- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Skyscraper Museum
Category: Arts & Entertainment Museums Museums [Edit]
39 Battery PlNew York, NY 10280
Neighborhood: Battery Park
(212) 968-1961
- Nearest Transit:
-
Bowling Green (4, 5)
Rector St (1)
Rector St (N, R)
- Good for Kids:
- No
20 reviews for Skyscraper Museum
20 reviews in English
-
Review from Maneater F.
Queens, NY
12/7/2011
This little place may not be good enough for the typical spoiled person who wants everything BIG and grand but its a fascinating place for kids. My 7 yr old went on a school trip and upon the return of her class, all 24 kids were yapping away about how cool the the "museum" was. They were even allowed to building their own mini sky scraper and so my 7 yr old became the very proud architect of the "Powerful Tower".
Sometimes, its the small things that make all the difference. 24 kids approve. -
Review from Lili K.
9/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Architect Mosby anyone?
Yes, the pictures of lit skyscrapers look great, and so do the models. There are interesting books to flip through at their tiny bookstore as well.
However, all you really need is 20 min max to read and look at everything here-I probably went through everything in about 5 minutes. If you don't want to pay the $5, wait for Smithsonian day and get in for free. Or dig up your old college ID and pay $2.50. -
Review from Cynthia M.
Long Island City, NY
1/28/2012
Really interesting exhibit about the tallest buildings in the world. SInce my brother is a former Architecture major and very interested in that kind of stuff, I thought he would be the perfect companion to attend this museum with. There were tons of pictures, diagrams and even models of the tallest buildings in the world (the tallest being the Burj Khalifa in Dubai). There were many displays as well regarding the World Trade Center (past and future). Overall a very interesting exhibit, I'm glad to have been able to see it during the short 6 months it was here. Now time to visit all these super tall buildings in person! :)
-
Review from Aries L.
Manhattan, NY
6/15/2011
As an architecture student, I was more than excited to find out a museum dedicated to the development of tall buildings. I am surprised by the lack of historical survey of this building types, from Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan to Gordon Bunshaft. While their special exhibition of vertical factories is decent, it is hardly what most visitors expect.
For such a tiny museum, in fact I think it should be referred as a skyscraper "gallery" than "museum", I expect more interactive features and alternative methods of display. -
Review from Eric G.
Manhattan, NY
11/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
The sky is the limit at this up-and-coming museum in Battery Park. Soar to new heights as you walk along the Museum's timeline installation of architectural history with a visit to the past, present and future of the world's tallest buildings.
-
Review from Pavee S.
San Diego, CA
10/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great museum to learn about skyscrapers of the world. It is only $5 for admission.
-
Review from Kimberly L.
New York, NY
4/25/2010 3 photos
For $5 you can get probably just as much information if you felt like googling it but I thought this small museum was quite interesting. The current exhibit is titled "The Rise of Wall Street" and gave a lot of historical information regarding the financial district.
There are also a lot of architectural models of buildings and facts regarding NYC skyscrapers as well as other cities across the world. Having studied in Hong Kong, I thought it was cool to see the difference between the population density between HK and NY. There is tons of information regarding the Twin Towers and the future plans for the freedom tower etc.
It is really pretty, when you walk up the long glass ramp on the left, you enter the main exhibit hall with really tall ceilings and brightly lit shadow boxes and photographs etc.
Overall, I think it's a fun experience and I'd like to come back to see what other programs they will offer.
P.S. - Went on a rainy Sunday and admission was 1/2 off -
Review from Evan G.
8/15/2010
Some of my fellow Yelpers are rough on the Skyscraper Museum, Once you FIND the museum (it's on the backside of the Ritz-Carlton), I actually find it to be a good, solid museum worth making a trip to. And with a $5 entry fee, I feel like they do a good job with what they have.
The current exhibit about the transformation of Wall Street from a street of low-rise buildings to a street of high-rise buildings is a really good history of the area and of New York City, if you don't know much about either. I would encourage the museum to guide visitors through their exhibits versus their permanent exhibitions a little better, as I felt like I was flip-flopping back and forth.
The scale models were incredible, especially the one of the financial district in Shanghai (which resembles lower Manhattan in landform in a very interesting way). The permanent exhibit about the twin towers isn't very engaging for someone who isn't from New York. I think the museum could do a better job here.
Staff at the museum was great. The gift shop has some nice items, too. -
Review from Jeff M.
San Francisco, CA
4/22/2008
I spend a lot of time wandering around Emporis, Skyscraper Page, and the skyscraper pages at Wikipedia, and was excited to hear about a museum dedicated to skyscrapers in one of the world's great skyscraper cities.
