NYC museums have something for everyone, whether your interest is art, history, or New York City itself. From niche spaces dedicated to very specific interests (Himalayan art, the moving image) all the way up to world famous institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim, museums in NYC show off their cultural bona fides seven days a week. 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Photo by Robert Bye on Unsplash.

With more than two million works of art covering more than 5,000 years of history from across the world, the Met is a must-see for anyone visiting New York. You can’t catch everything in a day—or even a week, possibly not a month—so don’t try. Rather, whether you’re a planner or a wanderer, aim for a mix of the two.

Start on the first floor with a trip to the Egyptian galleries, one of the museum’s most popular stops. Be sure to visit the Temple of Dendur, housed in its own gallery. Check out the Arms and Armor collection, also on the first floor. The American Wing courtyard beckons right outside, so admire the sculpture and the Tiffany works of art.

From there, the massive second floor awaits. A stop in European Paintings is a must—many visitors, in fact, head right to the Impressionist galleries. The Asian galleries are vast and incredible, so either choose a section or let your feet wander where they may.

Finish off your visit with a trip to the Greek and Roman galleries back on the first floor; check out the smaller side galleries. And plan for a return visit!

1000 Fifth Ave., 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org

On View Now at the Met Museum |  Mexican Prints at The Vanguard

Photo via Met Museum web site.

Mexican Prints at the Vanguard explores the rich tradition of printmaking in Mexico—from the 18th century to the mid-20th century—through works drawn mainly from the Museum’s collection. Among the early works presented are those by Mexico’s best-known printmaker, José Guadalupe Posada, whose depictions of skeletons engaged in different activities helped establish a global identity for Mexican art. Following the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920), printmaking proved to be the ideal medium for artists wanting to address social and political concerns and voice resistance to the rise of fascism around the world. Through Jan. 5, 2025.

On View Now at Met Museum | Siena: The Rise of Painting: 1300-1350

This exhibit examines a moment during the Italian Renaissance and the important role of Sienese artists—including Duccio, Pietro and Ambrogio Lorenzetti, and Simone Martini—in defining Western painting. In the decades leading up to the catastrophic onset of the plague around 1350, Siena was the site of phenomenal artistic innovation and activity. While Florence is often positioned as the center of the Renaissance, this presentation offers a fresh perspective on the importance of Siena. Through Jan. 26, 2025.

The Met Cloisters

Annunciation Triptych (Merode Altarpiece). Workshop of Robert Campin (Netherlandish, ca. 1375–1444 Tournai).

The uptown branch of the Met may be located in Fort Tryon Park, at the tip of Upper Manhattan, but you’ll feel like you’re miles away—and maybe have stepped back in time hundreds of years. The Cloisters, the only museum in the United States dedicated to the art of the Middle Ages, includes sections of five medieval cloisters, and showcases metalwork, sculpture, paintings, and textiles—including the famed Unicorn Tapestries.

In the warmer months, the medieval gardens yield a fascinating glimpse into how plants were used in the Middle Ages; they’ve been a part of the museum since 1938. Don’t miss the plants in the herb garden, in particular, which are grouped by use—from medicine to magic.

The Met Cloisters, 99 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park, metmuseum.org

The American Museum of Natural History

Photo: D. Finnin, courtesy American Museum of Natural History.

Many people head to the AMNH for the dinosaur exhibits in the Fossil Halls—and they’re not wrong; they’re extraordinary, and those galleries are the home of many a family on weekends. But the museum also offers several other not-to-be missed exhibits, from the Hayden Planetarium in the Rose Center for Earth and Space to the new Earth and Planetary Sciences Halls, which feature rare gems minerals and meteorite, including one that weighs 34 tons. The revitalized Northwest Coast Hall highlights new exhibits developed in concert with Indigenous communities and includes 1,000 objects from 10 Native Nations of the Pacific Northwest. The brand-new Richard Gilder Center for Science Education and Innovation includes galleries, classrooms, and an immersive experience (see below). 

200 Central Park West, amnh.org

American Museum of Natural History: Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation

Invisible Worlds Immersive Experience in the new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation. Alvaro Keding/© AMNH.

It’s got beetles and butterflies, bats’ wings and human brains: it’s the new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation at the American Museum of Natural History.

The new center offers a multitude of extraordinary experiences, all adding up to one incredible, immersive experience.

Immersive is the name of the game in the amazing Invisible Worlds immersive experience. In the Susan S. and Kenneth Wallach Gallery, visitors are introduced to the ties that connect life on this planet, from how organisms interact in ecosystems to why your hands resemble a bat’s wing. From there, enter a world that lets you become part of a Brazilian rainforest, follow migrating jellyfish, and even explore the human brain in a completely immersive experience. You’re surrounded by images that make you feel like you’re part of what you’re observing; at certain moments, in fact, your movements influence the projections around you.

Creepy crawly critters take center stage in the Susan and Peter J. Solomon Family Insectarium, in which you’ll find 18 live species of insects and can interact with digital exhibits to learn about the critical role that insects play in earth’s ecosystems. Get up close with stick insects, crickets, katydids, and grasshoppers—as well as one of the world’s largest displays of live leafcutter ants—and don’t miss the transparent skybridge and fungus garden.

And more than 1,000 butterflies—representing 80+ different species—are flying, feeding, and yes, even landing on you in the David Family Butterfly Vivarium (a structure created to keep animals in seminatural conditions for study or observation). You can let the butterflies stay as long as you like or ask a staff member to remove your new friend if you’re ready to move on. Just be gentle. Learn about the butterfly’s life cycle—and, if you’re lucky, maybe even see a chrysalis break open and an adult butterfly emerge.

The new addition to the museum offers a breathtaking way to explore the natural world in an extraordinary space that connects to the rest of the museum and offers the most hands-on way yet to truly immerse yourself in the life that’s all around us.

On View Now at the American Museum of Natural History | Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry

Photograph by Janette Beckman, Courtesy of Fahey/Klein Gallery.

This exhibition showcases jewelry worn by iconic hip-hop artists from the 80s onward. Pieces on display include Slick Rick’s dazzling crown, the Notorious B.I.G.’s legendary gold ‘Jesus piece,’ the diamond-studded Roc-A-Fella medallion for the record label co-founded by Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj’s sparkling ‘Barbie’ pendant, and pieces from Erykah Badu, A$AP Rocky, Joey Bada$$, FERG, and Tyler, the Creator, among others. Runs through Jan. 5, 2025.

On View Now at the American Museum of Natural History | Turtle Odyssey on the Giant Screen

Image Credit: Courtesy of SK Films.

The American Museum of Natural History has a new offering on the giant screen. The 40-foot-high, 66-foot-wide projection in the Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Theater is now showing Turtle Odyssey. Russell Crowe narrates the journey of an Australian green sea turtle named Bunji as she grows from a hatchling into adulthood. Screens daily.

Museum of Modern Art

Photograph by Jonathan Muzikar, courtesy MoMA.

Boasting one of the finest collections of modern art in the world, the Museum of Modern Art offers viewers a collection with approximately 200,000 sculptures, drawings, paintings, design objects, and more. Works of art from MoMA's collection are shown in rotating exhibits, so visitors can often expect to see things they haven’t seen before. The museum’s vast holdings include Brancusi, Picasso, Matisse, Mondrian, and Monet.

On View Now at MoMA  | Otobong Nkanga: Cadence

Otobong Nkanga: Cadence. Photo from MoMA.

This new commission by the artist is an all-encompassing environment of tapestry, sculpture, sound, and text that explores the turbulent rhythms of nature and society. Created specifically for MoMA’s Marron Family Atrium, the installation centers on a monumental, multi-paneled tapestry that suggests sprawling ecosystems and galaxies. Runs through June 8, 2025.

And don’t forget to check out MoMa PS1, in Queens, which focuses on new artists and experimental practices, as well as community collaborations and partnerships. 

11 W. 53^rd St., moma.org MoMa PS1 , 22-25 Jackson Ave., momaPS1.org

Guggenheim

With its famous Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building visible from blocks away, The Guggenheim has held an iconic presence in New York since 1959. (Wright was actually commissioned to build it in 1943, but various delays meant it wasn’t built until 16 years later.) And just being inside the building, no matter how many times you’ve previously experienced it, is always a thrill. The spiral ramp and unique layout are visually enthralling and unlike any other museum experience. The museum, now one of several across the world, offers exhibits that highlight both the museum’s own collection as well as objects from other museums. Check out the ongoing Thannhauser Collection, which includes works by Degas, Manet, van Gogh, and more than 30 by Picasso.

