What to do for Thanksgiving Week at the American Museum of Natural History

A skeleton of Mammuthus, the mammoth, is on display at the American Museum of Natural History, Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, in New York. The mammoths were larger than their relatives the wooly mammoths and lacked their long hair. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

by: Charline Charles

Posted: Nov 16, 2023 / 01:13 PM EST

Updated: Nov 19, 2023 / 07:09 AM EST

NEW YORK (PIX11) — The American Museum of Natural History promises a wide array of festive activities during the week of Thanksgiving.

The Origami Holiday Tree opens to the public on Monday, Nov. 20 with the theme “Proboscideans on Parade” to celebrate the exhibit “The Secret World of Elephants.”

The 13-foot tree will be decked out with more than 1,000 hand-crafted origami pieces, including “garlands and models depicting elephants, mammoths, and other iconic Museum exhibits,” museum officials said.

On Wednesday, Nov. 22, attendees can catch a glimpse of the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. The Astor Turret on the Museum’s fourth floor overlooks 77th Street where participants can watch the parade floats.

While the museum will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 23, on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 24-25, it will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with more opportunities to visit ticketed exhibitions.

To reserve tickets, visit tickets.amnh.org.

Charline Charles is a digital journalist from Brooklyn who has covered local news along with culture and arts in the New York City area since 2019. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.