Mmuseumm facts for kids
Mmuseumm in 2025
|
|
| Established | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Location | Cortlandt Alley, Tribeca, Manhattan, New York City |
| Type | Natural history museum |
| Founder | Alex Kalman, Safdie brothers |
Mmuseumm is a very unusual museum in New York City. It's famous for being one of the smallest museums in the world! Instead of ancient bones or old paintings, it displays everyday objects from our time. This helps tell the story of modern life.
The museum is like a modern version of a cabinet of curiosities, which were popular hundreds of years ago. These were small collections of interesting and strange items from around the world.
Contents
How Did Mmuseumm Start?
Mmuseumm was created in 2012 by a team of artists: Alex Kalman and the filmmaking Safdie brothers. They wanted to create a new kind of museum that looked closely at the world we live in today.
A Museum in an Elevator Shaft?
You can find Mmuseumm in a unique spot in Lower Manhattan called Cortlandt Alley. The alley is sometimes even called "Mmuseumm Alley" because of the museum.
The first part of the museum, called Mmuseumm 1, opened in 2012. It is built inside a real, old freight elevator shaft! In 2015, a second part, Mmuseumm 2, opened just a few doors away.
The entire museum is only about 36 square feet. That's smaller than many bedrooms! Even if the museum is closed, you can still see the exhibits. The doors have special peepholes that let you look inside any time, day or night.
What Can You See Inside?
Mmuseumm is dedicated to showing "contemporary artifacts," which is a fancy way of saying objects from today. These items might seem ordinary, but the museum presents them in a way that makes you think.
Telling Stories with Objects
The museum calls its style "Object Journalism." This means it uses items to tell stories about our world, much like a news reporter uses words. By looking at something as simple as a specific brand of water bottle or a collection of fake ID cards, visitors can learn about big ideas and current events.
New Exhibits Every Season
The exhibits at Mmuseumm change regularly. The museum organizes its collections into "seasons," similar to how a TV show works. This started because the museum was originally only open in the summer. Each new season brings a fresh collection of objects and stories for visitors to discover.
Gallery
-
The outside of Mmuseumm 1 during its fourth season in 2015.
-
A look inside Mmuseumm 1, showing how many objects are packed onto the walls.
-
The Sara Berman's Closet exhibit, which showed a collection of all-white clothes.
