Museum of the City of New York

Excellent museum that gives a fun and detailed history of the city of new york and it's donation-based. It's a nice mansion looking 3-story building. Each floor has a different theme. We did a 2pm tour and our tour guide was very informative and nice.

I got to learn the history which includes detailed descriptions along with actual things from the era to what the city currently is made up of and what it offers to the public. The museum is really well maintained with friendly staff and flooded with information. Definitely worth a visit.

Always something wonderful to see!

During my last review, I raved about the exhibit focusing on the pop culture aspect of New York and how it permeates film and art. It's still there, finishing up soon I think. And again, the huge panoramic room showing the many ways New York has diffused into various movies throughout the years is simply magical. If you have any shred of soul, this will hit you right in the feels!

There was also a great puppet exhibit a year or two ago that was wonderful.

This time I went to see a couple of different displays.

I really loved the Manny Vega exhibit. He is a local artist from uptown/The Barrio, specializing in multiple medias, but I think his ink and mosaics are the most impressive. He is currently an artist in residence here, therefore new works are showing up all the time!

I also saw "People, Place, and Influence." This museum truly focuses on New York history, so this expose drew from the museum's collection of over 750,000 objects--props from the hit show "Cats," a Christmas card from Zelda Fitzgerald, a seat from Yankee stadium, paintings from the gilded age of NYC.

And while the previously mentioned exhibit focused on the well-to-do past of the city, the thing I like most about MCNY is it really is a community place--it asks the people where the museum should go, what they should focus on to show who New Yorkers are and what matters to them. I think that's rad.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again . . . these smaller and more focused museums are so much cooler than a huge, overwhelming museum. If you really want to know about New York, to feel the vibe of New York . . . go here rather than someplace like the MET.

Even after many trips to NYC - including numerous visits to the Met, MoMA, and Natural History Museum - I finally had the chance to explore the City Museum of New York. A short walk from the Met, the City Museum is a lot more approachable for someone looking for a shorter, more digestible museum experience.

The museum's exhibits feature different elements of the history of the city of New York - from its triumphs to hard times - and how its rich culture continues to evolve. I visited during the holidays, and one of my favorite exhibits was "Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off," which featured impressive gingerbread interpretations of the city's boroughs.

I'd recommend starting with the 30-minute film on the ground floor to help set the stage for the rest of the museum's exhibits. As an out-of-town visitor, I found the museum to be informative and unique.

I have been to a few exhibits here. I do love coming to the gingerbread bake off one though. Not only does it smell amazing but to see how much time and effort these people put into building very well made sites of the five boroughs is awesome.

The staff who work here are very helpful and will answer any questions.

The museum itself is on the smaller side. It is clean and is located on the upper east side. They also have a cafe upstairs which is great.

This place is truly a gem! Between the NYC themed exhibits and public events like Uptown Bounce (dancing to 80s/90s throwback music, yes please!) there's something for everyone.

Recently visited and was awed by the holiday exhibit: gingerbread sculptures of NYC landmarks & neighborhoods. Loved learning about the history of the city from its earliest days to the present. The Byzantine Bembé and Raise your voice exhibits were great.

With pay what you wish admission, you can't beat this!

My friends and I went to the museum on a Saturday afternoon and it was fantastic! We had a 3pm tour with Judy and she did a great job. She really is a genius storyteller and captured New York perfectly. I highly recommend coming if you want to learn about the rich history of the city.

By far, this is just about the best museum ever.

I've never been so thrilled to be at a museum and time went by so fast that all the other plans for Harlem sort of got lost; before I knew it, the sun was down and I wasn't even disappointed because the museum was just that good!

I cried at how much I love this city when I was watching in awe of the history of NY movie thing they had playing

I definitely come here regularly and it's one of my favorite museums because it always shows the wonderful treasures of New York.
And by treasures that it's what makes New York special. The treasures being the people .

So imaginative and creative.

Whether it's how folks get together and protest for their rights. The unique way they gather, voice & celebrate their uniqueness.

The exhibit that I saw at the museum of the city of New York was called

"New York, New Music
1980-1986"

This really was so much fun because it's my generation. It really celebrates the exciting New York music scene at that time.

How thoughtful the curators were to include the advertisements of all the New York venues
which were iconic of the time
and you could see all the bands that were playing that are so infamous.
And you could see how much the prices were for a show.

It was an exciting time in the music culture was exciting & exploding.

All the different music sounds.
Kid Creole and the Coconuts & his magnificent zoot suit on display.

Everything was exciting than music, their fashions, even the venues became iconic then.

The exhibit Also had interviews with music makers of the time and showing videos filmed in New York with Blondie and Basquiat and talking about Fab five Freddy and even LL Cool J too.
I loved seeing the videos and
Hearing some of the great classics!

What fun!! What memories!!
And it was so nice seeing Lisa Lisa and cult jam being featured .

Definitely a MUST SEE!!

I really love this museum because
We both have a deep love for the same thing.
NYC.
It's truly the greatest city in the world... And every month this museum features things for us to focus on... And we learn about how special it is all over again.

Things that make Nyc special and great.

The Museum of the City of New York is located across Central Park which makes for a convenient stop during your trip to New York. The admission prices are $20 for adults and $14 for students, although you can pay what you want. When you pay for admission to this museum you also get free admission to its sister museum El Museo del Barrio which is on the next street over.

I started my visit by watching a film about New York City's history which took about 30 minutes. It started from the colonists during the 1600s and talked about how it came to be what it is today. After the film there were more exhibits across 3 floors about its start as a port city, the man-made Erie Canal, the skyscrapers, and its transformation into the metropolis millions visit per year.

My favorite part of the visit was the 30 minute video as it provided a lot of insightful details without needing to read or walk much. Overall it took me about 2 hours to see everything and was a good insight into understanding New York's history.

We stopped in on a whim but it was a bit late in the afternoon and we did not get to see it all but I will definitely be back to see all of the exhibits. As soon as you get in you are able to learn about colonial New York and it's history. We then decided to go up to the third floor. Going up to the third floor was like bringing me back to the 80s and 90s when it comes to the music scene in NYC. The music was blasting and it harkened back to the glory days of rap and even the Material Girl Madonna.
The second floor contained a history or protest and movements important in NYC history. Unfortunately we had to leave and could not really spend the time necessary to really dig deep into the exhibits. I definitely want to go back with enough time to look and read all of the exhibits. If you have 3-4 hours of time this museum is well worth your time.

Easy to get to--just take the 3 subway and walk 2-3 blocks. Lovely museum. Lots of interesting stuff--trying to focus on the realities of the City--rich vs not; powerful vs not. Spent a nice 4-5 hours--gift shop has some very nice, useful but not seen everywhere else souvenirs. Would definitely go again!