Discover over 400 years of American history at The New York Historical, a museum and library in the Big Apple. Dive into the past with ongoing and temporary exhibitions featuring artwork, documents, and artifacts from colonial times to the present. Conduct research at the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library and check out the Center for Women’s History. Bring your kiddos to the DiMenna Children’s History Museum for some interactive fun. Can’t make it to NYC? No worries! Visit the museum virtually with online exhibitions and collections.
Since there’s so much to do at The New York Historical, this visitor’s guide will walk you through all of it so you can make the most of your visit. Let’s dig into some good ole’ NY history.
Brief History of The New York Historical
The New York Historical is NY’s oldest museum. In 1804, City Inspector John Pintard gathered a group of prominent men to establish an institution, formerly known as The New-York Historical Society. Its mission was “to collect and preserve whatever may relate to the natural, civil, or ecclesiastical History of the United States in general and of this State in particular.” Because the founders lived through the American Revolution, historical preservation was foremost on their minds. They saw the library at Columbia College and the New York Society Library destroyed during the war. As a result, they were committed to preserving New York history.1
After moving locations several times throughout the 19th century, the society finally found its permanent home on Central Park West in 1908.2 Recently, on October 28, 2024, the New-York Historical Society officially changed its name to The New York Historical and announced plans to build a new wing.
Must-Sees at The New York Historical
The New York Historical has a rich collection of artworks, artifacts, and documents. It’s important to note that not everything is always on view, and display locations change.
The collection includes American paintings of portraits, genre scenes, and landscapes from the colonial period to the present. It’s particularly strong in Hudson River School landscapes, with works by Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand, Frederic E. Church, Jasper F. Cropsey, Sanford R. Gifford, John F. Kensett, and Albert Bierstadt. The collection also has historical artifacts and souvenirs, decorative arts, drawings, sculptures, Audubon watercolors, Tiffany lamps, board and table games, the Jerni Collection of toy trains, and more (yes, more!)
The following is a list of what I believe are the 10 “must-see” artworks. Click on the “+” to expand the text. If there’s an item in the collection you love that isn’t on this list, please share in the comments below.
The Course of Empire is a series of five paintings by Hudson River School artist Thomas Cole. I’m going to let you know right now – these paintings are on my list of favorite artworks of all time, so I am biased AF. They take my breath away every time I see them in person. Each painting is intricately detailed, so don’t be afraid to get up close and personal.
Okay, so what is The Course of Empire? The series charts the rise and fall of a civilization in a dramatic narrative across time. The mountain in the background anchors the story by letting us know this is the same location throughout. The first painting is The Savage State, ca. 1834. We see an untamed wilderness, and although there are indigenous people dotted throughout the landscape, nature is in control. The Arcadian or Pastoral State, ca. 1834, is next, showing humans in balance with nature, the ideal state according to Cole. Although humans have begun making their mark on the landscape, they have not yet overtaken nature.
Empire Runs Its Course
I think we all know what follows this state…It’s The Consummation of Empire, 1835-1836. Cole paints a gorgeous classical city, but it’s gaudy and gluttonous. It’s luxe, but vice and corruption are its bedfellows. Nature has been tamed. The next painting is Destruction, 1836, depicting the civilization’s ruin. It’s the most dramatic scene, with the city sacked by an invading army. The message is clear. All empires fall. Desolation, 1836, is the final painting in the series. The sun sets, symbolizing the extinction of empire. The achievements of man are slowly being reclaimed by nature.
As you look at The Course of Empire on the second floor in Dexter Hall, ponder this question: Which stage do you think our civilization is currently in…?
Picasso’s masterpiece is a painted theater curtain for the two-act ballet The Three-Cornered Hat (Le Tricorne, or El sombrero de tres picos). Russian critic and impresario3 Sergei Diaghilev commissioned Le Tricorne for his Parisian ballet company, Ballets Russes. Diaghilev also commissioned Pablo Picasso to paint the stage curtain and design the sets and costumes.
