The Board of Trustees of the American Museum of Natural History has authorized the creation of the new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation.
New media and exhibition presentations will showcase collections, bring visitors into laboratories and classrooms, and offer direct access to the Museum's researchers and scientific work, the museum said.
"This USD 325 million, six-storey addition designed to foster the institution's expanding role as a center for scientific research and education," according to the New York Times.
Meanwhile, the Museum said that its scientific and educational programs for the past 20 years have been extended and developed to include new and different types of research, a Ph.D. program in comparative biology, a free-standing Master of Arts in teaching Earth Science program.
Other programs currently serve 500,000 school-aged New York City children on school visits and camps, as well as 5,300 teachers in professional development and teacher education programs each year.
Furthermore, the annual attendance was increased from 3 million to approximately 5 million.
The new extension of Gilder Center will offer a new kind of immersive visitor experience, in addition to improving circulation in the Museum.
It is planned to open in 2019-2020, coinciding with the Museum's 150th anniversary.
The center is named after Trustee Richard Gilder and his lifetime of contributions to the Museum.
The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world's preeminent scientific and cultural institutions. It was founded in 1869, and advanced its global mission to discover and interpret information of human cultures, natural world and universe through wide-ranging program of scientific research, education and exhibition.
In 2009, the Museum completed a major renovation and restoration project of the landmark 77th Street castle facade.