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Indiana Jones, NYC style

By Mina Hochberg | Special to amNewYork

3:42 PM EDT, May 15, 2008

An impressive arrangement of fresh tomatoes, avocados and plaintains for use in the dishes at Peruvian resturaunt Pio Pio (Katya Pronin)

It's been nearly 20 years since the last Indiana Jones movie was released. With "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" coming out May 22, here are a few New York-based activities worth looking into that are in the spirit of Hollywood's fedora-capped adventurer.

Hollywood Stunts

Leaping from moving vehicles and swinging from ropes is all in a day's work for Indiana Jones. It can be for you, too, at Hollywood Stunts in the Bronx. This school for aspiring stunt actors will teach you how to break through glass, tumble down stairs and take a punch, among other moves.

This isn't for dabblers, though. The intensive course ($2,200) lasts three weeks and takes place Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you're looking for a quicker thrill, you can satisfy your derring-do cravings with the two-hour "High Falls" session ($45-$65), which teaches you how to fall from heights.

Hollywood Stunts Training Center

1920 Amethyst St., Bronx, 212-752-5105

$2,200 for three-week class, $45-$65 for two-hour session

Visit www.hollywoodstunts.com for course registration

Lizards and Snakes: Alive!

As anyone who grew up with Indiana Jones knows, the fearless archaeologist does have one weakness: snakes. Test your own reptilian fear factor at the "Lizards and Snakes: Alive!" exhibit at the Museum of Natural History. Learn everything you never wanted to know about the slithery, limbless creatures, from harmless facts (there are around 3,000 snake species in existence) to spine-chilling details (the largest snakes are estimated to be about 46 feet long). The exhibit starts May 24.

American Museum of Natural History

Central Park West and 79th Street, 212-769-5100

$15 adults, $8.50 children (2-12), $11 seniors

Trama's Motorcycle & Auto School

Indiana and his new sidekick (played by Shia LaBeouf) get a lot of motorcycle action in "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." If you prefer two wheels to four, you can train to get your motorcycle license at Trama's Motorcycle & Auto School. Trama's offers everything from intro courses, which use a simulator to let you decide if motorcycles are right for you, to experienced courses. Classes are offered at various locations on Long Island.

Trama's Motorcycle & Auto School

212-874-6333

$75-$350 per class

Amazonia Brazil

As the title implies, Indiana is on the hunt for a crystal skull that was stolen from a mythical city of gold in the Amazon forest. We don't know about cities of gold, but if you'd like to take a stroll through the Amazon without hopping on a jet, this exhibit at the South Street Seaport will give you a taste of life in that vast South American jungle. "Amazonia Brazil" is a 13,000-square-foot recreation of the Amazon, rife with the rain forest's sounds, sights and smells. Visit a replica of an Amazonian village and see craft-making and music demos from Amazonian tribes. It runs through July 13.