The curtain is a testament to Spain and all its Spanishness. Remember – Picasso was a Spaniard, so he went hard on this one. The scene depicts five spectators at a bullfight, Spain’s national sport. The arena is reminiscent of the Roman amphitheater in Nîmes, a favorite of Picasso’s. We see four women and a man dressed in traditional Spanish garb of the working class. They’re standing in the bullring’s arcade, not paying attention to what’s happening in the arena. They’re even blocking most of our view of the background scene, which is el arrastre, or dragging the slain bull. You can see part of the bull’s head behind the elbow of the woman on the left. The poor bull is being dragged by two horses led by a man with a whip.
Three of the women are clustered to the right, gabbing away. A young fruit vendor offers them a pomegranate (granada en español), a fertility symbol of the Spanish city of Granada. The pomegranate also refers to death in the Greek myth of Persephone. As if a literal dead bull being dragged across an arena isn’t representative enough. Anyway, the curtain looks like a poster, with heavy black outlines and flat colors.
Spanish Curtain for Parisian Ballet in New York
Okay, so why a very Spanish curtain for a ballet performed by a Parisian company, commissioned by a Russian, and premiered in England? Because Diaghilev dreamed up the ballet with Léonide Massine, a Russian choreographer, while in Spain. The ballet itself is set in Spain, incorporates Spanish dance, and has music by Spanish composer Manuel de Falla.
That’s all fine and well, but how did this end up at The New York Historical? Well, prior to 2015, it was kind of just…hanging in the Four Seasons Restaurant in NYC’s Seagram Building. It’s a tried-and-true New Yorker because it was chillin’ there for 55 years, so it deserves a spot in the museum dedicated to New York history.
Get your Spanish on with Curtain for the Ballet “Le Tricorne,” currently displayed on the second floor in Dexter Hall.
The New York Historical has many G Dubs (George Washington) portraits by notable artists, including Charles Willson Peale, Gilbert Stuart, Asher B. Durand, and William Matthew Prior. They’re all great, but I saw Rembrandt Peale’s portrait when I last visited the museum, and I kind of love the story behind it.
In 1795, when Rembrandt was 18 years old, he painted a portrait of G Dubs from life. How did he pull this off? Well, he was a nepo baby because his father was the famous artist Charles Willson Peale. Papa Peale arranged for the portrait sittings (3 in total), resulting in an accurate depiction of the aging general. Rembrandt made 10 copies of the original portrait, but alas, it was not enough. He was hit with G Dubs fever. Rembrandt painted some other portraits of Washington, but they never quite satisfied his need for portraying the first President as grand, commanding, and heroic. He became OBSESSED to the point where his family was concerned for his well-being.
The Best Portrait, Like, Ever
In 1823, Rembrandt declared this was it, he was painting the most accurate and authentic portrait of G Dubs in existence. It would leave all other portraits in the dust. So, he came up with this painting, called the “porthole George Washington.” A painted bust of Washington is in an oval trompe l’oeil stone frame. Trompe l’oeil is a French term that means an artist is trying to trick the viewer into thinking something painted is real. In this case, Rembrandt wants us to think the painted stone frame is real stone.
After completing the portrait, Rembrandt launched a successful publicity campaign. People loved it. They felt the portrait was a good likeness of G Dubs but also iconic. So, in keeping with his obsession, Rembrandt made 79 copies of this painting! This is one of those copies. The original sits in the Senate Chambers of the United States Capitol.
Go ahead, participate in Rembrandt’s obsession by seeing George Washington on the second floor in Dexter Hall.
In addition to George Washington, Rembrandt Peale painted the portrait of another United States President. Rembrandt first painted Thomas Jefferson in 1800 but got a second go-around in 1805. In that year, he visited Washington, DC with his father, Charles Willson Peale, to paint national celebs for their family museum in Philadelphia.
