For Halloween this year, Kim, Lucas and I did something a bit different. Rather than go trick or treating around our neighborhood, we headed to Manhattan for a very interesting event.
We went to the American Museum of Natural History for their 20th Annual Halloween Celebration.
The event sounded like a great idea where we could experience the museum while trick or treating, see characters likes Curious George & Llama Llama, hear live performances and check out what other activities were planned.
We decided to have a family theme for this year’s costume.
While I wouldn’t consider myself big on dressing up, it is definitely more fun when a little guy is involved. We let Lucas pick from a bunch of different costume ideas and he decided to go as a Fighter Pilot.
Kim and I figured that it would be a good idea to try to match in some ways so we went as a pilot and flight attendant! (If Lucas had picked one of his favorite cartoon characters I think we would’ve passed on getting dressed up!)
Kim did a great job putting together her costume but mine ended up being a bit of a pain and due to this, some elements were missing.
The fake pilot hats looked really junky and I didn’t want to spend $80 on the real deal so I went without a hat. I also passed on wearing a jacket. I also waited too long to order a real pilot’s shirt so I went with a random white button down. To make it look authentic, Kim made me the shoulder epaulettes. They actually stayed on with double-sided tape and looked really good.
My Delta wings were supplied by a friend so now I have a nice souvenir. I just had to put a sticker on the name tag which was easy enough to do.
We got tons of positive comments (and smiles) about our costumes with many saying we had the best family costume! Some people even thought that Kim and I were wearing real uniforms! (Due to not having a complete costume, I was asked for directions by one visitor and a security guard asked if I was working!)
A little about the American Museum of Natural History’s Halloween Celebration.
We were actually a bit surprised by just how packed the museum was. This definitely took away from the experience and it wasn’t really a great time to try to actually see the museum. If you went specifically for the Halloween festivities, then it made for a fun time.
Our visit got off to a good start. Right after entering the museum we came across one of the trick or treat tables and grabbed a few candies. These tables were spread out throughout the museum which was fun. However, by a little over half way through the event, most of the bowls were emptying out!
We were also excited to see some character favorites. We first came across Llama Llama. Lucas actually wasn’t familiar with him but I’m a fan due to reading the books at work!
Getting an elevator proved to be practically impossible due to the crowds. Luckily Lucas was awake and walked up the stairs and I folded up and carried his stroller.
We then made our way to the room featuring an enormous model of the Blue Whale which is definitely a sight to see! In the area down below, a band was playing. We wandered around the circumference of the upper level and came across a group of these strange characters.
There were also a few stations set up for arts & crafts. Lucas enjoyed working on a couple of projects during our visit.
The line to take a photo of Curious George was way too long for us but we did take one with this strange-looking character!
Overall we had a fun time spending Halloween at the museum. It was definitely different from any other Halloween for any of us, I just wish it was a bit less crowded.
Tip: If you plan to go next year, I’d recommend getting there early and buying your tickets in advance.
How did you spend your Halloween this year? Did you dress up as anything fun?
Check out the American Museum of Natural History’s event calendar here.