On View Now at The Guggenheim  | By Way of: Material and Motion in the Guggenheim Collection

Photo from Guggenheim site.

Please note, the famed spiral rotunda is temporarily closed. Now at The Guggenheim, By Way Of: Material and Motion in the Guggenheim Collection features video, sculpture, tapestry, painting, and sound art from the 1960s to today, as well as an ongoing presentation of masterpieces by Picasso, Degas, Van Gogh, and more. Through Jan. 12, 2025. 1071 Fifth Ave., 212-423-3500, guggenheim.org

The Jewish Museum

Photo by Linda Pierce.

One of the oldest Jewish museums in the world (and the first of its kind in the United States), the Jewish Museum offers exhibitions that illuminate Jewish culture for a wide audience. Its collection of nearly 30,000 works of art includes ceremonial objects, books, and media that span 4,000 years. “Scenes from the Collection” offers a rotating exhibit of selected works presented in scenes arranged by theme, using different filters to understand the art. Scenes have included “Coney Island,” “Personas” (Portraits) and “Signs and Symbols,” which focuses on astrological signs. Don’t forget to look at the building itself as you wander through the galleries—designed in French Gothic Chateau-style, it’s an extra treat to enjoy as you view the art. 

1109 Fifth Ave., 212-423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org

On View Now at The Jewish Museum  | Ilit Azoulay: Mere Things

Ilit Azoulay. Future Ancestors #5, 2024. Inkjet print, metal frame. Print size 138x92 cm. Frame size 143x150 cm. Courtesy of the artist, Lohaus Sominsky Gallery, and Braverman Gallery.

Now open, Ilit Azoulay: Mere Things. Initially trained in photography, Ilit Azoulay (Israeli, b. 1972) developed an interdisciplinary, research-based practice exploring how images and objects shape memory, produce knowledge, and support or undermine historical narratives. She deploys the disruptive strategies of photomontage—manipulating scale, perspective, and context—along with sound and sculptural elements to recast both prosaic and precious objects in new roles. The exhibition will include selections from 2011 to the present, including new work that responds specifically to the collections and context of the Jewish Museum. Runs through Jan. 5, 2025.

Whitney Museum of American Art

Photograph by Ben Gancsos ©2016.

With more than 25,000 works of art created by more than 3,700 American artists spanning the 20^th and 21^st centuries, the Whitney offers a multi-tiered approach to exploring the works of the collection, dedicated particularly to living artists. It’s well known for the Biennial, the longest running survey of American art, instituted in 1932. Its focus, as the name implies, is a look at art in all media held every two years.

Started by Gertrude Whitney in 1930 (fun fact—she offered her collection of more than 1,500 works of art by living artists to the Met, but they declined) the museum was the first to present a work of a video artist (Nam June Paik); it was also the venue where artists from Cindy Sherman to Jasper Johns were showcased in their first comprehensive museum survey.

While the museum includes work in all media, its strongest holdings are works on paper. It also has particularly fine holdings of artists including Alexander Calder, Brice Marden, and Georgia O’Keeffe.

When you need a break, check out the newly revamped Studio Bar, with views from open-air terraces. 

99 Gansevoort St., whitney.org

Now on View at the Whitney | Edges of Ailey

Edges of Ailey is the first large-scale museum exhibition to celebrate the life, dances, influences, and enduring legacy of choreographer Alvin Ailey (b. 1931, Rogers, Texas; d. 1989, New York, New York). This showcase brings together visual art, live performance, music, a range of archival materials, and a multi-screen video installation drawn from recordings of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) repertory to explore the full range of Ailey’s personal and creative life. Artists with works in this exhibit include Jean-Michel Basquiat, Romare Bearden, Faith Ringgold, Kara Walker, Jacob Lawrence, Rashid Johnson, and others. Now through Feb. 9, 2025.

The Frick Collection

The Frick Collection, New York, Fifth Avenue. Garden and façade with magnolias in bloom. Photo: Michael Bodycomb.

Magnate Henry Clay Frick (1849–1919) bequeathed his home, paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts to public enjoyment. The Frick is known particularly for its focus on European sculpture and decorative arts, as well as Old Master paintings. Artists on display include Goya, Titian, Rembrandt, and Whistler. *The institution will reopen late in 2024, back in its original Upper East Side home. (As of late Oct. 2024, still closed.) frick.org

Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Great Hall. Photo by James Rudnick © 2014 Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

The Upper East Side’s Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is the only museum in the United States entirely dedicated to contemporary and historical design. It’s home to 215,000 objects spanning more than 30 centuries. Rotating exhibitions increasingly confront contemporary issues, from the role of design during a crisis to the prevalence of facial detection technology.

The collection includes an incredible array of design-centered objects, from miniature silver forks from the 1940s to molded polyurethane chairs that look like spinning tops. Plus 1800s’ bandboxes, used for storing men’s collar bands, to wallpaper for children’s rooms and pre-Columbian textiles. Exhibitions have included “Design and Healing: Creative Responses to Epidemics,” “Face Values: Exploring Artificial Intelligence,” and “Botanical Lessons.”    

Please note, as of Oct. 2024, The Cooper Hewitt is temporarily closed. 2 E. 91st St., cooperhewitt.org

The New-York Historical 

The Gallery of Tiffany Lamps shows 100 illuminated examples within a dramatically lit, jewel-like space at the New-York Historical Society.

The New-York Historical is the city’s first museum, exploring New York and its inhabitants through collections that include paintings, sculpture, and artifacts from the colonial era to the present. The museum is especially known for its collection of Tiffany lamps, Audubon’s “Birds of America” series, and its Hudson River School paintings. Among rotating exhibitions is Enchanting Imagination: The Objets d’Art of André Chervin and Carvin French Jewelers, a dazzling display of meticulously crafted objets d’art on view to the public for the first time ever.

In celebration of its 220th anniversary,  New-York Historical Society announced in Oct. 2024 a new look and a new name—The New York Historical—to support its ongoing mission as the New York destination for American conversations. 

The museum also announced that, courtesy of a generous gift from H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar L. Tang, its new wing dedicated to exhibitions and programming on democracy will open in time for the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026: the Tang Wing for American Democracy. Agnes Hsu-Tang is the chair of the museum’s Board of Trustees who, with her husband, has previously provided gifts of art and sponsored exhibitions and education programming.

On View Now at The New-York Historical | Pets and the City

Pets and the City explores the visual history of New Yorkers and their animal companions over the last two and a half centuries. Through a broad spectrum of art, documents, memorabilia, and clips from film and television, the exhibition surveys the evolution of pets. Drawn largely from New-York Historical’s Museum and Library collections, Pets and the City also investigates the reasons for the soaring pet population, especially after 9/11 and during the COVID-19 crisis, as well as issues surrounding pet adoption. Through April 2025.

Now On View at New York Historical | Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore, the Smith College Clothing Collection

 Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore, the Smith College Clothing Collection, showcases garments and accessories from the Smith College Historic Clothing Collection, archiving what everyday women have worn for the past two centuries.  From a well-worn Depression-era house dress to a college girl’s psychedelic micro mini to an Abercrombie & Fitch wool suit bought off-the-rack in NYC in 1917 that was remade into a relief uniform worn behind enemy lines in France, Real Clothes examines how women have influenced, adapted, and defied societal expectations through the clothes they chose to make, purchase, and alter. Through June 2025.

170 Central Park West, nyhistory.org

South Street Seaport Museum

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1885 tall ship Wavertree via the South Street Seaport Museum

Not so much a museum as a sprawling, multi-faceted campus, the South Street Seaport Museum encompasses historic sailing vessels, a working 19th-century print shop, a collection of artifacts and works of art, and maritime reference library.

Where to begin? Visit the museum galleries—your first stop should be the introduction gallery, which examines the role of the Seaport and surrounding area in helping New York become the bustling seaport it was at the beginning of the 20^th century.

Another must-see is Millions: Migrants and Millionaires Aboard the Great Liners, 1900-1914. The exhibit examines in depth the disparity between first- and third-class passengers traveling in ocean liners in the beginning of the 20^th century.