Rembrandt painted this second portrait in the White House, at the end of Jefferson’s successful first Presidential term. Jefferson looks super casual here, which wasn’t the norm for official portraits. His hair is not perfectly coiffed, and he’s wearing a fab fur-lined cape over a red coat. This garb is very different from other official portraits, where he wears a ruffled white shirt and high-collared black coat.
Meucci’s Pierre Touissant is a refreshing portrait of a black man in the 1800s. Let’s just say that during this period, most depictions of African Americans were not flattering. Not only does Pierre Touissant look great in this portrait, but he’s got an interesting backstory to go with it.
Pierre was born into slavery on a sugar cane plantation in Haiti in 1781. His enslaver, a Frenchman named Jean Bérard, fled to New York in 1797, taking Pierre with him. While living in the Big Apple, Pierre became a hairdresser for the elite. He was damn good too. He knew all the French fashions as well as new American styles. His clients included Alexander Hamilton’s wife and Mary Ann Schuyler, who was from a wealthy NY family. Pierre was able to keep a portion of his earnings for himself, but as an enslaved person, most of it went to his owners.
Within a few years, Bérard croaked on a return trip to Haiti, leaving his wife Marie destitute in New York. They had lost their plantation and all their money, so she was fucked. Enter Pierre, who supported her and his family with his earnings as a hairdresser. On her deathbed in 1807, Marie freed Pierre.
Hairstylist and Saint
By that time, Pierre was making bank as a hairstylist. He bought a house on Franklin Street in Manhattan and became a philanthropist. Pierre took in orphans of color and helped them secure an education and jobs. He donated to a Catholic orphanage, various charities, and the church. Pierre even donated money to build St. Patrick’s Cathedral. His goodwill didn’t stop there. He financially assisted enslaved men wanting to buy their freedom and tended to the sick during epidemics. This guy was a freaking saint. At least Pope John Paul II thought so, because in 1997 he proclaimed him a “venerable,” which in the Catholic Church is the first step to becoming an actual saint.
Do yourself a favor and go see Pierre’s portrait, which is on display on the second floor in Dexter Hall. Maybe his saintliness will rub off on you.
F. Bartoli’s Gayë́twahgeh (also known as Corplanter) is a striking portrait of a Seneca chief. The painting possibly commemorates Cornplanter’s 1786 meeting with the US Congress in New York. The meeting resulted in peace between his people and the United States.
This portrait demonstrates the diverse interconnections of early America. Gayë́twahgeh was born circa 1742 to Johannes (John) Abeel, a Dutch fur trader, and Aliquipiso of the Turtle Clan of the Seneca tribe. In addition to his mixed ancestry, the Seneca chief wears clothing and regalia of both Indigenous and European-American cultures. The metal adorning his neck looks equal parts medieval armor and native shell necklace. His silver armbands look European in style, as does the red cloth around his shoulders. His plumed headdress and the feathered smoking pipe in his right hand hark to his indigenous roots, as do his nose and ear piercings.
Fed-Up Diplomat
Although we know quite a bit about Cornplanter in his early years, not much is known about his later life. During the Revolutionary War, he led the Seneca on the side of the British. When the war ended, he established diplomatic relations with the “Council of the Thirteen Fires” (the United States/13 colonies). Hence, the meeting of 1786 and his participation in the negotiation of three peace treaties. In his later years, he retreated into indigenous life because he was fed up with the white world and the US government. Are we surprised? No, we are not. Cornplanter died in 1836 in Pennsylvania.
You can admire the mighty Seneca Chief’s portrait on the second floor in Dexter Hall.
Charles Willson Peale painted this portrait of his family in the early 1770s and came back to it 35 years later to add the finishing touches. It was a huge undertaking for an artist in colonial America to paint such a complex piece. Peale nailed it, though, and achieved the reputation of portrait master.
So, who are the cast of characters? Charles put himself at the left, holding his artist’s palette. He’s hunched over, watching as his brothers James and St. George draw a figure. Peale’s mom, Margaret, is sitting at the right with his sister Elizabeth and daughter Eleanor. Sitting in the middle is his first wife, Rachel Brewer Peale, and their daughter Margaret. His sister Margaret Jane and the family nurse Peggy Durgan stand behind the table. Argus, the family dog, is in front of the table.
Love and Art
The main themes of the portrait are family and love, but Peale also pays homage to the visual arts. The easel on the left contains a painting of three maidens symbolizing “Concordia Animae,” or agreement of the spirits (aka this is one big happy family). As previously mentioned, the art of drawing is acted out by his brothers. Sculpture is represented by the three busts at the top right, which happen to be portraits of Peale, his teacher Benjamin West, and one of his patrons, Edmund Jennings. Finally, there’s a nod to still life painting, with an assortment of fruit on the table. Peale even puts a little pun in there, with an apple peel just off the dish. Get it…Peale = peel. Oh, Charles, you kill us with your wit.
In 1809, he came back to the painting to add his doggie Argus, change parts of his face, and repaint some of the background.
Feel the wholesomeness by visiting The Peale Family on the first floor, in the “Pets and the City” temporary exhibition.
Nurse Tracey, you’re my hero! This portrait of a beautiful, strong nurse hits close to home for all of us. It belongs to a larger portrait series of COVID-19 essential workers, particularly doctors and nurses from Manhattan and Brooklyn. Japanese Canadian artist Tim Okamura was in New York when he had the coronavirus in 2020 and was inspired by those battling the disease.
You’ll be pleased to know that Nurse Tracey is a real person. She’s Tracey-Ann Knight, DNP, RN, a nurse manager at NYU Langone Health in Brooklyn. Originally from Jamaica, West Indies, Nurse Tracey exemplifies the people of color in the medical field who risked their lives to save the sick. Okamura purposely focused on a black woman to bring the racial dynamics of COVID-19 into discussion. He highlights the nurses on the front lines and the minority communities that were hit hard by the pandemic. As half British, half Japanese, Okamura knows what it’s like to be singled out because he looks different. He also had Japanese ancestors put in Canadian internment camps during World War II, so his connection with marginalized communities shows in his artwork.
Modern Day Rosie
Nurse Tracey is wearing that all too familiar blue face mask, which brings back a lot of memories for most of us. She’s also in a very familiar pose – she’s our modern-day Rosie the Riveter. With eyes looking directly at us, hair pulled back in a scarf, sleeve rolled up, and bicep flexed, we can almost hear her say, “We Can Do It!” By adopting the pose of World War II Rosie, Nurse Tracey immediately became a contemporary icon.
Get inspired by Nurse Tracey, currently on display on the second floor in Dexter Hall.
John James Audubon painted 435 preparatory watercolors for his book Birds of America. Thanks to a sale by his widow, Lucy Bakewell Audubon, The New York Historical owns them all. The exquisitely detailed watercolors depict North American birds, often amid background flora. Selections of the watercolors are displayed in the Audubon’s Birds of America Focus Gallery on the second floor, as well as online. See “Audubon’s Birds of America Focus Gallery” in the Ongoing Exhibitions section below for more information.
The New York Historical owns 132 jewel-like Tiffany lamps and three windows for your viewing pleasure. When electricity became a thing, Louis Tiffany began designing lamps with colored glass shades to soften the brilliance of incandescent light bulbs. Louis wasn’t the only mastermind behind these lamps, however, as Clara Driscoll was also a designer. Her team of “Tiffany Girls” helped manufacture the iconic lamps, creating luxury lighting for America’s elite.
Go ahead, pretend you’re a wealthy New York socialite or businessman from the early 20th century and browse the Gallery of Tiffany Lamps on the fourth floor. Where will your favorite lamp look best in your NYC penthouse?
To learn more, see the Ongoing Exhibitions section below.
What’s on View
There’s a lot on view at The New York Historical. While you can see it all if you’d like, I recommend selecting a few exhibitions and activities from this list that tickle your fancy. Even I, holder of graduate degrees in history and art history, get burned out at museums. In fact, I’ve written a blog post on how to avoid museum burnout that you should check out. It’s called How to Visit an Art Museum and Not Be Totally Overwhelmed.
