must be a disaster.

This was our first trip to the Yale Peabody Museum after it reopened last year following a 4-year renovation made possible by the generous gift of US$160m from Edward P. Bass '68. It is absolutely stunning - every part of the museum has been thought through and updated. The museum has been expanded from 2-story to 3-story. Specimens have been reassembled to include updated information gleaned since they were previously displayed. For example, the stegasaurus has a longer tail than when it was displayed in the past. There is more use of casts of artifacts so that visitors can be invited to touch them. The layout has been reconfigured to make space for temporary exhibits with its first such exhibit opening today on "Mind/Matter: The Neuroscience of Perception, Attention and Memory". We went back to look for the leafcutter ant exhibit which used to stretch over several rooms. The colony is now in three small containers in one room with other (separately housed) living exhibits such as monarch butterflies and poison dart frogs. The signage now includes information about the students and staff working, researching or otherwise interacting with the specimens from different disciplines to inspire the next generation. https://peabody.yale.edu

Newly renovated museum in New Haven. Admission is free. Great way to spend the day with family.

The Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum that opened in New Haven, Connecticut in 1866. Owned by Yale University, it is one of the oldest, largest and most prolific natural history museums in the world. It was founded by the wealthy philanthropist George Peabody at the behest of his nephew Othniel Charles Marsh, an early paleontologist. Marsh was an undergraduate and later the Professor of Paleontology at Yale University. His teams discovered dozens of new genera of dinosaurs and other fossil animals, including Triceratops, Brontosaurus, and Hesperornis. To help house some of the discoveries, Peabody founded the museum with a gift of $150,000. After Peabody died three years later, Marsh became one of the museum's first curators. He would later discover 56 new species of dinosaurs during the 'Bone Wars' of the late nineteenth century. The museum was later demolished in 1917 and the current building opened in 1925. Over the years, the museum grew to have one of the finest collections in the country. In 2018, the museum received a gift of $160 million towards the cost of a new renovation. It closed down in 2020 and reopened at the conclusion of the renovations in 2024. I have visited the Peabody Museum more times than I can count. The museum has an excellent collection of dinosaur bones and I was OBSESSED with dinosaurs growing up. In fact, I'm still obsessed with dinosaurs. I was very happy when I heard that the museum was getting a long overdue makeover. My family and I recently visited the museum after it finally opened again. This was the first visit for my two sons, as they were both born after the museum closed. They loved looking at the statue outside of a large Torosaurus: a dinosaur named after O.C. Marsh himself. After entering inside, we explored the Hall of Dinosaurs which featured the beautiful "Age of Reptiles" mural. I can't even begin to fathom how many times I stared at the mural. From there we explored different halls that featured prehistoric mammals, early humans, Egyptian artifacts, Mesoamerican artifacts, minerals, North American dioramas, etc. We loved exploring all of the collections. I also loved all of the changes to the museum. It's so much brighter inside now thanks to new windows and lights. For so many years, it seemed so dim and depressing. I especially like the new Central Gallery which features skeletons of an Archelon and a Tylosaurus suspended from the ceiling. We had so much fun exploring the Peabody Museum and we look forward to several more visits! Best of all, admission is now FREE!

This has been newly refurbished and opened. I was like a kid in a candy store. The collection of fossils and geology rival the Smithsonian in their variety and quality. There are several touch screens to bring the exhibits to life. I liked how they updated historical narratives and explained what past scientists have gotten wrong, and included pictures and biographical information on those who contributed to the exhibits. The refurbishment was done with students in mind and that is apparent by the several lounge spots as well as classroom spaces on property. A truly spectacular museum and it's free! Don't hesitate to go.

I got to visit the Peabody Museum shortly after their reopening! I had not visited since I was a child. I was pleasantly surprised by all the exhibits. Despite there being so many schools everything moved swiftly. The staff was very courteous and friendly. I do wish the gift shop had more stuff with the museums name. However, they did have a good range of prices. I will definitely be stopping in again soon.