Unfortunately, three computer terminals kiosked to the above websites would've been a lot more informative. The museum is pretty low on content, and some of is is presented fairly confusingly. One one wall, there's an illustrated grid of skyscrapers, and after looking at it for five minutes, I still had no idea what order, if any, it was in.
There's some more "exhibits," including a lot of "Cities of Tomorrow" type things from the 40s and 50s, which were a bit amusing but not very skyscrapery. There were large models of the WTC, the Freedom Tower, and the Burj Dubai that were pretty neat, but not much other information to give much context.
It was a pretty disappointing place, and as another reviewer said, a walking tour of the island would be a lot more rewarding. Maybe the Museum could sell mp3s of self-guided walking tours for five bucks. If you're in Battery Park, and you have $5 and twenty minutes to waste, you can check it out, but unfortunately, I really do mean "waste."Listed in: New York City
-
Review from Billy A.
7/26/2007
I think I liked it maybe a skosh more than Jessica F., but there's still nothing here that can't be more efficiently gleaned from http://Emporis.com or even Wikipedia. Rather disappointing considering the local architecture -- a walking tour of Lower Manhattan will tell you more about skyscrapers than the museum. The best part is the gift shop.
If, however, you find yourself in Battery Park with an hour to kill, or perhaps if you were going to the nicely done Museum of Jewish Heritage http://www.yelp.com/bi... literally across the street, there's nothing wrong with spending the $5 entry fee and an hour here. It's just not worth a trip by itself. -
Review from Stephon B.
Staten Island, NY
7/1/2011
I enjoyed this museum very much. No, i'm not an architecture student but I am a skyscraper enthusiast and have an un paralleled love for New York City, so the museum is right up my ally.
The museum is smaller, but the $5 admission is minuscule ($2.50 with a student I.D.). I enjoyed the models and diagrams as well as the amount of attention given to the world trade center, past and present. The films were a good addition as well. It was a fun, short trip that I will certainly do again at some point in the future. -
Review from Jack N.
Astoria, NY
1/27/2009
Small museum, only go here if you have a specific exhibit in mind
I heard that this place is small, but I also really wanted to see their Vertical Cities: Hong Kong, NYC exhibit. So I finally came here w/ my gf after putting this place off for a while.
My main reason why I wanted to go here is that I was born in HK. I love the skyline from HK @ night. That's one of the few skylines that actually looks better than NYC. So it was really cool to see a comparison of the two. Here's some cool interesting facts that I learned.
Although HK is 1/3 bigger than NYC, it has a very similar density in terms of population.
HK ppl concentrate in 10% of the area in HK.
My Chinese is not as bad as I thought.
My gf and I came here after brunch @ Creperie. It took us a while to find this place. We were wondering Battery park for a while, checked out the Sphere (that used to be at WTC) saw 4 guys dressed as Statue of Liberty in the area. and saw the ride to go over to the Statue (although there was no way we were going there when its less than 25 degrees).
After wondering for a good 20 minutes, we finallly found this place. Knowing it is as small as people said it is, we move through the exhibits pretty slowly, spending about 10 minutes or so at every exhibit. It isn't hard for us, since we know so much about HK (and yet, hardly enough). Our Chinese is not that good either, but it was fun trying to try to figure out all the Chinese words.
But if its not for the HK exhibit, I really don't see the point of coming here. This place is really small. Although designed nicely (very structural and the mirror walls and ceiling make this place look bigger than it actually is). Go for the exhibit, if you have a real interest in it, but otherwise, don't expect too much from this place. -
Review from Tina C.
9/15/2008
The tiniest museum I've ever experienced. There's only photos and descriptions of buildings with statistical information. Disappointedly there is no documentary captured on film about the world's tallest museum or how skyscrapers are built. Guests can literally explore this museum in 1/2 hour. This museum houses mainly skyscrapers in NYC as there is no mention of tall buildings in the world. This museum features a small model of the former New York's World Trade Center.
For the avid architect or civil engineer this museum doesn't do justice. If you want statistical and factual information about world's tallest skyscrapers and record holders go to:
http://www.infoplease.... -
Review from Ben S.
Brooklyn, NY
1/14/2009
I am a huge amateur architecture fan, so I was particularly excited about the Skyscraper Museum when I found out that it existed. When I finally got around to going I found one of the smallest museums I've ever seen. I'll agree that most of the information found in the museum online but it's only five bucks so I'm not complaining.
The exhibit I saw when I was there was on the WTC I thought it was well put together. I keep my eye on their website to see if there are any new exhibits that I'd like to see so I can check it out again. -
Review from Tim W.
