When Virtual Reality Becomes Reality: New York City Museums In the Time of Coronavirus
All New York City museums, including the American Museum of Natural History remain closed for the foreseeable future due to the pandemic. (Julie K.)
I miss museums. New York City museums are one of my favorite things about being a New Yorker.
I miss the Greek and Roman gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I miss Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night and the giant Chuck Close portraits at the Museum of Modern Art. I miss Holbein's Sir Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell facing off in the Frick living room. But, the museum I miss most of all is the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). AMNH has been my second home my entire life.
David W. ‘30 plays with a puppy at the American Natural History Museum, 2020 (Julie K.). David is currently a member of the Science and Nature program at the museum.
My love for AMNH began after I was lucky enough to attend their Science and Nature program when I was younger. Now, it continues that I am in their Lang Program. The nine-year-long program allows me to spend three weeks every summer and two Saturdays a month throughout the school year closely studying the exhibits and going behind the scenes into the hidden collection storage areas, research spaces, and art rooms with museum experts until high school graduation.
David W. '30 observing a dog with another classmate, 2020. (Ginger W.) David has been able to explore his interest in science and nature during this pandemic through virtual museum visits.
When I say that the museum is my second home, I mean it. And I am not alone in feeling that way. My Browning friend, second-grader David W. ’30, also loves the AMNH. He is currently in the Science and Nature program just like I used to be, and he estimates that, before the shutdown, he visited the museum twice a week.
When David asked me to write a Grytte article about dinosaurs, “because there are a lot of them and they are so fun,” I planned on writing about the dinosaurs at the AMNH. After all, as David explains, the exhibits are “entertaining because you get to learn a lot about them.” I just never imagined I would be writing about “virtual” dinosaurs.
While my Lang classes have shifted to Zoom calls, one thing hasn’t changed: we still get to visit the galleries. We just have to walk around the rooms virtually. It has actually been enjoyable. The galleries are empty, and we can go wherever we want.
Of course, I was excited to tell David that if he wants to visit his dinosaur friends or learn something new that he doesn’t already know about dinosaurs, all he has to do is log onto the website and explore. In fact, when I interviewed him for this article, he challenged me with a question of his own:
“Is a Mamenchisaurus’s neck longer than a giraffe's neck?” I found the answer on the AMNH website: A Mamenchisaurus neck could be up to 30 feet long – much longer than the giraffe neck, which averages 6 feet.
For older science-obsessed friends looking for an AMNH fix, I also highly recommend the Neil deGrasse Tyson “Scientific Thinking and Communication” program on Master Class (they currently – and regularly – offer a “buy one/get one free” subscription plan).
Inspired by my Lang virtual museum visits, I searched. It turns out that I can virtually visit the MET, the MOMA, and the Frick anytime I want. It’s not the same as being there, of course, but it is a great way to pass the time while sheltering at home.
When AMNH finally reopens, the first thing I am going to do is invite David to give me a tour of his favorite dinosaurs.
Get your own museum fix here: