Attraction Types: Family Friendly

It is an unusual idea making a tenement into a museum. But that’s what the aptly-named Tenement Museum is. The museum, which may only be seen by guided tour, offers various programs regarding the roles of immigrants in the US. There are seven different tours with four lasting one hour and two others 90 minutes. The seventh tour is an in-depth experience lasting two hours and focusing on immigrants weathering difficult times. The museum features authentic furnishings and accessories as it recreates the living situation that faced most of the people who came to America’s shores in the late 19th through the early 20th century.

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If there was ever going to be a city that had a museum dedicated to skyscrapers, it’s certainly the tall-building capital of the world—New York City. The Skyscraper Museum celebrates the amazing architectural history and heritage that defines Manhattan and the individuals who have been influential in the development of these major vertical structures. There are numerous permanent displays, including an examination of the Twin Towers, an overview of rebuilding Ground Zero, various detailed mini-models of Manhattan and a photographic rendering of Lower Manhattan. There also are numerous new exhibits being developed and displayed. The Skyscraper Museum is one tall undertaking.

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Imagine New York without its extensive public transportation system. Impossible. At The New York Transit Museum, enjoy exhibits such as the Steel Stone & Backbone: Building New York’s Subways 1900-1925 and On the Streets: New York’s Trolleys and Buses. Learn about construction methods and the people who built New York’s first subway line. Explore the last 175 years of transportation history in the city in an exhibit that includes a detailed simulated traffic intersection, a child-size trolley, and a 12-seat bus. The New York Transit Museum is interactive, educational, and a lot of fun. Climb aboard for a great experience. Guided 90-minute group tours require a reservation. There are also various podcast tours that may be downloaded.

The FDNY’s original museum opened as the Fire College Museum in Long Island City in 1934. In 1959 the collection was moved to the spare bay of a working firehouse at 100 Duane Street in Manhattan, where it remained until the Home Insurance Company presented its own extensive collection of fire memorabilia to the city in 1981, making a move to larger space imperative. A new non-profit, The Friends of the New York City Fire Department Collection, was created to raise funds to renovate the former quarters of Engine Company No. 30, a 1904 Beaux-Arts firehouse on Spring Street, and in 1987, the New York City Fire Museum opened its doors.

 

   Displays illustrate the evolution of firefighting from the bucket brigades of Peter Stuyvesant’s New Amsterdam through the colorful history of volunteer firefighters to modern firefighting techniques and equipment. The Museum also houses a special memorial to the 343 members of the FDNY who made the Supreme Sacrifice on 9/11 and features a number of firefighting artifacts recovered from the World Trade Center site. A video room and a mock apartment with an artificial smoke machine and black-lighted fire hazards are used in the museum’s fire education program for school children ages K through 12.

 

   The New York City Fire Museum attracts 40,000 visitors a year from all over America and almost every country in the world. Retired FDNY firefighters proudly volunteer to relate stories of New York City’s “Bravest” and with the help of the Museum’s stunning collection, tell how they got to be that way.

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If it pertains to New York art, culture or life, then there’s a good chance you’ll find it here at the Museum of the City of New York. There are over 50,000 photographic images and numerous exhibits related to important venues, premium artists and performers, great moments, and the lives of everyday citizens and neighbors. This museum offers a portrait of the city that is simultaneously intimate and panoramic. Lectures, performances and films are all part of the museum experience. Groups are welcome and can include curator-led, docent-led or self-guided tours; arrangements must be made two weeks in advance. The Museum of the City of New York is a total New York experience for everyone.

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