And absolutely not to be missed: the 1885 tall ship Wavertree, permanently moored at Pier 16 (Fulton and South Streets), is a highlight. Tours are available every hour and include access to both the main deck and quarter deck. The highlight? The massive cargo area, visible from a viewing platform. It gives a sense of the incredible scope of the ship, as well as its inner workings and intricate design.

The whole immersive experience is a great way to spend a morning; from the moment you enter the complex and see the cobbled streets and the ships and the water, you really feel like you’re steeped in the history and culture of the time. Numerous programs are offered, for both adults and kids—check out the family activity weekends that illustrate life at sea, free with admission, as well as Sea Chanteys and Maritime Music, offered the first Sunday of the month. It features performance of maritime songs by local artists.

Even more of an incentive? A new policy of pay-what-you-wish admission is now in effect, Wednesday-Sunday 11am-5pm.

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Historic vessels are among the highlights of the South Street Seaport Museum. The ships are accessible to the public, with tours Wed.-Sun, 11am-5pm. The 1930 tugboat W.O. Decker is New York-built and the last of its kind, giving passengers the chance to travel back in time. Or explore the city by water aboard the 1885 schooner Pioneer for daytime, sunset, and programmatic sails (they'll even let you pitch in and raise a sail).

12 Fulton St., 212-758-8600, southstreetseaportmuseum.org

Museum of the City of New York

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MCNY exterior, Filip Wolak.

The Museum of the City of New York interprets, celebrates, and documents New York—past, present, and future.

Many of the museum’s nearly 750,000 objects make appearances in its special exhibitions.

The Prints & Photographs collection includes more than 400,000 prints and negatives from the mid 19^th century to the present, including the work of such luminaries as Jacob Riis, who photographed the lower east side in the late nineteenth century. The linchpin of the Prints collection is the J. Clarence Davies Collection of 12,000 views of New York from the 17^th-19^th centuries, starting with the earliest view of New Amsterdam, shown in 1625-26.

The permanent collection also includes architectural drawings, furniture, theater memorabilia, textiles, and more. And if it’s on view, don’t miss the famed Stettheimer Dollhouse, an extraordinary work with details like miniatures by famous artists.

Now on View at MCNY | Art Deco City: New York Postcards From the Leonard Lauder Collection

Skyscrapers of New York City, The Union News Co.; printed in Chicago by Curt Teich & Co., 1936, Leonard A. Lauder Postcard Archive. Promised gift to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photo via MCNY's Instagram page. 

This exhibition illuminates the pivotal role postcards played in transforming New York into an international capital during the interwar years. Featuring over 250 postcards as well as decorative arts, fashion, photography, drawings, and architectural models, Art Deco City will immerse visitors in the dazzling style that defined the modern city. Runs through Feb. 17, 2025.

1220 Fifth Ave., mcny.org

Merchant's House Museum

Merchants House Parlor by Denis Vlasov. Photo courtesy Merchant's House Museum.

Nestled among taller buildings in a bustling neighborhood near NYU, the Merchant’s House Museum seems like a visitor from another era—which, in fact, it is. The first building designated as a landmark in Manhattan, the museum is the former home of the Tredwells, the wealthy family that lived there from 1833-1935. With more than 3,000 of the family’s possessions on view, the house includes household goods, decorative items, clothing, books, and furniture, including 12 chairs attributed to Duncan Phyfe, the famous furniture maker.

While clearly a museum, the house also feels lived in, as if a family member might appear at any moment to greet you. You can wander through the building at your own pace (and that pace might be slow, because the staircase is steep).  Enjoy the displays on every floor, and take time to look particularly at the kitchen and the clothing, both of which sport incredible details. In the summer, a beautiful garden out back beckons.

And the museum has been in the public eye for another reason—it’s known as the most haunted building in New York. (Their website even has a section called “Ghosts.”) Strange sounds and sights have been noted in the house since the 1930s, when it opened to the public as a museum. Candlelight ghost tours and a monthly virtual show now capitalize on the phenomenon.

Come for the period details, stay for the paranormal—the museum has it all. 

29 E. 4th St., merchantshouse.org

The Tenement Museum

The Tenement Museum tells the story of the working-class tenement residents who moved to New York from other parts of the United States and other parts of the world; in other words, the immigrants who added to the story of New York. The museum offers visitors a chance to—temporarily—become immersed in the world of these families through their living quarters, from kitchens to hallways. The museum is housed in an actual tenement building—the personal belongs found in the building became the foundation for the museum. Guided tours offer a rich glimpse into the world of these stories seen through time, and the intersection of the themes of identity, architecture, and urban development, among others.

In addition to museum tours, walking tours of the neighborhood are also available, adding to the depth of understanding of the neighborhood.

Now on View at The Tenement Museum  | A Union of Hope: 1869

A new permanent exhibition in the National Historic Landmark tenement building at 97 Orchard Street tells the story of Joseph and Rachel Moore, Black New Yorkers who made their home in Lower Manhattan in the 1860s and 1870s. Years in the making, the exhibit traces Joseph’s history from the free Black community of Belvidere, New Jersey to New York City, where he and his wife Rachel built strong networks and communities in their neighborhood, workplaces, and house of worship.

103 Orchard St., tenement.org

El Museo del Barrio

Showcasing the art of Latino, Caribbean, and Latin American cultures, El Museo del Barrio's collection includes more than 8,000 objects than span 800 years of art; it encompasses works of art from pre-Columbian Taino artifacts to 20^th-century drawings, paintings, sculpture, and documentary films. Many of their programs are bilingual, including the Coqui Club, a bilingual toddler program.

Now on View at El Museo Del Barrio  |  Flow States 

Flow States, is a pun on creative focus and the fluidity of geographic boundaries and cultural exchanges. Some 33 participating artists in this exhibit share interests related to transformation, landscapes, spiritual connections, collective memories, hybrid belongings, and material exchanges. Flow States will be accompanied by a fully illustrated, bilingual publication. Through Feb. 9, 2025.

1230 Fifth Ave., elmuseo.org

The Morgan Library & Museum

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Once the personal library of financier J. Pierpont Morgan (his son transformed the building and its holdings into a public institution) the Morgan Library & Museum now offers a showcase for both the exquisite building, an Italian Renaissance-style palazzo, as well as its holdings of rare books, including historical manuscripts, early printed books, and some of the earliest forms of writing. Don’t miss the Gutenberg Bible, dating to the mid-15th century.

The museum hosts ongoing special exhibitions, but the not-to-be-missed venue and the heart of the building is the library itself, especially the East Room, also known as Mr. Morgan’s Library. With its three stories of books and a 16^th-century tapestry depicting one of the seven illuminated manuscripts, it’s easy to spend all your time in there, simply gaping at the astounding room. (It’s often been referred to as the most beautiful room in New York.)

The museum now includes a performance hall, reading room and a central court, connecting the buildings—and the people—to the art, as it’s somewhat reminiscent of an Italian piazza.

225 Madison Ave., 212-685-0008, themorgan.org

Coming Soon to The Morgan Library & Museum | Franz Kafka 

Author Franz Kafka was only 40 in 1924, when he died of tuberculosis. Few could have predicted the impact his body of written works would have for generations to come. Coming Nov. 22, this exhibition will present, for the first time in the United States, the Bodleian Library’s holdings of literary manuscripts, correspondence, diaries, and photographs related to Kafka, including the original manuscript of his novella The Metamorphosis. Other highlights include the manuscripts of his novels Amerika and The Castle; letters and postcards addressed to his favorite sister, Ottla; his personal diaries, in which he also composed fiction, including his literary breakthrough, the 1912 story “The Judgment”; and unique items such as his drawings, the notebooks he used when studying Hebrew, and family photographs. The exhibit will run through April 13, 2025.

Brooklyn Museum

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With a strong permanent collection as well as an incredible array of special exhibitions, the Brooklyn Museum is the city’s second largest museum and contains one and a half million works of art. It’s housed in a beaux Art building by the firm of McKim, Mead & White (who also designed part of the Morgan Library). Founded in 1989, it was initially designed be the largest art museum in the world; even if it’s not, it’s still spectacular. The museum is particularly strong in Egyptian and American art; don’t miss the Steinberg Family Sculpture Garden, which features salvaged architectural elements from throughout New York.

