Location: Downtown Manhattan (Downtown)
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Things to do in New York City, New York (NY): The Best History Museums
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. Henry Street Settlement
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
The House on Henry Street is a permanent, interactive exhibition on the history of Henry Street Settlement and the people who shaped the Lower East Side from our founding in 1893 to the present. The exhibit illuminates themes of social activism, urban poverty, public health, and the Progressive Era. Open Monday-Friday, 9 am- 6 pm
2. The Museum of Interesting Things
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 12 reviews
The Museum of Interesting Things is a traveling interactive demonstration/exhibition of antiques and inventions that goes to schools and events and inspires kids and adults to be curious and to tinker. I like to say it shows kids and adults that their ipods did not pop out of thin air! Like a circus...just no elephants. We have themes that we can even bring to your school or event or you can come to our Secret Speakeasy: "Eureka!" The Invention Show Exploring the industrial revolution and mechanical era, with interactive demonstrations of such items as the steam engine, Thomas Edison cylinder phonograph, windup toys, mechanical door bells and mechanical/gear based household items such as butter churns and apple peelers. Coinciding with the NY/NJ/PA Core Content Curriculum Standards for Science, Social Studies, Technology and STEM/STEAM "I Can See for Miles" The Film & Photography Show Viewing the various methods of capturing a still and moving image throughout history from the camera, to the negative, to the printing methods & options including animation and 3D. Demonstrations are interactive and include box wooden cameras with up to 3 foot bellows, 3D photography from the late 1800’s up to today, albumen prints and tintypes, and glass negatives. Coinciding with the NY/NJ/PA Core Content Curriculum Standards for Visual and Performing Arts And that is just a snap shot of what we have! ;) 16mm vintage film Bouncing Ball Sing-A-Long The Museum of Interesting Things takes over your eyes & ears for a special Circus/Windup toy themed 16mm vintage film bouncing ball sing-a-long party! Remember those bouncing balls films? Well we have them on antique 16mm film! Prepare to sing your heart out! See 16mm films and the Museum will have it's History of Film and Photography exhibition there for you to see and learn about! See 16mm films and the Museum will have it's Windup Circus History of Toys exhibition there for you to see and learn about! Suffragette City The fight to give women the vote lasted over 100 years and spanned the world. This was not just a movement for voting rights, though. The Museum of Interesting Things, through its vast collection that includes actual artifacts from that era, will show you what a bicycle has to do with this. Learn why some men were afraid of women with hats and someone might even get to try on a bustle dress. See how other issues of the times influenced each other and view some of the humorous affirmations and counterpoints to allowing women to vote. By the end, let's see if society as we know it will collapse if the fairer sex enters a voting booth! Coinciding with the NY/NJ/PA Core Content Curriculum Standards for Social Studies
3. Merchant's House Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 300 reviews
The Merchant's House Museum is New York City's only 19th century home preserved intact, with original family furnishings and personal belongings.A unique survivor of Old New York, the House offers a rare and intimate glimpse of how a prosperous merchant family and their Irish servants lived from 1835 to 1865, when New York grew from seaport to thriving metropolis."The distinction of the Merchant's House -- and it is a powerful one -- is that it is the real thing. One simply walks through the beautiful doorway into another time and place in New York."The New York Times
Reviewed By MSUmindy - Shelby, United States
I am a fan of Dicken’s literature and have nearly memorized A Christmas Carol, so I was. It excited about seeing it performed at Merchant House during our Christmas visit to anew York City. How wrong I was! The performance is a “one man show “ in the parlor of Merchnt House. Chairs are set up in the parlor and dining room, lit by electronic candle light. The performer was outstanding, and the ambience of Merchant House made the book come alive in the excellent rendition. Time flew by as the story unfolded. It was wonderful! I highly recommend seeing it if you are in NYC during the Christmas holidays, starting in mid November. Merchant House itself was very interesting as a historical site in Greenwich Village.
