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Art & Culture

World Cup Fever Hits the American Museum of Natural History

A curated lineup of events and experiences, including watch parties and special exhibitions, examines the science and culture of athletics

By Amy Elliott
Audience in a theater watching a soccer match on a large screen, with stadium atmosphere visible in the background.
Select matches will be broadcast on the LeFrak Theater’s 60-by-40-foot screen, in the Cullman Hall of the Universe. Photo: ©AMNH

As the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) sees it, the weeks-long FIFA World Cup soccer tournament is more than a sporting event—it is a cultural moment worth exploring and contemplating on a larger scale. Starting June 11, the beloved NYC institution will kick off a series of watch parties open to visitors of all ages. Select matches will be broadcast on the LeFrak Theater’s 60-by-40-foot screen, in the Cullman Hall of the Universe, as well as in the newly opened Global Sports Pavilion, a temporary exhibition space located in the Futter Gallery.

The festivities don’t stop there, however. The FIFA watch parties are part of the AMNH’s broader programming series covering artifacts and mementoes of sports history; interactive play spaces offering soccer-inspired activities; and hands-on learning opportunities that explore the science behind sports through educational labs and immersive exhibits. The series also includes a community event scheduled for July 11 that pairs the cosmic phenomenon known as “Manhattanhenge”—when the setting sun aligns with the grid of Manhattan—with a celebration of the city’s tradition of neighborhood sports (e.g., pickup soccer, double Dutch, and street dominoes). 

Display of various sports trophies, medals, and championship belts in a dimly lit museum exhibit titled "The Art of Winning".
“The Art of Winning” displays Claressa Shields 2019 WBO Middleweight Championship Belt, the NFL’s Vince Lombardi Trophy, Major League Baseball World Series Commissioner’s Trophy, the NWSL 2023 Championship trophy awarded to NJ/NY Gotham FC, and the MLS Philip F. Anschutz Trophy awarded to New York City FC in 2021. Photo: Alvaro Keding & Daniel Kim/©AMNH

The museum’s For the Win: Objects of Sports Excellence, which opened last month and will be on view through early 2027, is a showcase of more than 70 championship trophies, medals, and jewelry across nearly 150 years of sports history. Located in the museum’s Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, visitors can expect gleaming Tiffany & Co. cups, championship rings, chains and belts, and other commemorative and personal objects belonging to sports-world luminaries.

Drumming group performing energetically at an outdoor event, wearing colorful patterned outfits and smiling.
On Saturday, June 13, the American Museum of Natural History will host the World Cup, World Cultures Celebration, a full day of sports activities and experiences for all-ages. Activities include an afternoon soccer clinic, live watch parties, performances, and more. Photo: Batalá New York

Many of the FIFA experiences, which are free with museum admission, will be accessible to museum guests well beyond the World Cup’s final championship match, offering ample opportunities for educational enrichment throughout the summer and in some cases, into the New Year. Among them are:

Child playing a soccer arcade game with colorful lights, soccer-themed decor, and a large soccer ball in the background.
In the Goal Zone, a mix of digital simulators and table top soccer challenges lets the whole family team up for kicking, goalkeeping, or free movement and play. Photo: Alvaro Keding/© AMNH

Goal Zone

This all-ages interactive experience invites visitors to test their soccer skills through digital simulators, virtual shooting and goalkeeping competitions, a projection-mapped play area for younger children, and dynamic wax figures of soccer stars from Madame Tussauds New York.

Through September 13

People interacting with a display at an indoor event, with a large football mural in the background.
On Saturday, June 13, the American Museum of Natural History will host the World Cup, World Cultures Celebration, a full day of sports activities and experiences for all-ages. Activities include an afternoon soccer clinic, live watch parties, performances, and more.

Global Sports Pavilion

In the museum’s Futter Gallery, large-scale photography and video installations showcase iconic sports moments from around the world, while guests explore how different materials affect a ball’s motion, the geometric design of soccer balls, and the global communities that shape the game.

Through January 3

Three people playing foosball next to large soccer ball decorations on a wooden floor.
In the Goal Zone, a mix of digital simulators and table top soccer challenges lets the whole family team up for kicking, goalkeeping, or free movement and play. Photo: Alvaro Keding & Daniel Kim/© AMNH

Learning Labs Sports Activations

On select days, the museum’s first floor comes alive with hands-on activities in two unique spaces. The Human Origins Lab reveals the biomechanics behind athletic performance—from muscles and bones to neural response. The Discovery room invites visitors to engage with the creativity and personal expression that are often essential to athletic achievement.

Through January 3