8/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
yes, this museum is small, and may not appeal to the architects out there for technicality...the pics are great...and it is mostly devoted to a "wow" factor of modern construction, but it is good for a inexpensive visit for the afternoon 5$ for adults and 2.50 for students...a good deal and i like looking at what is to come in the future for not only our city but the rest of the world with regard to skyscrapers. it has a lot of fascinating pics, plus its in battery park where there is no shortage of other things to see...potato famine monument, holocaust memorial, SI ferry, gardens, WTC site...etc etc, so if you want a nice afternoon, pack a picnic and head over.
-
Review from Eric A.
Rego Park, NY
3/6/2009
I've always had a thing for Skyscrapers and other large construction projects and buildings. There are plenty of great websites with that kind of stuff as mentioned by the other reviewers here, but nothing beats getting into a museum/gallery where you can surround yourself with that stuff. Unfortunately this is not such a place. The word tiny is not a good enough descriptor, it's minuscule. They have a few interactive displays, one or two dioramas and some photos/specs up on the walls. This museum will take you 15 minutes tops. There should be a rule about the amount of content you need to have in order to call yourself a museum.
If you happen to be downtown and feeling museum, you can do a lot better. Jewish Heritage museum is right across the street and your only a few blocks for National Museum of the Native American, or hop a ferry to Elis Island. Trust me it will be time/money better spent.Listed in: Museums
-
Review from Jessica F.
New York, NY
6/6/2007
Ohhhh, dear. I hate what I have to do, but in the interest of mankind, I have to do it.
This museum is a dud.
Tucked away off West Street around the back of the Ritz at Battery Park, is a tiny space called the Skyscraper Museum. Since I am something of an armchair architect, I looked forward to coming here for a long time. I never got around to it, since it isn't convenient for me, and when I finally got there, I will grant you that the raised expectations that come with a long wait didn't help matters any.
The space is small, as I mentioned. It is designed with a lot of mirrors and glass, to amplify the space, but I just found it disorienting. The exhibits are what you go to see at a museum, though, and I can forgive a lot if I learn something. In this case, there wasn't much to learn.
There is a badly laid out permanent exhibit which consists of a number of renderings, drawings and blueprints of turn-of-the-century skyscrapers (Singer Building, Woolworth Building, etc.). They are mounted on foam core and accompanied by a lot of text. There are several audio snapshots on mp3 players that all were on the fritz the day we went, which required constant calling over of the (very agreeable) security guard. What he was there to guard is beyond me, because the whole place is about the size of a suburban living room, but whatever. The audio snapshots added little to my experience and I don't think provided any of the context or additional depth that they were there to provide.
The main disappointment was with the current exhibition. It's on the World Trade Center. Now, look. I understand why they feel they should have this exhibit there, but in complete candor, there is nothing there that anyone either in NY or across the country didn't see on the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, PBS or any of the local programs that innundated us for several years after 9/11. The exhibits are the same foam-core-mounted enlargements of photos and schematics, with the main attraction being some completely boring and purposeless models of the towers which provide no detail of any kind. They are also accompanied by audio snips, such as a woman recalling going to dinner at Windows on the World. The whole thing reminded me of being in a hobbyist's basement, looking at their train collection or something. It was dreary and provided no insight, no fresh context, virtually no useful information except for some minor things like wind resistance studies and the like that were done prior to construction. And there was hardly any mention of Radio Row, the thriving neighborhood displaced and destroyed by the construction of the towers. Did I mention the mirrored "towers" throughout the museum? Meant to echo the lost towers, I found them an additional irritant when I tried to figure out the flow and proper viewing of what was presented.
If you're from out of the country, you might find a little of this interesting, but it is so jejeune and so badly presented that you would do better watching a video rented from Blockbuster. The bookshop was very impressive, so I guess if you go to the Statue of Liberty, attend a River to River event in Battery Park or stay at the Ritz, it is worth a twenty minute trip. Otherwise, it just isn't.
***UPDATE***
There is a new exhibit installed. I haven't been there. It's on the Burj Dubai, the soon-to-be tallest building in the world.Listed in: Quirky places not in your…
-
Review from S R.
San Francisco, CA
5/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
very small and i didnt learn all that much about skyscrapers. half the space was dedicated to a special exhibit on vertical factories, which could be interesting, but not what i was expecting. there were a couple cool scale models. you could probably replace the experience by checking out http://emporis.com or something like that.
-
Review from mike l.
Brooklyn, NY
3/11/2009
this was a waste of time & $5. there's no story being told here. A good museum will move the audience from one exhibit to the next. This was just a disparate collection of boring powerpoint slides, giant posters and historical documents. In a city defined by it's skyscrapers, this is a disappointing waste of time & effort.
-
Review from Mon T.
Boston, MA
7/17/2009
Was disappointing..... Or, I shouldn't expect too much for $5 admission?