Ongoing Exhibitions at The New York Historical
The New York Historical has several permanent, or “ongoing” exhibitions, in which they display their collection. I’ve arranged these by location, starting with the first floor. Click on the arrow to the right to bring up the menu if you are reading this guide on your phone.
What: The story of Frederick Douglass’ “Our Composite Nation” speech
Where: First Floor, the Helen and Robert Appel Pillars of Democracy
In the late 1860s, Frederick Douglass toured the United States to deliver his speech, “Our Composite Nation.” Douglass, an orator, abolitionist, and former slave, argued for a pluralistic democracy embracing diversity, equality, and freedom.
The exhibition is based on the book Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by scholar and New York Historical Trustee David Blight. I geeked out when I learned this because I love Blight’s book Race and Reunion, which I read in college. These books are must-reads for anyone interested in American history.
 |  |
$13.25 | $18.66 |
What: Two short films on New York and women in history
Where: First Floor, Robert H. Smith Auditorium
Rest your feet by watching a couple of short films in the Robert H. Smith Auditorium. “We Rise: A Film from the Center for Women’s History” is narrated by Meryl Streep. The 17-minute film is about some pretty badass women in American history. It runs every hour on the half hour.
“New York Story” is an 18-minute film about the Big Apple narrated by Liev Schreiber. It has immersive video projection, theatrical lighting, and surround sound. It plays every hour on the hour.
What: Artwork of birds
Where: Second Floor
The New York Historical has the world’s largest collection of Audubon artwork. John James Audubon, naturalist and artist, published Birds of America between 1827 and 1838. The book contains 435 life-sized images of North American birds.
The gallery, which is quite small, contains original watercolors used as models for the book. It also has image plates from the Birds of America double-elephant folio series (aka a big-ass book) and reduced octavo edition (a smaller book). The New York Historical does a bimonthly rotation of the exhibited works, choosing a new species to display. So, the exhibition is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.
Audubon is a controversial figure because he was a slaveholder and participated in scientific racism. While that is shitty and unacceptable, his artworks are gorgeous and were at the forefront of naturalism, environmental conservation, and American art. I’m not saying his artworks make up for what he did – they don’t – but if you’re able to accept his complicated history, perhaps you can enjoy the cute birds.
To see all of Audubon’s watercolors at once, check out these books, which have nice repros.
 |  |
$30.22 | $79.99 |
What: Archival exhibition of Robert A. Caro, biographer of Robert Moses and Lyndon B. Johnson
Where: Second Floor, Corridor Gallery
Robert A. Caro was a journalist, historian, and award-winning author whose biographies shed light on American politics and society. His book on Robert Moses, The Power Broker (1974), won the Pulitzer Prize. He then chronicled the life of President Lyndon B. Johnson in four books: The Path to Power (1982), Means of Ascent (1990), Master of the Senate (2009), and The Passage of Power (2012).
The New York Historical’s exhibition displays documents from Caro’s personal archive, which the museum acquired in 2019. In addition to handwritten notes, scrapbooks, research notebooks, manuscripts, and photographs, Caro’s typewriter is also on display.
 |  |  |  |  |
$15.84 | $14.91 | $12.59 | $13.88 | $25.44 |
What: 100+ illuminated Tiffany lamps
Where: Fourth Floor
The New York Historical’s collection of 132 Tiffany lamps is displayed in this dramatically lit gallery. The illuminated lamps, made by Tiffany Studios in the early 20th century, are like a sea of precious jewels.
Some of you may be thinking, so what, they’re a bunch of old lamps. Nay, good sir and madam, they are exquisitely beautiful artworks with a cool story behind them. Louis C. Tiffany (1848-1933) is the man behind Tiffany Studios, but there was also a team of women responsible for the design and production of the famous lamps. Clara Driscoll (1861-1944), head of the Women’s Glass Cutting Department from 1892 to 1909, designed many a Tiffany lamp. Her staff, called “Tiffany Girls,” were responsible for selecting colored and textured glass for the shades. They also cut the pieces of glass and wrapped them with copper foil.
