Annual Holiday Origami Tree Lighting Held at AMNH Today

Kick off the holiday season at the American Museum of Natural History with the lighting of the Museum's annual Origami Holiday Tree. Museum President Ellen V. Futter will be joined by youngsters from the Goddard Riverside Head Start Program as she throws the switch to illuminate the Origami Holiday Tree. The Josh Rutner Quintet will perform holiday songs after the tree lighting.

The Origami Holiday Tree has marked the start of the holiday season at the Museum for more than 30 years. The theme of this year's 13-foot tree is The Museum's Biggest and Best with ornaments inspired by the current exhibition The World's Largest Dinosaurs and the iconic blue whale (the largest animal in the world) displayed in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life. The decorations also pay tribute to some of the largest and most impressive animals and inanimate objects found in the Museum's halls including elephants, dinosaurs, a stibnite, diamonds, a satellite, the Olmec mask, Mars, and more.

The volunteers began folding in July to complete approximately 800 creations that are displayed on the tree. During the holiday season, volunteers will be on hand to teach visitors of all ages the art of paper-folding.

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