200 Eastern Parkway, brooklynmuseum.org

Opening Soon at Brooklyn Museum | Solid Gold

Greek. Wreath (details), 3rd–2nd century B.C.E. Gold. Brooklyn Museum; Gift of George D. Pratt, 26.763. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Timed with the Museum's 200th anniversary, Solid Gold features more than 400 works, pairing showpieces from the collection with stunning international loans. The fashion world’s embrace of gold will be seen in standout designs by Anna Sui, Christian Dior, Demna, Gianfranco Ferré, Giorgio di Sant’Angelo, Halston, Mary McFadden, The Blonds, Walter Van Beirendonck, and Yves Saint Laurent. Gold-ground paintings and sculptures, coins, and other treasures will sparkle alongside jewelry by Alexander Calder, Belperron, Bulgari, Cartier, Charles Loloma, Jacob & Co, and Verdura—as well as grillz by Gabby Elan. While celebrating the seductive magic of this luminous material, the exhibition will also confront darker histories, inviting frank discussions about the human and environmental costs of extracting gold ore from the earth. Solid Gold will immerse you in one of humankind’s most dazzling obsessions. Opens Nov. 16, 2024.

Queens Museum

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Chris Devers/Flickr.

One of the most interesting things about the Queens Museum is where it’s located: on the grounds of the 1939-40 and 1964-65 World’s Fairs, in a building that housed the United Nations from 1946-1950 and was also the city’s official pavilion during the two World’s Fairs.

In keeping with their location, it’s not surprising that the museum’s mission is to provide arts and education programming for the people of New York, and specifically, Queens. Their permanent collection includes The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass, on long-term view; it includes floral and geometric lamps as well as landscape and figural windows. Also on long-term view: Their Worlds’ Fair Collection. More than 900 objects are on display in their Visible Storage Unit, from plates to miniature models.

Its centerpiece is the Panorama of the City of New York (above), an incredible mini metropolis complete with each of the 895,000 buildings constructed prior to 1992.

On View Now at The Queens Museum  |  Buenos Vecinos 

Installation view, Catalina Schliebener Muñoz, "Buenos Vecinos," 2024. Photo: Hai Zhang.​

In the exhibit Buenos Vecinos (translation: 'good neighbors) , artist Catalina Schliebener Muñoz confronts the impact of two Walt Disney animated films: Saludos Amigos (1942) and Los Tres Caballeros (1944). Both films emerged from Disney’s state-sponsored research trips to South and Central American nations as part of The Good Neighbor Policy, which sought to discourage Nazi influence and improve the United States’ public image in Latin America following its numerous military invasions throughout the early 20th century. Disney and his team of artists toured Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, and Mexico to generate visual motifs and storylines for iconic characters like Donald Duck and Goofy, as well to create new characters, songs, and dances based on local customs and archetypes. Runs through Jan. 19, 2025.

New York City Building, Flushing Meadows, Corona Park, 718-592-9700, queensmuseum.org

Museum of the Moving Image

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The centerpiece of the Living with The Walking Dead exhibition features the costumes of key characters Rick, Morgan, Negan, Carol, Daryl, Maggie, Michonne, Father Gabriel, and Jadis. Image: Thanassi Karageorgiou/Museum of the Moving Image.

The only museum in the country dedicated to all forms of the moving image, the Museum of the Moving Image offers insights into all facets of the medium, from programs of classic films to discussions with luminaries in the world of film and TV.

The museum offers options for everyone from the pop-culture fanatic to the serious student of film history. Exhibits have included a study of The Walking Dead TV show, a retrospective of the work of Japanese documentary filmmaker Noriaki Tsuchimoto, and an interactive exhibit on stop-motion animation.

Behind the Screen, the museum’s core exhibit, offers artifacts centered around creating, promoting, and exhibiting TV, movies, and digital media; these include licensed merchandise, fan magazines, costumes, video and computer games, and even movie theater furnishings. Over 1,400 objects are currently on display.

The museum also offers great programs for kids, teens, and families, and have included game labs for teens and houses must-see permanent exhibition of the work of Jim Henson.

36-01 35 Ave., Astoria, Queens, movingimage.us 

Neue Galerie New York

Celebrating works of art created in Austria and Germany; the Neue Galerie focuses on important movements of the 20^th century. For the former, there’s an emphasis on the works of Max Beckmann, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, and Emil Nolde; as well as artists of then Bauhaus; the relationship between the fine and decorative arts in Vienna around 1900 is the focus of the latter.

And while you’re there, a visit to Café Sabarsky is highly recommended; if you want to skip the man course and head right to dessert, we won’t tell.

Now on View at Neue Galerie New York |  Egon Schiele: Living Landscapes

Egon Schiele, Town among the Greenery (The Old City III), 1917.

The Austrian artist Egon Schiele’s landscapes offer an existential message about the human condition. The hope and promise of spring and summer give way to decay and death before the cycle renews again. Through Jan. 13, 2025.

1048 Fifth Ave., neuegalerie.org

The Drawing Center

Founded in 1977 by Martha Beck (1938–2014), The Drawing Center has its exhibition space in SoHo. The center explores the medium of drawing as a vital force in contemporary art and culture.

On View Now at The Drawing Center  | The Way I See It: Selections from The KAWS Collection

Martha-Edelheit: Tattooed-Circus-Mistress-with-Treer.

Spanning 20th and 21st centuries, The Way I See It: Selections from the KAWS Collection features more than 350 artworks chosen by artist KAWS (Brian Donnelly) from his personal collection of more than 3,000 works on paper by some 500 artists. The Way I See It continues The Drawing Center’s tradition of exhibiting drawings from public and private collections, and offers an unprecedented glimpse into the artistic inspirations and interests of one of today’s most popular contemporary artists. Runs through Jan. 19, 2025.

35 Wooster St., 212-219-2166, drawingcenter.org

Bronx Museum of the Arts

A contemporary art museum, the Bronx Museum of the Arts aims to connect its audiences the urban experience through both its permanent collections and special exhibitions as well as its education programming. The exhibits generally revolve around the Bronx itself, with an emphasis on social justice. The museum's imaginative roster of programming runs the gamut from salsa lessons and a salsa party to family days and conversations with artists. Teen and afterschool programs focus on older students, including Teen Council, a paid internship program.    

On View Now at the Bronx Museum of the Arts  | Futura 2000: Breaking Out

FUTURA 2000, Invasion From Blue City, 1989, Collection of agnès b.

This is a retrospective of this singular artist’s evolution from early graffiti art styles to his current practice of contemporary abstraction. It's the most comprehensive examination of FUTURA 2000’s five-decade career ever presented in his hometown of New York City. Runs through March 30, 2025. 

An added bonus? Admission is always free.

1040 Grand Concourse, bronxmuseum.org

Museum of Arts and Design

Looking for an afternoon surrounded by intriguing design objects? Get Mad. Or rather MAD—the Museum of Arts and Design, which is filled with innovation in craft art and design. Among MAD's most creative offerings are the Artist Studios. Through the program, visitors can engage with artists working onsite by asking questions and observing their process.

Don’t miss the permanent exhibit “Seeing is Believing” by Judith Schaechter. Commissioned for the museum when it opened in its new building in 2008, two hundred geometric images create a dazzling riff on a medical rose window.

Now on View at The Museum of Arts and Design | Barbie: A Cultural Icon

Barbie: A Cultural Icon charts the 65-year history of Barbie and the doll’s global impact on fashion and popular culture through an expansive display of more than 250 vintage dolls, life-size fashion designs, advertisements, and other ephemera, along with exclusive video interviews with the doll's designers. Through March 16, 2025.

2 Columbus Circle, madmuseum.org

American Folk Art Museum

Focusing on the self-taught artist, the American Folk Art Museum highlights individuals whose artistic experience has been personal rather than the result of formal artistic training. Folk art itself can cover a wide range of objects and interpretations, but is often utilitarian (a quilt, a weathervane), and reflects the life and identity of a community.

The museum’s collection includes more than 8,000 works of art from almost every continent, and ranges from quilts to bookplates to portraits. The airy, light-filled space often hosts a few exhibits at a time, many drawn from their own collections. Because it’s a relatively small space, and the museum generally features only a few exhibits at a time, you can easily see everything in offer in one visit.

The museum is the sole venue for the exhibition “Morris Hirshfield Discovered,” the most extensive assortment of his work ever displayed.