Tiffany Girls
Tiffany Girls were ages 16 and up, and many came from immigrant families. Because of societal restrictions, married women could not work. So, once a Tiffany Girl got a ring on her finger, she had to quit. As a result, there was a revolving door of Tiffany Girls. Driscoll and her ladies get their due in this exhibition, as they’re mentioned in gallery labels and kiosks.
The gallery also contains a fun interactive activity to “Design-a-Lamp.” There’s also a sweet diorama of a New York street demonstrating electrification. By pressing buttons, a corresponding light illuminates the diorama, showing how much electricity has changed the city.
If you know your Tiffany lamps, see if you can spot the following highlights:
- Dragonfly shade lamps
- Dogwood floor lamp
- Wisteria table lamp
- Cobweb shade of a Narcissus mosaic base
What: Recreation of the White House Oval Office and gallery about the United States Presidency
Where: Fourth Floor
Oval Office
The New York Historical has recreated the White House Oval Office for your viewing pleasure. The Oval Office has been the seat of executive power since 1909, when it was created for President William Howard Taft. In 1932, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt moved it from its original location to its current one overlooking the Rose Garden.
Each president can decorate the Oval Office according to his4 own personal style and vibe. This recreation harks back to President Ronald Reagan’s second term and is a “classic design” (thank you, Nancy Reagan and decorator Ted Graber).
A cool interactive feature of this Oval Office is annoying the security guards by listening to audio recordings of several presidents. You have the option of four recordings originally made in the Oval Office, which play loudly in an overhead speaker. You bet your ass I pressed every one of those buttons. They are:
- President John F. Kennedy and former President Dwight D. Eisenhower discussing Russian nuclear missiles in Cuba on October 22, 1962.
- President Lyndon B. Johnson talking to Martin Luther King, Jr. on November 25, 1963.
- President John F. Kennedy discussing the deaths of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem and his bro on November 4, 1963.
- President Richard Nixon learning the New York Times was publishing a secret report about the Vietnam War – the Pentagon Papers – on June 13, 1971. Uh-oh!
Meet the Presidents Gallery
Next to the Oval Office is a small gallery about U.S. Presidents. The exhibition explores the evolution of the executive branch and how each President has acted in this leadership role.
Highlights from the gallery include the bible G. Dubs (George Washington) swore on when he took office in New York, cool presidential campaign swag, and a wall of presidential portraits.
Along the gallery, you’re able to lift speakers and listen to Presidential speeches. I was excited to hear Theodore Roosevelt’s 1912 campaign speech because I dig Teddy. He’s always fascinated me. I expected his voice to be loud, commanding, and booming, but when I lifted that speaker, I was… surprised at his high pitch and old-timey announcer accent. They always say never meet your heroes…
What: American silver collection
Where: Fourth Floor
Explore early American silver from the colonial era to the 20th century. The earliest examples include tankards and teapots from when New York was a Dutch colony called New Amsterdam. Ever since New York became a British colony, silver has been an important part of its manufacturing. In 1837, Tiffany & Co. was established and became a luxury retailer of silver. The array of silver on display includes silverware, decorative pieces, coffee services, trophies, and even a sword from the Civil War.
What: Historical artifacts from New York and American history, arranged by theme
Where: Fourth Floor, North Gallery
Treasures from the Henry Luce II Center for the Study of American Culture are on display to teach you a bit of New York and American history. Historical artifacts are arranged by theme, including slavery, war, infrastructure, childhood, recreation, fire, LGBTQ+, Dutch New York, and 9/11.
