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Museum · New Haven, Connecticut
Peabody Museum of Natural History
Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, founded in 1866, with a dinosaur hall, a brontosaurus skeleton and the large mural The Age of Reptiles. There is no admission fee.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Peabody Museum of Natural History
The Yale Peabody Museum was founded in 1866 with a donation from banker George Peabody and is one of the oldest and largest university natural history museums in the world. After a long renovation it reopened with about 50% more exhibition space and began offering free admission.
The large dinosaur hall houses mounted skeletons, such as a brontosaurus that has been there since the first half of the 20th century, and a giant prehistoric sea turtle. On the wall, the mural The Age of Reptiles, by Rudolph Zallinger, painted in the 1940s, shows the evolution of life on Earth over millions of years and is one of the most reproduced works about dinosaurs.
Other rooms cover human evolution, minerals and meteorites, the birds and mammals of southern New England, and the region’s Indigenous cultures. A gallery displays historic scientific instruments from the university.
The museum is on Science Hill, about 1 km north of the center of the campus, and is very popular with families and school groups.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
Two to three hours.
Best time
On weekdays outside school vacation periods, when there are fewer groups. Time-slot reservations may be required at busier times; confirm before you go.
How to get there
It’s on Whitney Avenue, about a 15-minute walk from the New Haven Green. There is local bus service and a campus shuttle. There is no admission fee.
Tip
Start in the dinosaur hall and allow time for the mural, which fills an entire wall. With children, there are hands-on areas to touch fossils and rocks.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Peabody Museum of Natural History
Does the Yale Peabody Museum charge admission?
No. Since reopening after the renovation, the museum has not charged admission.
What to see at the Peabody Museum?
The dinosaur hall, with the brontosaurus and the mural The Age of Reptiles, plus galleries on human evolution, minerals and Indigenous cultures.
Where is the Peabody Museum located?
On Yale’s Science Hill, on Whitney Avenue, about a 15-minute walk from downtown New Haven.