Now on View the American Folk Art Museum  |  Anything but Simple: Gift Drawings and the Shaker Aesthetic

 Anything but Simple: Gift Drawings and the Shaker Aesthetic marks the 250th anniversary of Shakerism in the US. The exhibit will explore rare gift drawings made by Shaker women in the mid-19th century.  Compared to examples of Shaker furniture and objects that will also be included in the exhibition, the vibrancy of the drawings will mark a distinct contrast with the clean lines typically associated with Shaker design. Such drawings were made during an extraordinary time in Shaker history, when art and music flourished, and faith was renewed. Called the Era of Manifestations, or Mother’s Work, this revival connected newer believers to their founders.  Through Jan. 26, 2025.

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum

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The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is not only a tribute to those who lost their lives in the attacks of 9/11, but an essential visit for tourists and New Yorkers alike.

The Memorial, officially called Reflecting Absence, features two waterfall pools surrounded by bronze walls that list the names of all the victims of both the 9/11 attacks as well as the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. More than 400 swamp white oak trees grow in the plaza in which the memorial is located. It opened on September 11, 2011, 10 years after the attacks.

Each pool, almost an acre in size, sits on the site of the former North and South towers. The waterfalls—the largest manmade falls in North America—drop 30 feet into a basin, and from there, drop another 20 feet into a smaller void. It’s a place meant for reflection and remembering and offers a moving tribute to the victims and the overwhelming sense of loss.

The museum itself focuses on the history of the attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Visitors can descend into the original space of the World Trade Center. The Survivors’ Stairs, the staircase that people used to flee the building, lies at the end of the ramp. Memorial Hall and Foundation Hall, located in the space between the original towers, include a slurry wall, which remained after the attacks; it was originally installed in the 1960s to hold back the waters of the Hudson River when the World Trade Center site was first excavated.

Visitors shouldn’t miss the Last Column, the last piece of steel from the original World Trade Center to be removed from Ground Zero. Other exhibits examine the events that led up to the attack as well as the aftermath and the repercussions. Temporary exhibits often address those repercussions as well.  

Properties are generally not considered to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places until 50 years after they become historically significant. The World Trade Center site became eligible in 2004 after it was declared to be exceptionally significant in light of the impact of the event on the country.

Therein lies not just the significance of the museum and memorial, but the significance of a visit there. It’s an opportunity to pay tribute, to marvel at the resilience of a city and the people who live there, and to see that the past is, indeed, present. 180 Greenwich St., 212-312-8800, 911memorial.org

Asia Society

On the Upper East Side, Asia Society works to deepen the connections between the U.S. and Asia. Galleries here show traditional, modern, and contemporary Asian art, and organize performances and other happenings.

On View Now at The Asia Society  |  Madayin : Eight Decades of Aboriginal Australian Bark Painting from Yirrkala

Yäma Munuŋgirritj, ca. 1920–1987. Yarrwiḏi-Gumatj clan. Gurruŋawuy, 1961. Natural pigments on bark.

Maḏayin: Eight Decades of Aboriginal Australian Bark Painting from Yirrkala features masterpieces of ochre painting on eucalyptus bark, many of which have never been on view outside of Australia. These designs—called miny’tji—are not merely decorative: they are the patterns of the ancestral land itself. Yolŋu describe them as maḏayin: a term that encompasses both the sacred and the beautiful. Through Jan. 5, 2025.

725 Park Ave., 212-288-6400, asiasociety.org/NYC

Museum of Chinese in America

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By Kches16414—Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Museum of Chinese in America offers a number of ways to experience and enjoy its collections: through rotating exhibits, by exploring the largest research center of Chinese American artifacts in the country, and through its public and education programs.

Now housed in a Maya Lin-designed building on Centre Street in Chinatown, the museum, which began as the New York Chinatown History Project, promotes the understanding of the Chinese-American experience, and also documents its history.

The museum also offers an engrossing assortment of programs, from a Chinese tea tasting to mixers with music and games.

Now on View at The Museum of Chinese in America  |  Magazine Fever: Gen X Asian American Periodicals

Drawn from MOCA’s Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Private Danny Chen Collection and Archives, Magazine Fever surveys a surge of Asian American magazine publishing during 1980s-1990s including A. Magazine, AsiAm, AsianWeek, Audrey, Giant Robot, Hyphen, Jade, KoreAm, Rice, Transpacific, YOLK, and others. Through March 30, 2025.

215 Centre St., mocanyc.org           

New York Transit Museum

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You may already spend more time in the subway than you’d like, but we’re going to suggest one more trip down the subway stairs.

Except this time, you’re won’t be leaving the station.

The New York Transit Museum—naturally—lies down a flight of subway steps in Brooklyn. Founded in 1976, the museum tells the story of mass transportation in the city, from the engineering marvels that designed the subway system to the workers who helped build it.

Housed in an actual 1936 subway station, the museum offers a rotating exhibit of 20 vintage subway and elevated cars that date back to 1907. The best part? Visitors can board the cars, spin their way through a procession of turnstiles (especially popular with kids), and sit at the wheel of a city bus (also popular with the under-12 set). It’s fascinating to trace the evolution of both the subway and latest technology as you explore the various cars.

The museum also offers changing exhibits that focus on the history—and future—of mass transit. These exhibits often include photographs, ephemera, and objects such as fare boxes, parking meters, fire hydrants, and traffic lights. The permanent collection (worth exploring) includes Steel, Stone, and Backbone: Building New York’s Subways, which looks at the construction methods that were needed to build the city’s first subway system at the turn of the 20th century; as well as Moving the Millions, which highlights the subway’s evolution.

Opening Nov. 14, 2024   |  New York Transit Museum's Train Show

This holiday season, explore a 'city within a city' with the display of a miniature electric railroad running over, through, and beneath some of New York’s most magnificent landmarks. Celebrating its 20^th year of operation, this beloved holiday exhibit features Lionel model trains traveling along a 34’ long, two-level, “O” gauge model train layout. Departing from a miniature replica of Grand Central Terminal, the Transit Museum’s collection of model trains including Metro-North, Polar Express, and vintage subway train sets will dazzle the eyes of children and adults alike as they make their way past New York landmarks and on to the North Pole!

This subway ride is worth it; no endless waits on the platform required. 

99 Schermerhorn St,, nytransitmuseum.org      

The Museum at Eldridge Street

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Photo by Rick Naramore.

Housed in a gorgeous National Historic landmark on the Lower East Side, the Museum at Eldridge Street is actually part of the Eldridge Street Synagogue, opened in 1887.

It’s the first great house of workshop built in America by Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, and stands today as a marker of the historical wave of Jewish immigration to the Lower East Side.

1887 saw a time of mass immigration to the United States. Between 1880 and 1924, more than 25 million immigrants, including 2.5 million Jews, came to this country. Amazingly, almost 85% of Jewish immigrant from Eastern Europe immigrated to New York City; about 85% of those in turn settled on the Lower East Side. Previous synagogues had been repurposed from other structures such as event halls or even old churches; the Eldridge Street Synagogue was created from the ground up.

A restoration was competed in 2007, and The Museum at Eldridge Street opened to the public. In 2010, artist Kiki Smith and architect Deborah Gans created an enormous stained-glass window for the space, a must-see when visiting. The building was designed by architects Peter and Francis William Herter, who received numerous commissions on the Lower East Side after the synagogue was erected. The Moorish revival building includes a 70-foot-high dome and barrel-vaulted ceiling, hand-stenciled walls, an intricate interior wooden staircase, stained glass, and brass fixtures.

 Visitors can take tours that focus on American Jewish history, immigration, and the history of the Lower East Side itself. The museum stands as a testament to the neighborhood, the people, and the city, not to mention the soaring architecture and the beauty of the interior, which feels both grand and intimate, much like the city that surrounds it.

Step inside the landmark Eldridge Street Synagogue and step back in time, as you learn about the Jewish immigrants who found religious freedom in their new country, the opulent sacred space they built in 1887, and the 20th-century restoration that saved this decaying masterpiece. You can experience the magic on a docent-led or self-guided tour. 12 Eldridge St., 212-219-0302, eldridgestreet.org

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

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Enterprise photo by Svetlana Jovanovic.

One of the great things about New York’s museums is that there’s pretty much one for every mood, whether you’re feeling introspective or in need of checking out the latest special exhibit. What about when you’re feeling somewhat adventurous? That’s when to visit Intrepid.

