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The 10 Best Specialty Museums in New York City, New York (NY)
Conquering New York in one visit is impossible. Instead, hit the must-sees – the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art – and then explore off the beaten path with visits to The Cloisters or one of the city’s libraries. Indulge in the bohemian shops of the West Village or the fine dining of the Upper West Side. The bustling marketplace inside of Grand Central Station gives you a literal taste of the best the city has to offer.
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1. Ground Zero Museum Workshop
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2,906 reviews
Ground Zero Museum Workshop: Images & Artifacts from the 9/11 Recovery, in the Meatpacking District near Chelsea Market and the High Line Park. A 5-Star Rated Tour. Want to feel what it was like to be with FDNY Firefighters on the front lines after the 9/11 attacks? Want to educate your kids about this tough subject in a gentle and non-threatening way? Experience the Stunning Images of Official Ground Zero Photographer Gary Marlon Suson. "Rare Photos" (New York Times) are displayed, some in lifelike 3D installations, as well as artifacts & rare video. Rated in Trip Advisor's "Top 25 Museums in the USA" for 2013 and 2014 and in Trip Advisor's "Hall of Fame." Presented in BOSE Surround Sound Audio. 100 Stories. Praised by parents as a "safe" introduction to 9/11 for their young kids. Guests are allowed to pick up rare World Trade Center artifacts. Daily 1.5-hour audio tours from 11am-3pm Wednesday through Sunday include a tour guide and the self-guided audio narration in Dolby Stereo, in English, Italian, French and Spanish. Proceeds shared with Fire Department Charities. Walk-ins welcome. CLOSED MONDAY and TUESDAY. "Incredible Images" says Fox News Channel. Museum is housed in the exact building from where the Official Ground Zero Photographer shot his first images of 9/11. Known worldwide as the "Biggest LITTLE Museum in New York." The "first stop" before heading to visit Ground Zero. On display are "The Frozen Clock" - "The Bible Page" - artifacts such as the largest piece of World Trade window glass in existence and many more well-known images featured on FOX NEWS, BBC and CNN. Small gift area sells books and posters. No graphic footage nor images from morning of 9/11 are shown at GZMW. Tastefully and realistically presented. This award-winning tour is a wonderful prequel to your visit to the National 9/11 Memorial + Museum. Reservations accepted. Handicapped accessible. Private and student tours also available. New 2017 Winter Hours: Closed Monday + Tuesday. Open Wednesday thru Sunday 11am-3pm.
Reviewed By candklow - Houghton-le-Spring, United Kingdom
This museum is like no other and can’t begin to say how highly we’d receommend everyone to visit. Being able to touch some of the recovered artifacts from the tragic 9/11 incident, to seeing in detail the fantastic photography work by Gary Marlon Suson is a very emotionally humbling experience. We were fortunate enough to actually meet Gary personally, which made our visit all the more memorable - although the museum its self is something we wouldn’t forget easily. Not just seeing Gary’s photography, but hearing the emotional passion he had and has for capturing in the most respectful way an uncomprehendable event for us, was the highlight of our NY trip. It’s fairly safe to say the Ground Zero Workshop Museum would be our #1 must do for NY, and we’d certainly visit again when we next come to NY. I’d recommend you book because the museum is fairly small. But the intimacy adds to the experience.
2. KGB Espionage Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 299 reviews
The KGB Espionage Museum presents the biggest in the whole world and never-before-seen collection of items covering the activities of KGB agents and revealing the methods that underlay many of history's top secret espionage operations.
Reviewed By dmacrig
Came in with a friend to see the museum - a wonderful collection of eclectic pieces from the old world. Fascinating displays and very well- versed tour guide (Danihl) who gave us some super insight into the world of the Cold War. Highly recommended.
3. Tenement Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,555 reviews
The Tenement Museum preserves the history of immigration through the personal accounts of those who built lives in the Lower East Side. Visitors can view restored apartments from the 19th and 20th centuries, walk the historic neighborhood, and interact with residents to learn the stories of generations of immigrants who helped shape the American experience. The museum is available by guided tour only. Each tour focuses on a specific theme and takes visitors to different areas of our two historic tenement buildings or neighborhood.