4. Fraunces Tavern Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 202 reviews
Reviewed By babaganoosh
We're big Hamilton fans. In the past, walked by here on our own Hamilton walking tours but the museum wasn't open / we didn't have time to go through it. Went there Saturday with family and got on the guided tour. Our son broke away from the tour - he was looking for more about the building. Its a great tour / the museum about all that went on over the years. There's actually only 1 (small) room about the building :) My wife and I loved the tour and museum - loads of history. And spoiler alert - along the years the building has burned / been remodeled /was slated for demolition. So not sure how much of the building is original. HAVE TO MENTION: Laurel, the tour guide is great!! Loads of enthusiasm and interest in the topic! Laurel mentioned things like while Washington didn't walk on the current floorboards in the long room because of fires, etc, when people did repairs / renovations, the boards and other things were taken from old buildings of comparable age. We didn't get to see the whole museum (much bigger than I thought it would be). My wife and I will be going back to see more of it.
5. Museum of American Finance
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 143 reviews
The Museum of American Finance is the nation's only independent museum dedicated to America's finances and financial history. An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum offers interactive permanent exhibits on the financial markets, money, banking, entrepreneurship and Alexander Hamilton, as well as topical rotating exhibits such as “Worth Its Weight: Gold from the Ground Up” and “For the Love of Money: Blacks on US Currency.” The Museum is located in the historic former headquarters of the Bank of New York in the heart of the Financial District.
6. Seaport District NYC
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 843 reviews
The Seaport District is located on the East River in Lower Manhattan with unparalleled views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the city’s iconic skyline. The rich history as New York’s original commercial hub and its storied waterfront location make the Seaport District one of New York City’s most unique settings. The Seaport District is being revitalized into a top destination in New York City for unique culinary, fashion, entertainment and cultural experiences. An essential part of New York for over 300 years, the re-envisioned Seaport District will continue to function as a much-needed community anchor for the rapidly growing population of Lower Manhattan.
Reviewed By alisonhS8793YJ - Cotswolds, United Kingdom
Came hear on a cold rainy afternoon, lots of shops and museum, this is an up and coming place, we decided to go on the yellow water taxi, this is a must our guide who was on board was very knowledgeable about the whole of new York and we learnt some very interesting facts, the taxi takes you right up to the statue and the evening lights were on some great photos, the three bridges btw for short, the whole trip was worth it
7. Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 286 reviews
You can tour the trading rooms, the museum and the Fed's vault, which holds 900 tons of gold.
Reviewed By CasaLemon - Nottingham, United Kingdom
Visiting The Federal Reserve for the Gold Vault & Museum Tour was a highlight of our recent trip to NYC, In a city where everything is so expensive it’s a refreshing change to find something free, it’s also informative, amazing to see all of that gold in the vaults and it’s hosted by a great tour guide. Tickets are like Gold Dust, if you pardon the pun, with around 40 tickets released exactly 30 days in advance at 9am NYC which conveniently is 2pm in the afternoon uk time. To get the tickets there is an online form to complete with names and addresses all under the pressure of watching those tickets be snapped up. I used the methods below and managed to get 4 tickets on my second try. Be Ready - a couple of minutes before ticket release get the website loaded and be on the request ticket page, keep refreshing until the tickets appear, tickets are split into 2 tours both in the afternoon. Practice - it’s unlikely you will get tickets first try but seeing the form and practicing filling it in will help. Copy & Paste - I copied and pasted my email address to save time Abbreviation - I used initials for all first & surnames , you have to fill in names for all of your party, you can go back into your booking afterwards and update. Miss Parts - I discovered that you can get by with very little of your address, house number, city & postcode, again this can the be updated later I hope that you manage to get tickets following these tips.
8. Skyscraper Museum
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 174 reviews
Wall Street was the building ground for early skyscrapers, and this museum is dedicated to studying and enjoying them.
Reviewed By FinGin79 - Charleston, United States
This is a small museum that is very tricky to find, but it helps one to come to an understanding of the dramatic skyline of New York. This is and has been for over a hundred years a city that has defined the idea that the sky is the limit and this museum provides an explanation of how that happened. Since I come from South Carolina where tall buildings are not much of a factor, this museum helped me see a different story. There are great timelines with explanations and comparisons of the tallest buildings in our world. Through visuals , models and explanations, I was able to connect with the past, present and future of an an amazing city and the story of man reaching for the sky.
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