May 24, 2012
Also Visit NY State Arts
Museum of the City of New York
(between 103rd and 104th Streets)
New York, NY 10029
Tel: (212) 534-1672
Visit Web Site
Map
Children under 12 free. Families $20 (maximum 2 adults). Admission fees are suggested donations.
Three hundred years ago, when New York was Nieuw Amsterdam, no fewer than 18 different languages were spoken in the city. In 1865, snakes and tigers roamed the streets of Manhattan after P. T. Barnum's famous "museum" caught fire. Following its gala opening, the Empire State Building was dubbed the "Empty State Building" because it attracted so few renters. SoHo was almost replaced by a superhighway. The Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor almost didn't materialize due to lack of funding!
The Museum of the City of New York explores these and other areas of New York history and culture through its collections, housed in a five-story Georgian Colonial building near the top of Fifth Avenue's Museum Mile. Any child who ever wondered why New York City is called "The Big Apple" or how the New York Knicks got their name will find the answers here—and have fun in the process! In addition, the museum's famous collections of dolls and Broadway costumes are sure to appeal to many kids.
If you live or work in East Harlem, you are welcome to walk in and announce "I'm a neighbor" and the admission charge will be waived.
Individual membership for Seniors is $35 (regular $50).
- Directions: By subway: 6 to 103rd Street, walk three blocks west; 2, 3 to 110th Street - Central Park North, walk one block east to Fifth Avenue, then south to 103rd Street
Bus: M1, M3, M4, M106 to 104th Street, M2 to 101st Street
- Disability Access: Fully accessible. Stroller and wheelchair ramp access is available at the 104th Street entrance. Wheelchair accessible restrooms are available.
- Disability Assistance:
Hearing: American Sign Language interpretation is available with advance notice and for an additional fee; call (917) 492-3393. Open captioned videos. Headsets and neckloops available for programs in the museum auditorium.
Vision: Specialized descriptive tours are available upon request; call (917) 492-3393. - Gift Shops: Books, reproductions of antique toys, gifts, photographic prints, greeting cards, collectibles relating to the history of New York City.
- On-Site Parking: None. Nearby public parking garages:
105th Street and Madison Avenue; 97th Street and Third Avenue; 95th Street and Third Avenue; 95th Street between Third and Lexington Avenues; 88th Street between Park and Madison Avenues; 89th Street between Park and Madison Avenues; 90th Street between Park and Madison Avenues; 94th Street between Park and Madison Avenues. - Reference Center: Photographs and archival materials on New York; open Mon-Fri 9 am-5 pm and by appointment.
Get involved with Museum of the City of New York
See more at NYC-Arts
Museum of the City of New York Listings
-
Ongoing The rooms in this exhibition illustrate the decorative arts throughout New York's history.
-
On the Move: Transportation Toys from the Permanent Collection Ongoing
Ongoing On the Move is a special installation of toy and miniature vehicles from the museum's permanent collection that not only suggest the lives of the children who played with them but also reveal how transportation evolved and changed in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
-
Timescapes: A Multi-Media Portrait of New York
Ongoing This 25-minute media presentation on multiple screens grants a view into the history of New York City. With narration by Stanley Tucci, the screens turns back time, allowing audiences to see how the city has changed as it has made its way from a Dutch port town to one of the busiest metropolises in the world.