Earlier in May, the American Museum of Natural History opened its doors to its spectacular Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation—boasting a collection of groundbreaking discoveries, from an insectarium and a butterfly vivarium to immersive experiences that explore different networks of life. And so, for this year’s Museum Gala, AMNH president Sean Decatur—along with chairs Tina Fey, Jeff Richmond, and Alice and Lorne Michaels—hosted a fun fete to raise funds to support the museum’s educational and scientific programs.
The Theodore Roosevelt rotunda was aglow with soft, golden lighting as caviar chips and cheese puffs were passed around to attendees such as Scarlett Johansson, Emma Stone, and the cast members of SNL, including Chloe Fineman, Colin Jost, Bowen Yang, and more. At promptly 7:45 pm, guests were welcomed by Seth Meyers, the evening’s host, to the Hall of Ocean Life. Meyers kick-started the evening by regaling guests with the idea of how memorable the night would be if the 21,000-pound whale that was suspended from the ceiling fell mid-dinner. “Instead of Mumford & Sons performing here tonight, it would just be… Mumford,” he joked.
Before dinner service began, Senator Chuck Schumer brought out his comedic chops, opening his speech with an analogy between Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” and his colleagues in D.C., which left attendees stupefied in amusement. Schumer captivated the audience with heartfelt tales of his childhood, recounting how his father introduced him to the magical halls of AMNH as a young kid growing up in Brooklyn. This tradition, passed down through generations, continued as Schumer brought the same childlike wonder and curiosity to his own children and grandchildren.
“One of the things which I enjoy about this museum is that you walk through any given day and you hear laughter,” Sean Decatur tells Vogue. “It’s important to have a sense of laughter and noise and people enjoying themselves. And so I think it’s appropriate that the gala tonight is light and fun because I think that’s so much of what the museum is about.”
Then, Christie’s Sara Friedlander took the stage, starting a bidding war over pizza parties under the stars for 20 people at the museum’s Hall of the Universe and four tickets to Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Seth Meyers (plus the after-parties!), raising $80,000 and $40,000 respectively. In total, the evening raised over $2.5 million to support the museum’s educational initiatives.
To celebrate, Mumford & Sons brought the crowd to life with an exhilarating and moving performance of their hit songs, such as “I Will Wait,” “The Cave,” and “Little Lion Man.” Of course, no one left empty-handed as guests were treated to warm pretzels and hot chocolate before heading home to cap off an extraordinary night at the museum.