Filed under: film, history, museums, top-feature
5 Fun, Fascinating, Funky New York Museums
Sure there’s the Guggenheim and the Museum of Natural History - but what about museums with a little unusual flair? New York has museums devoted to some interesting topics, and although they aren’t always covered in the major guidebooks, these attractions are just as worth your time as those along Museum Mile. They all deliver a different experience, from a good laugh to learning about the people who built the great city of New York. From serious to playful, entertaining to enriching, the museums in New York are anything but boring.
1. Museum of Sex
You don’t need to be visiting New York for Valentine’s Day to go to the Museum of Sex.
While of course there’s a serious side to this museum that aims to deliver information on the history and evolution of human sexuality, there’s also a humorous side to the experience. Anyone who wants to completely reinvent their idea of a museum will be amused by what’s on display in these galleries. The Museum of Sex first opened in 2002 and it was the first of its kind anywhere in the world. You must be over 18 to enter and see the exhibitions containing over 15,000 artifacts including works of art, photography, costumes, sculpture, and more. The museum also has temporary exhibitions, so you truly never know what you will encounter beyond the front door.
Details: 233 5th Avenue (at 27th Street), New York. (map) Open Sunday – Thursday 10:00 am – 8:00 pm and Friday & Saturday 10:00 am – 9:00 pm. Tickets cost $21.75, but a $3 off coupon can be found on the museum’s website.
2. Museum of the Moving Image
Film buffs now have a museum dedicated to their favorite art. The Museum of the Moving Image is located in Astoria, Queens but is well worth the trip beyond the borders of Manhattan. This museum can be as in depth as you want it to be. Certain film fans will swoon over the history, technique, and technology of films, while others will be infatuated by the incredible films themselves. From avant-garde to comedy and beyond, you never know what will be playing the day you visit this museum. The Museum of the Moving Image is the only museum of its kind in the entire country. There’s also a futuristic little cafe where you can enjoy wines by the glass and talk about what you’ve just seen.
Details: 35 Avenue at 37 Street, Astoria, Queens, New York. (map) Closed Mondays. Open Tuesday – Thursday 10:30 am – 5:00 pm and Friday – Sunday 10:30 am – 7:00 pm. Tickets cost $10.
3. The Tenement Museum
Located deep inside the Lower East Side neighborhood is a museum devoted to urban immigrant history. The Tenement Museum showcases what life was like for immigrants who arrived in New York looking for a new life. This is a fascinating museum for travelers who also visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island or have tried to trace their ancestors in the city. Unlike other museums where you are welcome to wander freely, the Tenement Museum can only be seen by guided tour. Knowledgeable guides will reveal what life was like for immigrants in the 19th and 20th century trying to make ends meet in New York. The incredible part about this museum is that the building – 97 Orchard Street – was actually the home of nearly 7000 working class immigrants.
Details: 97 Orchard Street, Lower East Side, New York. (map) Open 10am – 6pm 7 days per week. (Purchase your ticket online to reserve a date and time for your tour). Tickets cost $20 for adults and $15 for students.
4. The Skyscraper Museum
Walking around New York City it is almost impossible not to be curious about skyscrapers. How did they develop? What is the limit for the height of skyscrapers? These and other questions will be answered at the Skyscraper Museum, located in Battery Park City. Unlike some museums that overwhelm with their endless galleries and impossible to read maps, the Skyscraper Museum is one manageable room (ironically) on the ground floor of the Ritz Carlton Battery Park Hotel. Here, both kids and adults will find engaging exhibits that reveal details about the history, engineering, and design of skyscrapers in New York City and beyond.
Details: 39 Battery Place, New York. (map) Open Wednesday – Sunday 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm. Tickets cost $5.
5. Coney Island Museum
If there’s a museum that succeeds at making its visitors nostalgic, its got to be the Coney Island Museum. From vintage bumper cars to other antiques from the glory days of Coney Island, this Brooklyn museum will remind visitors of past simple pleasures. This small museum is only open on Saturday and Sunday, but is sometimes open during the week in the summer months. Dedicated to preserving the history of Coney Island, this museum will transport you to a different time. And the cost of admission is only 99 cents.
Details: 1208 Surf Ave, Brooklyn, NY. (map) Open Saturday & Sunday 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Tickets cost only 99 cents and souvenirs are available.
No matter what period of history, unusual topic, or art form you’re interested in – many visitors are surprised to learn that we’ve got a museum for that in New York.
Find your perfect New York short term rentals now.
Photo Credit: Museum of Sex by Alicereneztay on Flickr, Tenement Museum by brownpau on Flickr, Coney Island by tony the misfit on Flickr.
2 Comments
The Tenement Museum is really cool, one of my favorite museums in New York. I’ve been working on a website for all of the museums in Manhattan…
what do you think?