And, purely on an economic level, the dinosaur halls help draw three million visitors a year to the museum.
The two dinosaur halls were finally ready last year, much to the relief of children who had been sorely deprived for several years.
The two dinosaur halls on the museum's fourth floor have always featured the great fossils themselves, with simple written explanations of relationships.
A gala welcomes a museum's new dinosaur halls and a block party celebrates a children's school in Harlem.
There is also an expanded dinosaur hall, with dinosaurs from every era, as well as interactive displays.
Lois Schneider of Manhattan has walked through the dinosaur halls "a couple hundred times," in her 40 years.
The dinosaur hall of the museum is the world's largest museum hall completely dedicated to dinosaurs.
A major restoration of the museum's two dinosaur halls, with scientifically reconsidered displays, was unveiled early this month.
The opening of the dinosaur halls is part of the complete remodeling of the museum's fourth floor.
Although the dinosaur halls are closed for renovations until 1995, the Barosaurus escaped storage and stands here, along with a few companions.