Museum of the City of New York facts for kids
The main facade of the museum, facing Fifth Avenue
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| Established | 1923 |
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| Location | 1220 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10029 U.S. |
| Visitors | 320,000(2019) |
| Founder | Henry Collins Brown |
| Public transit access |  New York City Subway:
New York City Bus: M1, M2, M3, M4, M106 buses |
The Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) is a cool place to learn about the history and art of New York City. It's located in Manhattan, right on Fifth Avenue, across from Central Park. The museum was started in 1923 by Henry Collins Brown. His goal was to save and share the stories of New York City and its people.
The museum building itself is pretty old and special. It was built in 1929–30. The building has a classic look with red bricks and marble. You can even see statues of important figures like Alexander Hamilton and DeWitt Clinton on the front. The museum is a private organization, but it gets some help from the New York City government. It also gets money from donations and ticket sales.
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Exploring the Museum's History
The Museum of the City of New York started in a smaller place called Gracie Mansion. This mansion is now the official home of New York City's mayor. Because space was limited, the museum needed a bigger home.
In 1926, the museum had a big exhibit called "Old New York." It was very popular. This success led to a search for a new, permanent building. Many architects shared their ideas, and a design by Joseph H. Freedlander was chosen. The city gave the museum land on Fifth Avenue. People also donated money to help build the new museum. Even though the plans had to be made a bit smaller because of the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the new building opened on January 11, 1932.
In 1967, the museum building was named a New York City landmark. This means it's a very important historical building.
Ideas for a New Home
Around the year 2000, there was talk about moving the museum to a historic building called the Tweed Courthouse. This building is closer to New York City Hall. If the museum moved, another museum, El Museo del Barrio, would have taken over the current building.
However, a new mayor, Michael Bloomberg, decided to use the Tweed Courthouse for the New York City Department of Education instead. So, the Museum of the City of New York stayed in its current spot. There were also ideas to combine the museum with another historical society, but that didn't happen either.
Growing and Improving
The museum's director, Susan Henshaw Jones, decided to make the museum even better in its current location. They planned a big expansion and renovation project. Work began in 2006 and finished in 2008.
This project added a new glass section called the pavilion gallery. It's about 3,000 square feet and has two levels for showing off amazing artifacts. The original 1932 building was also updated. They added new spaces, like a special room for the museum's silver collection and a research room. All these improvements cost about $28 million.
In 2011, the museum also helped manage the South Street Seaport Museum, which reopened in 2012.
Amazing Collections at the Museum
The Museum of the City of New York has a huge collection of over 1.5 million items! Many of these items are from the 1800s and early 1900s.
You can find:
- Paintings, Drawings, and Prints: These show New York City and its people. There are over 3,000 prints by famous artists Currier and Ives.
- Photographs: The museum has a fantastic collection of photos, including works by Jacob Riis and Berenice Abbott. There are also many photos from the Great Depression era. Even film director Stanley Kubrick's early photos are here!
- Costumes and Furniture: See what people wore and how they lived in old New York.
- Antique Toys: The museum was the first in the U.S. to have a special department just for toys!
- Ship Models: Learn about New York's history as a port city.
- Rare Books and Manuscripts: Discover old documents and books.
- Theater Collection: This collection shows the "golden age" of Broadway theater.
- Dioramas: These are 3D models that show scenes from the city's history and how it looked.
One very rare item is a chair that belonged to Sarah Rapelje. She is said to be the first child of European parents born in New York State.
The museum used to have two furnished rooms from the house of John D. Rockefeller. These rooms were later given to other museums. You can also see a model of old New Amsterdam based on a map from 1660.
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"The Bay and Harbor of New York" by Samuel Waugh (1814–1885), depicting the arrival of the Junk Keying in New York harbour in July 1847 (watercolor on canvas, c.1853–1855, Museum of the City of New York).
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Henry Gurdon Marquand House Conservatory Window (around 1883–1884), designed by Richard Morris Hunt (1827–1895) and made by Eugène Stanislas Oudinot (1827–1889)
Exciting Exhibitions to See
The Museum of the City of New York often has special exhibitions. These shows focus on different parts of the city's history and culture.
- Perform: From 2004 to 2009, this was a permanent exhibit about theater in New York. It included items like Bill "Bojangles" Robinson's tap shoes.
- The Glory Days, 1947–1957: In 2007, this exhibit looked at the history of professional baseball in New York City. It featured clips of Ed Sullivan interviewing players like Mickey Mantle. A special part was about Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier in 1947.
- Social Activism: In 2012, a new space opened with an exhibit on social activism. It showed how New York City has been a place for people to stand up for what they believe in.
- New York At Its Core: This exhibit opened in 2016. It explores 400 years of New York City's history and looks at its future. It has over 450 objects, videos, and interactive displays.
- In the Dugout with Jackie Robinson: Until 2019, this exhibit honored Jackie Robinson. It showed memorabilia and rare footage of his family.
- City/Game: Basketball in New York: This exhibit opened in 2020. It explores the history of basketball in New York City, including famous players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
See also
In Spanish: Museo de la Ciudad de Nueva York para niños