The former aircraft carrier was launched in 1943 and fought in World War II—it survived five kamikaze attacks and one torpedo strike. It also served in both the Cold War and the Vietnam War. Decommissioned in 1974, it now stands ass the focus of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

On such a vast ship, where do you start? We suggest at the top, on the flight deck. (Note: great photo ops and great city backdrops.) Seventeen aircraft are housed there, representing all five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Don’t miss the Space Shuttle Pavilion, home to the space shuttle Enterprise; this NASA orbiter prototype led the way to the country’s space shuttle program. You can also explore the nuclear-missile submarine Growler through interactive exhibits, artifacts, and immersive experiences—and then actually experience he submarine itself. It’s the only American guided missile submarine open to the public, and gives visitors a chance to explore everything from the mess hall to the aft torpedo room. (Note: It’s not for the claustrophobic.)

You can also take a guided tour on the British Airways Concorde (the Concorde Alpha Delta G-BOAD, to be exact); it holds the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing by any Concorde, accomplished on February 7th, 1996. It took two hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds. (Note that it's temporarily off the Flight Deck while it gets a spruce up.)

In addition to the permanent collection, the museum also hosts special exhibits. The museum’s latest permanent exhibition is Final Flight: The Story of a WWII Corsair. You’ll discover the story of an American fighter aircraft and its pilot through artifacts, photos, and an installation of the engine and a section of the wing.

The museum is also a great destination for kids; as if the collection itself weren’t already enticing, frequent science demonstrations, festivals, and activities are also a draw.

And parents—it’s okay to be excited about a demonstration on robotic arms or a Girls in Science & Engineering Day. Adventure is out there, from the top deck on down, and it’s for everyone.

Now on View at The Intrepid Museum   |  Postcards from Earth: Holograms on An Interstellar Journey

This new temporary exhibit showcases an inspiring collaboration between science and art as a means to reach other star systems at speeds never thought to be achievable. Included with admission.

Pier 86, West 46th St. and the Hudson, intrepidmuseum.org

New York Public Library (NYPL) Stephen Schwarzman Building

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A lock of Edgar Allan Poe’s hair, Thomas Jefferson’s handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence, Malcolm X’s briefcase, the real-life Winnie-the-Pooh: the New York Public Library holds a lot more than books. For the first time ever you can explore a selection of the 56 million items in the collection with the opening of the Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasures. Ongoing.

Now on View at The New York Public Library  |  Becoming Bohemia: Greenwich Village, 1912-1923

Drawn from collections across The New York Public Library, Becoming Bohemia: Greenwich Village, 1912–1923 surveys key individuals, places, events, and artworks that defined America’s first large-scale countercultural enclave, while also noting factors that led to the decline of this vibrant, storied setting.

476 Fifth Ave., 917-275-6975, nypl.org/spotlight/treasures

National Museum of the American Indian

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National Museum of the American Indian George Gustav Heye Center in New York City. Photo by David Sundberg (2016).

Sitting at the foot of the Wiechquaekeck Trail, an old Algonquin trade route (you might know it better as Broadway), the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian is where the many nations of America come together in the historic Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House.  1 Bowling Green, americanindian.si.edu

On View Now at the National Museum of the American Indian | Jeffrey Veregge: Of Gods and Heroes

Jeffrey Veregge, Of Gods and Heroes (detail featuring Colleen Wing and Misty Knight). © 2018 Marve

This exhibition features a creation by the Salish artist known for his bold blend of Northwest Coast formline and pop-culture figures. The site-specific work includes an epic battle between Marvel characters and aliens invading the streets of New York City. Ongoing.

AKC Museum of the Dog

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Dog days: In a city where canines seem to be prancing down every street corner, napping by every outdoor table, and running after Frisbees in every park, it’s no surprise that there’s an entire museum dedicated to them.

The permanent collection at the AKC Museum of the Dog includes a treasure trove of dog-related art and artifacts, from watercolors and prints to bronzes and ceramics. (Some of the world’s finest porcelain makers, from Royal Doulton to Meissen, are included.) Plus, you’ll find objects like trophies and collars.

Almost all dog breeds are represented here—although may not always be on display—but the museum has especially strong holdings in depictions of German Shepherds, Bulldogs (those two are currently in in the top five most popular dogs in the country), Mastiffs, and Great Danes.

Interactive exhibits are a fun addition here—the core exhibit is “Meet the Breeds,” which allows visitors to focus on specific breeds and learn all about their personalities, jobs, and history. Fun feature: visitors can also find where these breeds are represented in the collection. You can discover which dog breed you resemble (and vice versa) and learn how to train a working dog, then test your skills with a virtual dog onscreen.

Puppy love, indeed.

Now on View at the Museum of the Dog | Presidential Dogs

Constance Coleman. Barney & Miss Beazley at the White House. Oil on canvas. 2005. Scottish Terrier. The dogs of former President George W. Bush. 

Presidential Dogs explores the important role dogs play  in the lives of the United States President since our nation began. In the runup to this year’s Presidential election, the AKC Museum of the Dog will reflect on and share with our visitors the history of dogs in the White House, including the various breeds who have had access to the Oval Office. Runs through Jan. 5, 2025.

101 Park Ave., museumofthedog.org

New York City Fire Museum (Closed Until Further Notice)

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Engine Co. 246. Manufactured by American La France, “Type 75” 700 GPM motorized pumpers were the principal rigs to replace FDNY’s horse-drawn pumpers. Image courtesy New York City Fire Museum.

Have you ever stopped to look at fire engines as they race down the street? There’s something mesmerizing about the juxtaposition between the sleek, brightly colored machines and their stark life-saving mission. Viewers have a chance to examine in depth the role that these critical machines have played at the New York City Fire Museum in Manhattan.

Now housed in the building that was home to Engine Company No. 30, the New York City Fire Museum opened to the public in the Beaux-Arts building on Spring Street in 1987.

The museum traces the history of firefighting from the bucket brigades of New Amsterdam to modern firefighting techniques. A special tribute is paid to the firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11; artifacts recovered from the World Trade Center site are included in the exhibit. While this section is particularly moving, visitors shouldn’t overlook the historical focus on the evolution of firefighting.

Exhibits include “Firefighting on Parade,” which highlights four apparatuses in parade formation as well as a Steinway hose carriage. Artifacts including a Brooklyn volunteer fire department banner, belts, hats, helmets, and more. Paintings and illustrations demonstrate the role volunteer firefighters played, showing them both socializing and at work in “The Romance of Firefighting.” And fire equipment buffs will be able to dig deep into the transition from steam to motorized equipment in “The Evolution of Fire Apparatus.”

The museum also hosts tours about fire safety education for kids, including a mock apartment with artificial smoke and safety hazards, as well as a discussion about fire hazards. The tour concludes with a visit to the exhibit “The Evolution of Firefighting,” given by a retired New York City firefighter.

The museum is great for fire-equipment buffs as well as people who want a unique perspective on New York City history.  Tip: Don’t miss the chance to hear stories from a retired FDNY firefighter. There’s no better way to connect with history than with stories from someone who has first-hand experience.

278 Spring St., nycfiremuseum.org

Museum of Street Art

New York’s array of museums is truly spectacular. From floors of natural history to displays of modern art, the history of the movies to galleries of incredible design, it’s all here.

And that includes a museum tucked into a hotel.

MoSA (the Museum of Street Art) actually starts outside the Citizen M hotel on the Bowery, with Rebirth by Meres One, a mural of layered and deconstructed letters. The letters in the 5,000-square-foot piece were pulled from the 5 Pointz landmark, a mural space in Queens. It was named for the five boroughs of New York joining together. The exterior of the building there was completely covered in murals curated by artist Meres (Jeff Cohen); it was abruptly whitewashed by the developed in 2103, as part of his plan to demolish the building.

Fun fact: the letters can also be seen on the MoSA water bottle.

Once you’ve entered the building, you can see additional graffiti art at the bar 21 floors up. The rest of the art can be seen on your journey downstairs—at various points in the stairwell; Meres worked with 20 streets artists whose work had appeared at 5 Pointz.

The museum’s location at Citizen M seems like the perfect match—with its pops of color and downtown vibe, the graffiti art fits right in.

Hint: while you’re downtown, take yourself on a tour of the 100 Gates Project, in which artists are connected with merchants to paint murals on their roll-down security gates. The area teems with fascinating street art, in fact—such as the Bowery Mural. Keith Haring famously created a mural on this spot in 1982; since then, several artists have had their work featured on the wall, including Kenny Scharf and Aiko Nakagawa.

Art is truly everywhere in New York; you just need to keep your eyes open.