Highlights include stained glass from Dutch New York dating to 1650, a Valley Forge camp cot belonging to G Dubs (George Washington), a gigantic model of President Abraham Lincoln’s head designed by Daniel Chester French for the Lincoln Memorial, and a portrait of Seneca Chief Sagoyewatha. One theme I felt was missing throughout the museum was Native Americans in New York. But the portrait is a good start.
While the gallery is cool, it’s a bit outdated. I’ve been to The New York Historical numerous times, and if I’m remembering correctly, this exhibit has always kind of been here. They’ve certainly updated some of the displays (LGBTQ+, for example) and have added interactive components like screens and audio, so that helps.
10 historical artifacts representing key moments in history are displayed in the center of the gallery. Two that caught my interest were a copper globe from 1542 relating to Giovanni da Verrazzano and a draft wheel from the New York City Draft Riots in July 1863.
What: Multimedia digital installation from the Center for Women’s History
Where: Fourth floor
The Center for Women’s History is like a museum within a museum. Through exhibitions, programs, and online resources, the center explores the lives of women who have made a lasting impact in American history.
The center’s ongoing exhibition is “Women’s Voices,” a multimedia digital installation telling the stories of women activists, scientists, performers, athletes, writers, and educators. Nine touchscreen kiosks feature video, audio, text, and images of badass women like Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina Supreme Court Justice; poet and civil rights activist Audre Lorde; actress Meryl Streep; novelist Edith Wharton; and physicist Chien-Shiung Wu.
Temporary Exhibitions at The New York Historical
The New York Historical has a roster of ever-changing temporary exhibitions. For a listing of what’s on view when you decide to visit, check out their Exhibitions webpage. You can also read my reviews on the following two temporary exhibitions:
- “Pets and the City” Exhibition at The New York Historical
- “Pride and Protest” Exhibition at The New York Historical
DiMenna Children’s History Museum
The DiMenna Children’s History Museum is a dedicated space at The New York Historical for children ages 8-13. It has character-based pavilions, interactive exhibits and games, and a slew of family programs. The museum teaches New York and American history through the stories of famous New Yorkers from the past, with a focus on each person’s childhood. There is also the Barbara K. Lipman Children’s History Library.
Admittedly, I have not explored the children’s museum because I didn’t want to be one of those creeper adults poking around, with no child present. So, if you have kiddos and want to take them to the museum, check out their Digital Family Guides to prepare for your visit.
Patricia D. Klingenstein Library
The Patricia D. Klingenstein Library is one of the foremost research libraries in the United States. It’s currently closed due to construction on the new wing and will reopen in 2026. In the meantime, you can check out its online catalog, online databases, finding aids, and research guides on the official library website.
Online Experiences
If you can’t make it to NYC to visit The New York Historical in person, no problem. Feel free to check out their vast collection of online resources from the comfort of your couch.
The New York Historical has several online exhibitions, which are interactive. They provide you with a “virtual tour” of galleries, with the option to select objects on display. Once you select an object, a close-up image appears, along with the exhibition label. Many exhibitions also contain a highlights section to peruse. Black Dolls is a great example. The website also contains a catalog of past exhibitions, with selected objects to view.
The New York Historical has an online collection portal, with artworks and artifacts arranged into categories such as Collection Highlights, Paintings, Tiffany Glass, Sculpture, and more. Clicking on a category brings you to a digital gallery, where you can further select an object to view its catalog record. What bugs me, though, is that the catalog doesn’t tell you where the object is physically located in the museum, or if it’s in storage. So, if you do want to see it in person, you may have to inquire if it’s on display.
The Patricia D. Klingenstein Library is also searchable online via the Shelby White & Leon Levy Digital Library. Materials from the library and the museum’s archives have been digitized and cataloged. Included are photographs, manuscripts, broadsides, and maps, many of which relate to the American Revolution and the Civil War. The digitized material spans two centuries and is arranged into collections, such as American Manuscripts, Black History Collections, and Photographs of New York City and Beyond.
Online visitors can access the following digital content from The New York Historical’s website:
- For the Ages: A History Podcast. Hosted by David M. Rubenstein, the podcast features guest historians and creative thinkers discussing a variety of topics related to American history.