Thrilled to be there. The beautifully presented and kept collections were both informative and inspiring. We were actually happy to see Yale doing this to help the next generation(s) to see themselves as interconnected lives with nature and history. Well done, Yale!

absolutely beautiful, well-maintained, renovated museum. so many cool, varied, and historically significant collections from all over the world. free admission is a huge coup for the culture. took me about 3 hours to get through all 3 floors at a decently slow pace. such a great amenity in the area!

Beautiful new renovation. Helpful staff. Will definitely be back again and again The fact that it's free to get in now is an added bonus

I never saw it before the renovation, but this is beautiful. A small version of New York's Museum of Natural History with dioramas and interactive touch screens. It's fantastic for children.

I would go right down the middle on my rating of the new Peabody Yale museum. This is only because we had visited the old museum so many times, if you were seeing this with fresh eyes your opinion may vary. The old Peabody had many amazing exhibits but was indeed a bit crusty dusty and dark as can be, still filled with treasures and very interesting. The new Peabody is catering to it's going to be new fan base of the next generation with toddlers and kids growing up to see it the way it is very open very sterile white very spread out with lots of comfy seating. We found ourselves all drawn to the parts of the museum that had not undergone massive changes like the dioramas and the dinosaur room itself. We enjoyed the seating in the atrium, and visited the exceptionally non kid friendly not even teen friendly gift shop. My 20 yo daughter wore her Peabody necklace from years ago hoping to find an updated version and alas there were t shirts and very expensive jewelry, no stuffed animals, no pencils with rocks inside, no keychains, not even kids books on the exhibits they had just seen what a disappointment. The mummy/sarcophagus is gone from the museum one of the absolute iconic exhibits the old Peabody had and this may be due to where/how it was sourced I'm unsure. We did spend about 3 hours here because my daughter and her friend were with us and they are your typical read every fact plaque museum goers but we were all in unfortunate agreement that the Peabody of all of our childhoods was the best and will be missed. The parking lot holds about 30 cars free and was filled so we had to find street parking and hoof it 4 blocks.

Nice, smaller museum and good for kids, etc. Parking is all right, especially when it is on the weekend but to get there early. Decent food at a bagel place a short distance away. Exhibits are decent and the kids enjoyed it.

The Peabody Museum is back!!! After a few years of being closed the Peabody Museum recently opened back up. Very exciting and interesting exhibits especially the Dinosaur exhibits. The dinosaurs are obviously the main attraction and do not fail to deliver. Pretty cool that lil old Connecticut has such cool looking dinosaurs. Young and old alike all seemed intrigued and impressed by this particular exhibit. We went on a Saturday afternoon and the place was filled with people of all ages but not so crowded that you couldn't get up close and personal with the dinos. There appeared to be a lot of younger staff who surprisingly knew the subject matter and were genuinely interested in sharing their knowledge on the subject matter. That was a major positive. I feel the museum is in good hands with these young people working there. Two thumbs up on that!! Other highlights included the exhibits on South American and Egyptian ancient civilizations. Although not as extensive as I've seen in other major museums they were still quite good. There were a few areas that keep this from being a 5 star review. #1 The exhibit on Yale's relationship with the slave trade is incomplete in my opinion. This is an important part of Connecticut's history. Although I learned some things I never knew before I was left with the feeling that there is much more to the story. A full accounting of Yale's full involvement is important. #2 I felt there should be short documentary films buttressing the exhibits as I've seen in other museums around the country. And maybe more interactive media to engage the visitors. #3 The third floor is listed as having exhibits but it wasn't open to the public #4 There was no gift shop open yet according to staff. Come on folks. We want to buy some souvenirs lol #5 And finally , maybe a small cafe on the premises to get a drink or a bite to eat Overall, Not a bad job by the Peabody Museum. Definitely some room to grow and get that 5 star rating in the future. Thank you and good luck

Very impressed with the museum. Great displays. Sometimes difficulty figuring out what de Rustin sent with what item.

