Frog Exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History

First came the butterflies, then snakes and now frogs. These live animal exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History are more popular with 2, 3, 4 and 8, 9,10- year-olds, according to the random sampling in my house over the last few years, than AMNH’s other great exhibits.

In one hour of a hot afternoon you can visit a colorful selection of frogs in a comfortable air-conditioned wing of the museum. The frogs come from the same farm that raises the snakes, though their ancestries range from Africa to South America, Asia and America. Knowledgeable docents and interactive displays enhance the exhibit: one interactive display illustrates frog sounds, another is a virtual dissection. How nice to get that experience without torturing the poor frog or the poor child tortured by the torturing.

A nice break from the pace and heat of the city.

Free Music Concerts and Summer Theater in New York, 2007

The list of things that money can’t buy, like the happiness of playing ball with your best friend, grows in the summer in New York provided you have patience, suntan lotion, and good reading material. Free concerts and summer theatre abound if you are willing to set out early to stake a claim for a spot.

THEATRE
For theatre, the highlight of the summer is Shakespeare in the Park, a program from the Public Theatre offering Romeo and Juliet, June 5 – July 8, 2007 and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, August 7 – September 9, 2007.

Tickets are distributed free starting at 1:00 pm on the day of the performance, though the line starts forming at 1:00 am the night before.

If you are short on time and with a little green, The Public Theatre offers $25 orchestra seats.

CLASSICAL MUSIC
For classical music lovers, Lincoln Center offers Lincoln Center Out of Doors,
more than 100 free performances from August 3rd to August 27th.

If you don’t want to spend the day standing in line, you can buy wonderfully affordable tickets to the Mostly Mozart festival at Lincoln Center, which for 2007 is basically Beethoven. Highlights look to be Mark Morris from August 15th – 18th and Christian Tetzlaff, August 10th and 11th.

OPERA
Join the Metropolitan Opera in Central Park for complimentary performances of La Boheme on June 12th and Faust on June 13th, at 8:00pm.

DANCE
Midsummer Night Swing offers great music, dancing and dance lessons under the stars in the Plaza of Lincoln Center on select nights from June 19th to July 21rd. $78 for a six night pass, $225 for the season – per couple.