Reviewed By OurThoughts4 - Toronto, Canada
The Tenenment Museum is located in a neighbourhood worth exploring before or after the tour. The bookstore of the Museum is worth spending sometime in. Staff very accessible and informative from the cashiers to the tour guide. Our tour guide for the Hard Times tour was an excellent storyteller and was able to make history come alive as well as make the links to current social issues in a thought provoking and respectful way. The tour was enhanced by having some local New York visitors also on tour and making links to their day to day life now - particularly as it relates to neighbourhoods and homes available. Definitely can be hot on the tour but paper fans are provided and little stools for part of the group to take breaks on. A bit of a challenge not being able to lean against the walls.
4. The Jewish Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 475 reviews
The Jewish Museum of New York offers acclaimed art exhibitions that explore art and culture from ancient to modern times. The Museum is located on New York's famed Museum Mile.
Reviewed By RJBLH - South Ozone Park, United States
A wonderful collection do Jewish contribution to culture only blocks north of the Met. There are many religious objects from various places and eras along with exhibits that highlight the influence of Jews on art, film and popular culture. It is housed on the former Warburg mansion across form Central Park. It is an easy walk from both the Met and the Guggenheim. Don't miss it!
5. The Morgan Library & Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,027 reviews
Just a short walk from Grand Central and Penn Station, the Morgan is a major exhibition venue for fine art, literature, and music, one of New York's great historic sites, and a wonderful place to dine, shop, and attend a concert or film.
Reviewed By XSki007 - New Jersey, United States
We are all very fortunate that J.P. Morgan created such an extensive art and rare book collection is such a fabulous home - and it has been preserved for all of us to enjoy it. The buildings are truly a work of art onto themselves. I recommend taking the free head set as you walk through the premises, wherein you will learn a great deal about the man and all of this art work.
6. New-York Historical Society Museum & Library
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 824 reviews
The New-York Historical Society features a host of permanent and rotating exhibitions that explore the history of New York City and the nation. The oldest museum in New York City, New-York Historical is home to a vast collection of objects, documents, and art, including one of the world’s largest collections of Tiffany glasswork, a recreation of the Oval Office, and the Center for Women's History, revealing the untold stories of women who have shaped the American experience.
Reviewed By williamm690 - Boston, United States
The Museum of Natural History was packed shoulder-to-shoulder on a Saturday afternoon, so we came here instead for "air," and how surprised we were by the treasures within! The Tiffany exhibit was dazzling, extensive, and highly informative -- one quickly came to appreciate the depth of artistry and craft involved, including the pioneering role played by a key female designer. Railroads, waterfronts, skyscrapers, fine art. Even the timeless wit and wisdom of Mark Twain. It's all here. On a modest scale in some cases, yes, but as with the State it celebrates, close attention is richly rewarded.
7. New York City Fire Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 260 reviews
The New York City Fire Museum is the official museum of the FDNY.Occupying a renovated 1904 Beaux‐Arts firehouse at 278 Spring Street in Hudson Square, west of SoHo, the museum is home to a renowned collection of fire‐related art and artifacts from the 18th century to the present; including hand‐pumped fire engines, horse‐drawn vehicles, early motorized apparatus and firefighting tools and equipment.
Reviewed By christopherbO9687MP - Acton, United States
This museum provides an excellent overview of both the NYC Fire Department and its history within the city. There are lots of meticulously restored historic fire engines dating back to the 19th century, and a collection of artifacts related to the various volunteer and eventually professional firefighting organizations that have existed in the city (even before the merger with Brooklyn and other boroughs). There are also specialized displays related to the horses and even the mascot dogs that have populated the fire stations at various times. The 9/11 memorial is poignant, as other the summaries of other major fires that led to losses of life. The museums also coves the social aspects of firefighting organizations; such as how they also served as social clubs and some of the rivalries between them. Also covered is how the desire for better firefighting equipment and even city water pressure led to major civic improvements. A must for anyone interested in NYC's history, as well as firefighting fans.