Citizen M Hotel, 189 Bowery, 212-372-7274, citizenm.com

Skyscraper Museum

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New York is known for its skyline and towering skyscrapers. So it’s only fitting that the city should have its own Skyscraper Museum.

Celebrating the city’s architectural legacy and the forces that shaped the progression of its various skylines, the museum examines New York’s buildings in all their incarnations: monuments of design; places of work and living; even as real estate investments and sites of construction.

Visitors can explore the city through such exhibits as Residential Rising: Lower Manhattan Since 9/11, which examines the growth of skyscrapers since 9/11, especially at the southern tip of the island. The exhibit looks at such phenomena as “starchitects”—internationally renowned architects who contributed to the new developments; as well as the new growth in the first decade after the attacks.

Don’t miss the permanent exhibit: it features a 36 ft.-long mural depicting the evolution of the skyscraper, from the pyramids to the present. Along the way, visitors can ponder such questions as: why do we want to build such tall buildings? And how did technological and engineering feats support that interest? A fun addition is the section that shows all the buildings that at one time held the title “world’s tallest building.”

The museum also hosts a full roster of programs, including some great ones for families, focusing on such topics as engineering and urbanism, demonstrated through hands-on activities.

And note that the museum itself is located not far from some of the city’s newest skyscrapers—so take advantage to see in person what the museum features—living history in the form of a constantly changing skyline is, after all, the inspiration for what you see on those museum walls.

39 Battery Pl., skyscraper.org

Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden

Wally Gobetz/Flickr

Turn a corner in New York and it’s more than likely that you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time. In a city where the old literally bumps up against the new, discovering the past that co-exists with the present is one of the Big Apple’s many delights.

One of the venues where the past best comes alive is the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

Constructed as a carriage house in 1799, the structure was converted to a hotel in 1826. The land on which it stands was originally owned by Colonel William Stephens Smith and his wife, Abigail Adams Smith, daughter of John Adams.

The hotel, believe it or not, was billed as a “country resort,” since the city essentially stopped at 14th Street. To venture to the hotel, you would take a stagecoach or steamboat to 61st Street, and then while away the afternoon genteely sipping lemonade (the ladies) or playing cards (the gentlemen) and escaping the faster pace of city life. It was one of more than 50 day hotels in the city at that time.

The house went through several different permutations, eventually being purchased in 1924 by The Colonial Dames of America, a group committed to historic preservation and education.

Today, the building preserves and shares information about the only historic day hotel left in Manhattan; it’s also one of the few pre-1800 buildings still standing in Manhattan. Visitors can take a tour through the eight fully furnished period rooms as well as the lovely garden. The tours can focus on different aspects of the building, from decorative arts to social history. It’s both startling and strangely comforting to come upon the building in a bustling city neighborhood.

And you can even recreate what it must have been like to take your leisure in the parlor in days of yore: for a small fee, tea and scones can be added on to the end of any tour.

421 E. 61st St., 212-838-6878, mvhm.org

National Museum of Mathematics

Do you remember doing math in school? Numbers and formulas on the page, often seeming to represent nothing more than…numbers and formulas on a page.

But the National Museum of Mathematics’ may well change your perception of math.

The role of the museum, in fact, is to bring math alive—literally, as it demonstrates ways that math is, in fact all around us. The exhibits are interactive and experiential; Coaster Rollers, for example, lets visitors roll over a pit of “acorns”—but the ride is smooth thanks to their constant diameter.

Patterns take center stage in several exhibits, including “Pattern Mesh,” which demonstrates how rolling one pattern over another creates new designs (think high-tech kaleidoscope); and “Pattern Pants,” which uses computer technology so visitors can “dress” themselves in symmetrical patterns.

Want to make your free throw more accurate? “Hoop Curves” shows how statistics, and a robotic basketball shooter, can help. And formulas leap from the page to the screen to create three-dimensional surfaces in “Formula Morph.”

Everywhere you look in the museum, you’ll see things to ride, draw, program, build, design and create. Build a cool structure in The Structure Studio; fit shapes together on different curved surfaces to observe the differences (“Shapes of Space”); observe wave phenomena and algorithms on “Dynamic Wall,” a moving computer-controlled wall. (Note: Plenty of adults partake in the fun; in fact, you’ll see people of all ages deeply absorbed in the exhibits. It’s not just for kids.) It’s a terrific way to make math meaningful and alive, and to illustrate its dominance all around us.

And everywhere you look, you’ll also see math in motion, showcasing its importance in the world around us—a world, in fact, that wouldn’t exist without math.

11 E. 26^th St., 212-542-0566, momath.org

The Museum of Jewish Heritage–A Living Memorial to the Holocaust

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The Museum of Jewish Heritage–A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is New York’s contribution to the global responsibility to never forget. The third largest Holocaust museum in the world, the museum anchors the southernmost tip of Manhattan and completes the cultural and educational landscape it shares with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. 36 Battery Pl., mjhnyc.org

The Museum at FIT

Billing itself as “the most fashionable museum in New York City,” the Museum at FIT has more than 50,000 pieces of clothing and accessories dating from the 18th century to the present in its permanent collection; the museum focuses especially on current avant-garde looks. One of the few museums to focus exclusively on fashion, The Museum at FIT was founded in 1969 and moved to its current location on West 27th Street in 1974. The museum is known particularly for its special exhibitions, which have included Gothic: Dark Glamour, the first exhibit dedicated to the gothic style of dress (2009) and the more recent Dior + Balenciaga: The Kings of Couture and Their Legacies (it closed this past fall), which examined two of the world’s most influential couturiers.

The museum itself encompasses three galleries: the lower level, dedicated to special exhibitions; The Fashion and Textile History Gallery, which offers rotating exhibits (it changes every six months) from the museum’s permanent collection; and Gallery FIT, which showcases student and faculty exhibitions.

Whether you have a passion for fashion or are more interested in the role fashion has played—and continues to play—in the cultural landscape, the Museum at FIT offers a way to enjoy and experience both.

Now on View at the Museum at FIT |  Africa's Fashion Diaspora

Africa's Fashion Diaspora explores fashion's role in shaping international Black diasporic cultures. This exhibition is the first to examine fashion as a mode of cross-diasporic cultural production. Some 60 ensembles and accessories by Black designers from Africa, Europe, North and South America, and the Caribbean are placed in dialogue with each other, showing how these designers take complex inspirations from their own Black cultures and others across the diaspora. Through Dec. 29, 2024.

227 W. 27th St., fitnyc.ed

Poster House

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Whether you grew up in the suburbs or a city, liked soft rock or heavy metal, wanted to be a teacher or an artist, you probably had a poster on your wall. Therein lies the appeal of Poster House: pretty much everybody, at one time or another, has owned a poster.

The first poster museum in the United States, Poster House explores the impact that posters have had on society and culture, examining them as both historical documents and graphic communication. Used in just about every corner of society, from advertising to public awareness, posters also impact just about everyone at every age.

The museum opened in 2019, looking to fill a niche in accessible design. They now have a permanent collection, rotating special exhibitions, and ongoing events, from lectures to hands-on workshops for kids.

Poster House offers the opportunity to explore the use of posters in the context of a museum setting and in juxtaposition to other posters. It offers audiences the chance to explore how vast the impact of this medium has been—and continues to be.

And if you still feel that a wall isn’t complete without a poster hanging on it, never fear: the shop offers a wide range of products—including, of course, posters.

119 W. 23^rd St., posterhouse.org

Brooklyn Children’s Museum

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TapeScape at the Brooklyn Children's Museum/Instagram

Did you know that the Brooklyn Children’s Museum was the world’s first children’s museum? Not the city’s or the country’s—the world’s; it’s New York’s largest cultural institution just for families.

The museum’s focus ranges from natural science to world cultures, with a strong emphasis on interactivity, as well as on Brooklyn itself. Some of what you should check out: The youngest visitors (Infants-age 6) can indulge in “Totally Tots,” which encompasses nine sensory play area, including sand, water, music, dress-up, and blocks. “Neighborhood Nature” uses the community cork garden, as well as the museum’s own diorama habitats and other parts of the collections.

One of the most fun and innovative areas is “World Brooklyn,” where kids can play in scaled-down shops based on real ones found in neighborhoods across Brooklyn. In addition to “shopping,” kids can pretend to be bakers, grocers, designers, and more, giving them a sense of the different roles found in a community.