- Video Library and Public Programs Video Library. A catalog of videos, including NYC trivia, interviews with scholars, talks, and program recordings.
- Blogs galore.
- Behind the Scenes. An insider’s view of the exhibitions and programs at The New York Historical.
- From the Stacks. Librarians from the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library unearth stories from the collections.
- History Detectives. The DiMenna Children’s History Museum blog.
- Women at the Center. The Center for Women’s History blog.
Visiting Logistics
The New York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024
To get there, public transportation is your best bet. For the subway, take the B (on weekdays only) or the C to 81st Street-Museum of Natural History. Walk about 3 minutes to 77th Street.
Another option is taking the 1, 2, and 3 trains to 72nd Street and walking 12 minutes.
You can also take the M79 bus, which runs east/west on 79th Street across Central Park. It stops on West 81st Street. Other bus options include the M7, M10, M11, M86, and M104 – they’ll drop you off nearby. To determine your best route, whip out Google Maps.
If you want to drive, good luck finding free parking. You can always opt to use a parking garage, though, but it’ll cost you. There are three nearby: 203 W 77th Street, 205 W 76th Street, and 201 W 75th Street.
Plan your visit with the following schedule:
- Monday
- Closed
- Tuesday
- 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Wednesday
- 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Thursday
- 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Friday
- 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
- Saturday
- 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Sunday
- 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
The New York Historical provides free daily tours at 1 pm and 2:30 pm.
Timed-entry tickets are available for purchase online, but you can also buy your ticket in person right when you show up.
- Adults: $24
- Seniors, Educators, and Active Military: $19
- Students: $13
- Kids (5-13 years old): $6
- Children under 5: Free
- From 5 – 8 pm on Fridays, you can pay whatever you’d like.
If you’re a New Yorker with a library card from the Brooklyn Public Library, Queens Public Library, or New York Public Library, get yourself a Culture Pass. It allows you to reserve free passes to more than 100 NYC cultural institutions, including the New York Historical.
Check out the NYHistory Store both in person and online. The store is open during museum hours.
If visiting museums makes you hungry, you can have a little snacky-snack at Cafe 77. Click the arrow for their hours.
- Monday
- 8:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Tuesday
- 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Wednesday
- 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Thursday
- 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Friday
- 8:00 am – 8:00 pm
- Saturday
- 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Sunday
- 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Into the Future
The New York Historical has grand plans for the future. The “Tang Wing for American Democracy” is set to open in 2026, the year of the United States’ 250th anniversary. The new wing will contain exhibition galleries, classrooms, the American LGBTQ+ Museum, and an expansion of the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library. Additionally, the Stuart and Jane Weitzman Shoe Museum will connect the new wing to the old museum building. The museum will tell the story of women over the past three centuries through shoes.5 OMG, shoes.
With all these exciting new developments, I will update this visitor’s guide in 2026.
Footnotes
- Burrows and Wallace, 378-379. ↩︎
- Britannica, “New York Historical.” ↩︎
- An impresario is a promoter, manager, or conductor of an opera or concert company. Thank you, Merriam-Webster! ↩︎
- Or her. Hopefully, one day. America, get your fucking act together. ↩︎
- The New York Historical, “Celebrating.” ↩︎
Bibliography and Further Reading
*The following are Amazon affiliate links, which means I earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no cost to you.
Burrows, Edwin G. and Mike Wallace. Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898. Oxford University Press, 1999.
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “New York Historical.” Britannica. Accessed February 16, 2025.
The New York Historical. “Celebrating 220 Years, New York’s First Museum Unveils New Wing Renderings and Announces Updated Name and Brand.” News release. October 28, 2024. Accessed February 20, 2025.
Stone, Elizabeth. “Overlooked No More: Pierre Touissant, Philanthropist and Candidate for Sainthood.” The New York Times, February 18, 2024, updated September 24, 2024.
Leave a Reply