Visit New York State’s official memorial to Theodore Roosevelt, the state’s 33rd governor and the nation’s 26th president, at the American Museum of Natural History.

Visit the Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda, known to visitors as the grand entrance to the American Museum of Natural History and featuring the iconic battling dinosaurs.

A Rare New York City Find: Roosevelt took an early interest in natural history. When he spied a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) that had been killed at the harbor, he took careful measurements and acquired the skull for display in his museum.

Visit the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall and explore an exhibition about Roosevelt’s journey from a budding naturalist exploring the Museum’s halls to an elected leader with a deep commitment to conservation.

It would be the first specimen in his very own natural history museum. Before long, he’d add tadpoles, insects, and rocks, measuring and describing each one. He also kept a nature journal, recording and drawing living animals and their habitats.

Jul 16, 2019 · The statue was meant to celebrate Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) as a devoted naturalist and author of works on natural history. Roosevelt’s father was one of the Museum’s founders, and the Museum is proud of its historic association with the Roosevelt family.

View of the American Museum of Natural History in 1922, with its main building facing West 77th Street. Plans for the Roosevelt Memorial led to a new building along Central Park West. AMNH Library

Although the monument in front of the Museum is often referred to as the Roosevelt Statue, two other men are also depicted with Theodore Roosevelt. Explore the three figures represented in the Theodore Roosevelt Equestrian Statue:

Theodore Roosevelt first traveled west in 1883 to pursue his boyhood dreams of frontier life. When he returned to New York in 1886, he began to lobby for conservation and his presidency would mark a turning point for the nation's wilderness and wildlife.

Visit more than 40 galleries to view our permanent exhibitions, which offer a "field guide" to the natural world and global cultures.