While I was taking in the breathtaking new show at the Hayden Planetarium (also known as the Rose Center for Earth and Space) called “Journey to the Stars”, my family went on a “quest” to find “Dum Dum”. If you have seen the movie “Night at the Museum”, Dum Dum is the Easter Island statue that likes gum. We’ve been to the American Museum of Natural History a couple of times in the past as a family but never came across that statue. I honestly didn’t think it was real. I thought it was something they added in the movie. That is until I learned from the AMNH publicist, Antonia, that Dum Dum did indeed exist.
I’m happy to report that Dum Dum has been found hanging out in the hall of Pacific People. He’s not a real Easter Island statue (they are too massive in real life) but he sure does look exactly like the Dum Dum in the movie.
Here is a brief video my daughter took of Dum Dum for me (just in case I didn’t get a chance to see him myself, which I did after the show).
If you are planning to come to the NYC area this summer (or anytime for that matter) you should really make plans to visit the American Museum of Natural History and the Hayden Planetarium (Rose Center of Earth and Space). There is so much to see and do there. It’s well worth the trip. You can even add a fun twist to it and take your family on a scavenger hunt! Visit the museum’s official web site at www.AMNH.org and look up some information about things you can find in the museum. Then when you get here send your family on a “quest” to track down everything on your list. That would be a lot of fun!
While you are there you should check out the garden terrace off of the second level of the Hayden Planetarium. I believe you can also access it from the park located next to the museum. Below is a video my husband took while out on the terrace. The big round ball inside the building is where you go to see the shows (Journey to the Stars). That is the Rose Center of Earth and Space (Hayden Planetarium).
