AKC Museum of the Dog in NYC

April 19, 2019

By Dylan Levy-Lavelle

You may think that having gone to the dogs is a bad thing, but it is actually spectacular. Go to the AKC Museum of the Dog, and you'll surely agree.

Located just south of Grand Central Station in mid-town Manhattan, it has about 300 visitors every Saturday and Sunday, and about 600 visitors throughout the workweek.

They started at New York, then moved to St. Louis, and now - like Lassie - they've come home!

Our visit started with a chance to talk to the museum's executive director, Mr. Alan Fausel. He said that he hopes visitors will learn and experience different types of dog breeds. Dogs are very unique and inspiring. All types of dogs have different jobs.

There is a mind-blowing gift shop. They have a skeleton from 1888 of Belgrave Joe, who lived to be 20 years old. Belgrave Joe is known as the foundation dog of the modern Fox Terrier.

There is a virtual reality simulator where you can try to give dogs commands and orders.

There is also a fossil of Hesperocyon, from 30 million years BC. Hesperocyon was the prehistoric ancestor to modern dogs.

There is also an art and library section, where kids can do projects and read, and adults can relax or dig deep into research on various dog-related topics.

There is also a machine that takes a picture of interested visitors, and matches them to dog breeds. I became a Norwegian Lundehund, and my mom became an American Eskimo Dog. It is remarkable.

My family and I highly recommend the museum for kids and adults alike. (Actually, it was my favorite museum in the world.) Two paws way up!

Dylan Levy-Lavelle, age 9, is The Jewish Post of New York's newest correspondent.

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Visit the AKC Museum of the Dog at 101 Park Avenue, New York, NY, or at museumofthedog.org