Not to be Missed: The Nest, an outdoor installation located on the museum’s rooftop space. The interactive playscape (kids--and adults—can climb and explore the installation) was inspired by Baya Weaver birds’ nests (You can find actual examples in the museum’s collection.) The Nest is made from reclaimed NYC water tower cedar that includes an exterior to climb on as well as a hammock area and open space.

One of our favorites isn’t strictly an exhibit: It’s the People Tube, designed to take families to the lower level. But with its dazzling neon lights, it’s also the tunnel on a spaceship, the walkway of a castle in the sky, an escape hatch from a villain’s lair. (Actual interpretations from actual children.)

The museum also offers a wide range of programs for families, from holiday celebrations to hands-on activities.

At the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, nothing is hands-off, which means “don’t touch” is not in the vocabulary here—but using your imagination definitely is.

145 Brooklyn Ave., 718-735-4400, brooklynkids.org

Carnegie Hall Rose Museum

According to the classic adage, the answer to “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” is “practice.” Luckily, the way to the Rose Museum, located inside Carnegie Hall, is much simpler—just enter on 57th Street.

Opened in 1991, the museum, which offers 2,500 feet of archives, details Carnegie Hall’s incredible history. Located on the second floor, The Rose Museum offers access to Carnegie Hall’s extraordinary archives; these include concert programs, musical manuscripts, videos, autographed posters, musical quotes, and photographs. Among its holdings are more than a century of concert programs, as well as information about the preservation campaign that followed the development of Lincoln Center in the 1950s, the sale of the Hall in those years, and the subsequent campaign to save and preserve it. In 1960 the government bought the Hall; it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1962.

The museum’s collection runs the gamut from objects worn by performers to ephemera. Among its holdings: a ring owned by Beethoven, an autographed program from the Beatles’ landmark 1964 concert at the Hall, one of Benny Goodman’s clarinets, a notebook owned by Richard Strauss, and a sequined jacket owned and worn by Judy Garland. Also notable (if not musical): the trowel used in laying the cornerstone of Carnegie Hall in 1890.

The museum also offers rotating exhibits, which have focused on such musical luminaries as Marian Anderson, the first African American to sing at the Metropolitan Opera, conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, and George and Ira Gershwin—the latter honoring the centennial of George Gershwin’s birth.

Almost as enjoyable as the collection is the sense of being privy to a hidden world, a behind-the scenes experience, enhanced by the fact that the museum is actually in Carnegie Hall itself; the connection between the materials and the Hall becomes tangible—you’re seeing the program of a group that actually appeared in the building in which you’re standing.

The museum provides a way to experience Carnegie Hall in a new way—all practicing aside.

154 W. 57th St., 973-622-4704, carnegiehall.org

Dyckman Farmhouse Museum

Image courtesy Dyckman Farmhouse Museum.

The juxtaposition of old and new is one of the most fascinating aspects of New York, the new construction and the old brownstones; the gleaming new buildings and the evocative old monuments. At the corner of 204^th Street and Broadway sits just such a part of the city’s history: The Dyckman Farmhouse. (Passing it on a bus or in a car is always a surreal experience, as you think you’ve been temporarily transported back in time.)

Built on the site around 1784, the Dutch Colonial Farmhouse was home to the Dyckman family for almost a century. Opened to the public in 1916, it now includes a half-acre park for the public to enjoy.

Members of the family bought the property in 1915 to protect it against encroaching development. A major restoration project was undertaken to restore the house to its earliest appearance, with objects that both belonged to the family as well as those that were given by others. (The rooms may present a slightly romanticized version of what a working farmhouse might have contained, but there’s no doubt it’s still fascinating.)

The house now includes the surrounding half-acre (the original acreage of the farm was much larger). And don’t miss what’s within the grounds: visitors can find a small reproduction smokehouse and a Hessian Hut—during the 1900s, the remains of more than 60 huts used as shelter by British and Hessian soldiers during the Revolution were found. Also uncovered: the chimney, walls, and floor of a hut, which were reconstructed as a full hut.

Perhaps the best thing about the house is its very presence: it’s a living reminder of the city’s past, and how the old and the new interact—and co-exist.

4881 Broadway, W. 204th St., 212-304-9422, dyckmanfarmhouse.org

Spyscape

If you’ve ever wanted to be a spy (and let’s face it, who hasn’t?), this one’s for you: Spyscape offers a mix of cool interactive experiences and background info on the real world of spies.

Try your hand (or, more accurately, your feet) at escaping a crisscrossed network of light beams. Test your detecting skills in the new Batman experience—with some help from other iconic DC characters. Will the evil empire take over? Not with your skill and derring do.

Visitors can also learn about encryption by discovering the real cryptologists who helped crack the German Enigma Machine (a kind of cipher) during World War II. Don’t miss the actual code books and code-breaking devices.

In “Deception,” you’ll encounter the FBI agent who sold secrets to the Russians for more than 20 years, and encounter state-of-the-art lie-detection machines.

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Other areas include “Surveillance,” which shows how corporations and governments use data surveillance (extremely sobering, to say the least) and information on how female journalists were able to free 2,000 slaves using their spy know-how.

Don’t miss “Hacking,” which explains a teen was able to break into the CIA; or “Cyber -Warfare,” which examines such real-world issues as Phishing.

And if you’ve ever pictured yourself accompanying James Bond on one of his missions—or just enjoy the movies—“Special Ops” introduces you to the original Q, who inspired the suave spy.

Don’t bypass the interactive experiences, especially if you have kids with you: the challenges were designed by a former Head of Training at MI6.

And if you’re looking for bragging rights about how well you did—as you should—make sure to get your profile after you complete all the challenges, which put your skills to the test.

Because who knows? One day that talent for code breaking may come in handy. Don’t you want to be ready?

928 Eighth Ave., spyscape.com

The Museum of Broadway

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Photo: Monique Carboni.

The interactive, experiential Museum of Broadway near Times Square leads guests on a journey through a visual history of Broadway, highlighting groundbreaking moments by showcasing spectacular costumes, props, renderings, rare photos, videos, and more. Along the way, visitors get the stories of some of the pivotal shows that transformed the landscape of Broadway. Exhibits and immersive experiences feature The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, HAIR, The Ziegfeld Follies, Show Boat, Oklahoma!, The Wiz, and Rent, among many more. Overall, the museum highlights more than 500 individual productions from the 1700s through the present. 

Image: Darren Cox

Disney has been a central part of the Broadway landscape since Beauty and the Beast debuted in 1994. To commemorate the anniversary, The Museum of Broadway has opened a special exhibit in partnership with the Disney Theatrical Group. Disney on Broadway: 30 Years of Magic features memorabilia and costumes from icons like Elsa, Mary Poppins, and Genie. You can also immerse yourself in current hit shows The Lion King and Aladdin (be transported to The Cave of Wonders) through interactive photo experiences. The exhibition makes a perfect excuse to check out this one-of-a-kind institution, with three floors of sets and costumes showcasing Broadway’s illustrious past and present.

145 W. 45th St., themuseumofbroadway.com

Jackie Robinson Museum

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The Jackie Robinson Museum (JRM is more than a museum about a baseball star. Yes, it focuses on Robinson’s incredible achievements in helping to bring an end to racial segregation in professional baseball, and to his incredible achievements on the field, becoming the first Black athlete to join Major League Baseball.

But it’s also about how the impact of one person can lead others to examine and strive to change pressing social concerns. The museum looks at Robinson’s life and achievements against the backdrop of history in this country.

The main gallery considers Robinson’s life and legacy, starting with his birth in 1919 and using videos, artifacts, and interactive experiences to demonstrate both his prowess as an athlete as well as his commitment to social change through activism and civil engagement.

Don’t miss the Story Towers, which use artifacts to highlight different parts of his life, as well as the case that displays player contracts, letters, and photographs that tie into his role with the Brooklyn Dodgers and manager Brach Rickey.

Especially poignant is "Crossing the Color Line,” a media installation that captures the racial environment beyond the baseball field.

And fans will especially enjoy ”The Dugout,” featuring the first Rookie of the Year Plaque ever awarded, as well as actual fan letters to Robinson. Robinson’s legacy can be seen as well in the display on his impact on popular culture, featuring comic books, magazine covers, movie posters, and more, from 1947 to today.

The museum also offers lectures, public and school programs, and more ways in which to engage the public.

One Hudson Square Building; 75 Varick St., 866-454-3772, jackierobinsonmuseum.org

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