8. Museum of Chinese in America
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 125 reviews
Founded in 1980, the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) is dedicated to preserving and presenting the history, heritage, culture and diverse experiences of people of Chinese descent in the United States. The greatly expanded MOCA at 215 Centre Street is a national home for the precious narratives of diverse Chinese American communities, and strives to be a model among interactive museums.
Reviewed By UniversalTraversal - Oakville, Canada
Although the west coast of the US may be more associated with Chinese immigration, there is still a thriving Chinese community in New York and this museum showcases its history. The most of the museum covers general information such as the various discriminatory laws that have been invoked and repealed over the years, the demonisation of the Chinese during the "Yellow Peril" scare of the early 20th century, their lionisation during WWII and the current situation of Chinese communities in the USA. There is also an exhibition on the Golden Venture, a ship that brought 300 illegal immigrants from China which ran aground in 1993, and the impressive paper models the immigrants made during their time in custody. The museum is small, but well worth doing in you're in Chinatown and need an informative way to spend an hour or so.
9. New York Public Library
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 14,360 reviews
Two marble lions mark the entrance to this Beaux Arts masterpiece, a National Historic Landmark containing more than six million books.
Reviewed By FelicityRJ
When we first popped into the library it was quite hard to look around and get a real sense of what you were looking at. Luckily, we managed to get two spaces on the free hour-long tour at 2pm (there are several a day). The tour guide was excellent and explained each room before we went in and pointed out some of the more hidden architectural details. As a bonus, anyone on the tour gets 10% off in the gift shop (something you'll definitely use). The library also has a small film (c. 20 minutes) that runs every half an hour that tells you all about the library building and some of the treasures of the collection. It was quite frustrating that a lot of the hidden gems of the collection aren't available to view, but the tour guide told us that a new exhibition was opening in 2020 where they'd feature a rotating selection of the collection (much like the British Library). With the tour and the free exhibitions (Salinger and made at the NY Public Library) we easily spent 4 hours here, a definite recommend if you're into books, literature and civic history - they have the original Winnie the Pooh too!
10. Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 9,346 reviews
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is a nonprofit, educational institution featuring the legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid, the space shuttle Enterprise, the world's fastest jets and a guided missile submarine. Through exhibitions, educational programming and the foremost collection of technologically groundbreaking aircraft and vessels, visitors of all ages and abilities are taken on an interactive journey through history to learn about American innovation and bravery. Welcoming over one million visitors annually, the Museum includes the Space Shuttle Pavilion, home to Enterprise, the world's first space shuttle that paved the way for America's successful Space Shuttle Program. On display are more than two dozen authentically restored aircraft, including the Lockheed A-12 Blackbird, the world's fastest military jet and spy plane, and the British Airways Concorde, the fastest commercial aircraft to ever cross the Atlantic Ocean. The Museum also includes the submarine Growler, the only American diesel-powered strategic missile submarine open to the public; the Exploreum Interactive Hall, a fully interactive exhibit space; an 18,000 sq. ft. education center; and Pier 86, a publicly accessible pier that is part of the Hudson River Park Trust. Download our free iPhone app, Mission Intrepid: Explore Enterprise, from the App Store today, and enhance your experience in the Space Shuttle Pavilion! The mission of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is to promote the awareness and understanding of history, science and service through its collections, exhibitions and programming in order to honor our heroes, educate the public and inspire our youth.
Reviewed By Pestus - London, United Kingdom
We visited with our two young children and had a great time ! Highlights included : - Friendly and helpful staff - The walk-through of USS Growler (the submarine) - The excellent (and well maintained) displays in the hangers (especially the kids-zone) - The good range of planes on the flight deck - Concorde - The Space Shuttle An aviation enthusiasts’ dream !
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