Gorgeous renovations. Dinos. So many crystals. So wonderful for kids! Plus it's free!!

I am a student at a school far away. We came here for a field trip to learn about ancient Mesopotamia. I thought it was going to be a normal museum but man was I wrong. This museum was awesome and I can't show how well the establishment is it is worth a visit.

Wow, very disappointing. Grew up in the area, Peabody was always a favorite. Couldn't wait to see all the changes. Wow. They've managed to create a very sterile and uninteresting experience . Many of the classic exhibits are done (Polynesia, Native American, the mummy). No longer greeted by a giant squid. Glad it's free b/c if I had paid for admission I'd have demanded a refund.

A blast from the past. I used to come here when I was little I must say coming back here with my wife made me feel like a little kid again. The most impressive section were the rock & minerals and dinosaurs. We stopped in a whim since we found ourselves literally walking by and saw the giant Triceratops statue outside. I'm not a big museum person but overall I enjoyed myself and look forward to coming back one day with kids and seeing their eyes light up with all the cool things they have in here.

This museum blasted me back to the past in terms of low-frills and nicely curated natural history exhibits. You'll find very few screens with super animated, interactive displays - and that's perfectly ok. It's good to disconnect from the tech and dive into natural history! The dinosaur hall itself is a reason to visit. They have an amazingly large collection of dinosaur bones that anyone would find fascinating, even someone maybe not so into dinosaurs (noted: me). I also was impressed by the huge [stuffed] bird collection. A great spot you could whip through in an hour or easily spend the whole afternoon.

I liked it better when it was old, dark, and creepy. Something was lost with the renovation. One extra star for the free admission and parking.

The Peabody Museum of Natural History crams a lot of wonderful exhibits into its three floors. You'll see a lot of Dinosaurs - bones, skulls, and full size recreations. You'll see lots of square footage dedicated to the story of Early Man around the globe. You'll see a lot of Insect exhibits including some very cool stuff in the children's room like Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches and thousands of Leafcutter Ants that crawl around a big plastic cube, up a plastic tube, and march down the length of the room. You'll see exhibits dedicated to mammals including big horned rams and bears (Polar and otherwise). You'll see a truly gorgeous display of gems, rocks and minerals that will make you wonder how these things were made naturally and not in some artist's studio. One of the day's temporary exhibits explored the link between birds and flying dinosaurs. It included some amazing fossils that were so detailed you can see imprints of the feathers. The museum can easily be seen in three hours or so, and the place was crowded with families and young faces filled with delight, wonder and amazement.

Nice Museum parking can be tricky in durning the weekends. Great information and nicely kept. Good place for kids.

This is a great little museum. It's not as large as the natural history museum in NYC, but I think the quality is far superior. The mineral and gem gallery was the best part of the whole experience; they've curated an enormous, gorgeous collection that left me breathless. The section on Egypt was a bit sparse, however the mummy was cool and seeing the hieroglyphs was neat. I do note that someone inscribed some sort of graffiti directly onto the hieroglyph on the far right of the wall on the top side. Shameful act, if you ask me, and maybe there is something the museum can do to restore that. If not, they should perhaps consider posting a guard in that area to keep an eye on people who would do things like that. Whether you're looking for rocks & minerals, space, the world we live in, dinosaurs, or something else - the museum is bound to have it. Everyone was friendly and courteous and we will definitely be back with the rotation of the exhibits!

Went on Valentine's Day with my boyfriend and I loved it! Even though the dinosaur area was being remodeled and unavailable to the public, the rest of the displays had plenty to offer. The nature dioramas were really well done, and the gemstone/mineral room was mind blowing. I could have stayed in that room alone all day! If you're a college student make sure you bring your student ID so you can get in free of charge! Otherwise it was a very reasonable $10. Loved it!

I loved going there as a child and will forever cherish this place. It's the reason I love learning and am always yearning for more information. Although the selection is small, it is a great museum to just walk around in and enjoy the wonders of the scientific world.

