The exhibition features a long, open city boulevard emulating a street you might find in Cuba. 

¡Cuba! opens with an overview of the country, a look at its people, a map of the island, and a short video explaining its history, including relations with the United States. As you turn the corner you enter a recreation of a bustling Havana street, complete with a pristine 1955 Chevy Bel Air (my dream car). Each storefront offers a deeply engaging exploration into a different slice of what makes Cuba unique.

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Tobacco shed where cigars are made.

A stroll down the right side of the street lets visitors discover Cuba's relationship with religion, sugar cane—the country's main crop—and why Cuban cigars are world renowned, all while listening to salsa and other traditional Cuban music, which can be heard throughout. At the end of the street is an interactive art gallery featuring contemporary Cuban screen printing and more. Visitors can also take a seat at an alfresco cafe to examine Cuba's cuisine and learn how our national sport is their national sport, too.

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See the Cuban boa in the Zapata wetlands habitat recreated in the musuem. Photo by R. Mickens/courtesy of AMNH.

As you cross the street, the soundscape changes to things you might hear in the natural world: the pounding surf, chirping birds, and noises from other sea and land critters. This is the section the kids will really enjoy. First up is a recreation of the enormous Zapata wetlands, the only place on earth to see the endangered Cuban crocodile, followed by reproductions of coral reefs (and the rays that live there) and Humboldt National Park—all important conservation sites. Here kids can check out live reptiles, birds and amphibians, including the Cuban boa, the Cuban tree frog, and six different species of tree-dwelling lizards called anoles. While not on display, you can learn about the world's tiniest bird, the Bee Hummingbird, just 1/20th of an ounce—about the size of a bee.

The last bit of the exhibit features a replica of a cave where kids can examine cave paintings, a model of the world's largest owl, now extinct, and fossilized remains of a giant ground sloth once commonly found on the island.

Try a game of Cuban dominos. Photo by the author.

There are some fun interactives for the kids, too, like playing a game of Cuban dominoes (different than what we're used to), taking a whiff of Cuban coffee, listing to modern music on vintage radios, and flipping through cards for the country's 16 baseball teams.

¡Cuba! can be found in the special exhibits hall on the third floor of the American Museum of Natural History, located on Central Park West at 79th Street. The exhibit runs through August 13, 2017. Museum Plus One admission and timed tickets are required to view the exhibit.

Top image: A 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air on display at the beginning of the exhibition’s boulevard reveals the story behind the vintage cars that famously rumble down Cuban streets. Unless otherwise noted, all photo by D. Finnin/courtesy of AMNH.