Family Vacations: Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History

Towering dinosaurs and a spine-tingling mummy are just a couple of the exhibits that have made this museum a big hit with families for years. In the Great Hall of Dinosaurs you can see complete skeletons of a Stegosaurus and an Archelon, an extinct turtle species about the size of a minivan.

The famous mural "The Age of Reptiles" is located here. The tomb of a 2,000-year-old Egyptian mummy has been re-created in the museum.

But the museum goes even further to lure children into the fascinating realm of natural science. Its special Discovery Room is designed just for families. Here, "please touch" is the rule, and you can examine a 100-million-year-old fossil, walk in the tracks of a dinosaur, compare your height to that of a mature black bear, and connect the bones of a rabbit. The Discovery Room also features a large collection of live animals, including an air-breathing African lungfish and brightly colored poison dart frogs from South America.

Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History Information

Address: 170 Whitney Ave., New Haven, CT

Telephone: 203/434-5050

Hours of Operation:

Mon. - Sat., 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sun., noon - 5 p.m.

Admission: $7 adults; $5 kids

To learn more about family vacation destinations, see:

Family Vacations: Learn about hundreds of family vacations in destinations all over North America.
New York City Guide: Find out where to stay, what to do, and where to eat when you visit New York.
Connecticut State Guide: Learn about Mobil Travel Guide-rated hotels and restaurants in Connecticut, as well as other recreational activities.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Laura Sutherland is a widely acknowledged authority on family travel and has published several books on the topic, including Best Family Ski Vacations in North America and Tropical Family Vacations.