Great museum. 1) It is not as big as the DC or NUC museum. But still great if you are around the area. 2) There is a cost of admission unlike other Yale University operated museum. 3) Overall, I will recommend it.

I was disappointed in the Peabody. This is a museum that was founded by one of the preeminent paleontologists in 19th-century America, O.C. Marsh. Instead, it looks like an 18th-century curiosity cabinet with no rhyme or reason for the order or choice of displays. The first floor is dedicated to paleontology. Great. But when you walk in, you first see a small exhibit about California gold. Sure. When I see gold, I always think, "Hey...dinosaurs." There is a wonderful display of minerals on the third floor so why not put anything about gold up there? There are displays of fish scattered on the walls in the dinosaur hall. As far as I could tell, they weren't ordered according to geological timeline or anything. Just. Fish. They do have a nice center exhibit of mounted specimens such as stegosaurus and a few bits of text about the Bone Wars and Marsh's rivalry with E.D. Cope. But why not make that the theme of the room? Then they could focus on Marsh's findings, like the controversy over his discovery of birds with teeth and the importance of many of his type specimens. They could talk about his work in Wyoming and Kansas and his expeditions with the Yale students. How about something concerning his advocacy for Native Americans? Some of these things are mentioned, but there is no coherent narrative. Instead, it's a hodgepodge of fossils without any in-depth explanation of relationships and scientific significance. As I said, the mineral exhibit upstairs is really nice. It was interesting to see the Weston meteorite (first meteorite scientifically recorded in America). And in the mezzanine they had on display hadrosaur ribs still in their original burlap wrappings used to protect them during shipping in the 1890s. I haven't seen that in any other museum. This is Yale, people. Is money that tight? The Tate at Casper Community College is as good, if not better, when it comes to fossils. So is the museum at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. I can't imagine they have better funding. I cannot recommend coming to New Haven just to see this, as I did. If you are in town for some other reason, sure, why not.

Superb. Educational. Spectacular. World renowned. Top curators. Amazing artifacts. Will go back.

This was an exquisite Museum. I'd really recommend stopping by if you are in the New Haven area. I went with friends and we spent the day. There's much to see. It's a pretty large place. My favorite section was without a doubt the Native American Section. It was cool to see the history of everything and read about it and some of the exhibits were just magnificent. It's a must see.

This museum wasn't my favorite museum I visited while in New Haven, mainly because I'm not really interested in learning about animals or gemstones. Despite my learning preferences, I was so shocked I actually had a good time. If you visit you have to ask for the audio tour. You can get the set free of charge just give them your license/ID. Definitely beats reading those long paragraphs by each sculpture. I learned so much just by listening to all the information provided. One of my favorite areas was the interactive kids area with the ant farm. Who knew how fascinating ants could be!? Overall highly recommend. Don't forget your student ID if you have one!

Peabody is a jewel of a museum; a little bit of everything, with quality specimens in every exhibit; superlatives like, oldest in the world. Also, splendid dioramas made by same artist as AMNH in NYC. Unique cathedral-like building.

I've been going to the Yale Peabody Museum since I was a kid and now have been delightedly bringing my kids here for years now. It's one of the finest small natural history museums around, with a famous dinosaur collection (with one of the first raptors discovered, inspiring the theory that they were warm-blooded and related to birds -- and the inspiration for Jurassic Park), and cool wildlife dioramas on the 3rd floor. There's also a small but decent ancient Egypt exhibit on the 3rd floor, complete with a couple of mummies. As a kid, I've always been creeped out by the life-size giant squid (Architeuthis) model in the lobby - and as an adult, I'm still creeped out by it! But my favorite is visiting the live leaf-cutter ant nest on the 2nd floor Discovery Room and seeing how they're coming along on each visit. The Peabody also does a nice job with revolving special exhibits on the first floor that are always well-done and interesting. Highly recommend getting a family membership as it easily pays off with only a couple of visits. A tip: If you have a membership, you get reciprocal visiting privileges with the Harvard Natural History Museum -- and vice-versa.