Time to spend a day at the museum

If you’ve seen either of the “Night at the Museum” movies — and really, who hasn’t seen at least one of them? — then you’d be surprised at how much the actual American Museum of Natural History is like the movie version.

Of course, we weren’t there after closing, so I can ‘t say for sure whether the animals came alive. Whatever.

The special exhibit that we visited on Wednesday was devoted to the brain and how it functions. Which is something I’m particularly fascinated by. And we even waited around for a group tour. In the end, though, I was disappointed. Not that the exhibit wasn’t informative, the guide wasn’t able to answer questions or that each specific section wasn’t entertaining.

It’s just that the whole thing was designed for the 10-year-olds among us. Anything remotely complicated, or worse controversial , was dumbed down to the most elementary level. And that, of course, is good for the young.

I’m just not sure that, for adults, the exhibit offers anything more than either of the movies does.

Below : The trailer for the first “Night at the Museum.”