Location: Long Island City
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Things to do in Long Island City, New York (NY): The Best Museums
Long Island City (LIC) is the westernmost residential and commercial neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens. LIC is noted for its rapid and ongoing residential growth and gentrification, its waterfront parks, and its thriving arts community. LIC has among the highest concentration of art galleries, art institutions, and studio space of any neighborhood in New York City. It is bordered by Astoria to the north; the East River to the west; Hazen Street, 49th Street, and New Calvary Cemetery in Sunnyside to the east; and Newtown Creek—which separates Queens from Greenpoint, Brooklyn—to the south. It originally was the seat of government of the Town of Newtown, and remains the largest neighborhood in Queens. The area is part of Queens Community Board 1, located north of the Queensboro Bridge and Queens Plaza; it is also of Queens Community Board 2 to the south.
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1. Elevator Historical Society
2. Noguchi Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 194 reviews
Thirteen galleries and an outdoor sculpture garden are the settings for the wide collection of art work by Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988.)
Reviewed By Chi2me - Chicago, United States
Noguchi is iconic and now, for me, so is his museum. Really worth a trip. The open air parts coupled with the sculpture garden and gift shop make it truly unique. Then walk out the door to the Socrates Sculpture park and you're good to go.
3. MoMA PS1
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 381 reviews
MoMA PS1 is one of the oldest and largest nonprofit contemporary art institutions in the United States. Located in Long Island City, New York, MoMA PS1 is dedicated to exhibiting the most provocative and challenging art from around the world. MoMA PS1 is an affiliate of The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Reviewed By hrobinson1114 - Hopkinsville, United States
This is MoMA’s more experimental space, and I like it a lot! It’s in a cool, old school building, with great exposed brick and wooden floors. Beautiful large windows with tons of light. Feels less snobby or pretentious than many other NYC museums. The art is also edgier, maybe even more controversial. More raw. And I like that. My favorite experience here was an expansive exhibit focusing on the art of incarcerated prisoners. The work was beautiful, moving. Sometimes heart-wrenching. I wish I had been able to spend more time with each piece, to truly digest the gravity and the pain, but the spaces are small, and only so many people are allowed to be in one room at a time due to COVID restrictions. There was also a neat, colorful, and cheeky Niki de Saint Phalle sculpture exhibit. It tied in with some of her more serious social justice work. There is a cafe that offers counter service and has a big courtyard for outdoor dining. I didn’t try it, but it would have topped off a great experience. I almost passed up this museum, but I ended up enjoying it very much, probably even more than the main MoMA campus. I’ll keep an eye out for future events.
4. Diego Salazar Art Gallery
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 2 reviews
5. SculptureCenter
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 9 reviews
SculptureCenter leads the conversation on contemporary art by supporting artistic innovation and independent thought highlighting sculpture’s specific potential to change the way we engage with the world. Positioning artists’ work in larger cultural, historical, and aesthetic contexts, SculptureCenter discerns and interprets emerging ideas. Founded by artists in 1928, SculptureCenter provides an international forum that connects artists and audiences by presenting exhibitions, commissioning new work, and generating scholarship. As a non-collecting museum, SculptureCenter’s annual exhibition program includes 1-2 commissioning programs by mid-career artists, 10-15 projects and commissions by emerging artists, and 3-6 solo and group exhibitions. SculptureCenter continuously offers a dynamic series of free public programs and events that feature artist talks, performances, film screenings, and publications.
Reviewed By samihaahmed - Brooklyn, United States
One of many museums located outside of Manhattan, SculptureCenter is a hidden gem in a lesser-known part of the city. Getting there isn't difficult, as it's just a 5 minutes walk from the Court Square E/G/M/7 station (5 minutes in the other direction will take you MoMA PS1). Admission prices are reasonable (bring your student ID!), and worth the time you'll spend in the space. There are two levels, the ground floor and the basement. Both have interesting site-specific multimedia installations. The space itself is also interesting, with high-ceilinged open space on the ground floor and low ceilings and narrow corridors in the basement. There is also an outdoor garden space, but it appeared to be closed for the winter. We will definitely return in the summer to experience the space and art in a different way.
6. Jeffrey Leder Gallery
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 2 reviews
Jeffrey Leder Gallery presents a wide range of important contemporary art by established and emerging American and international artists. It is our philosophy that art serves to establish community, linking each of us to each other and to what is around us. The gallery’s objective, therefore, is to create a space for artists, collectors, collaborators and the general art community to interact.
