Museum of the Moving Image
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| Established | September 10, 1988 |
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| Location | 35th Avenue and 36th Street, Astoria, Queens, New York City |
| Public transit access | New York City Subway: 36th Avenue   MTA Bus: Q66, Q101 |
The Museum of the Moving Image is a cool museum in New York City. It's all about movies, TV shows, and digital media like video games! It's located in Astoria, Queens, in an old building that used to be a famous movie studio. The museum first opened its doors in 1988. In 2011, the museum became much bigger after a major expansion.
What You'll Find at the Museum
The Museum of the Moving Image focuses on the art, history, and technology of film, TV, and digital media. It collects and saves items related to moving images. You can see these items in fun exhibits and learn through special programs.
- Interactive Exhibits: The exhibits have lots of videos and sounds. They help you understand how the movie and TV industries started and how they've changed.
- Film Screenings: The museum has two awesome theaters. They often show movies and hold discussions about new films.
- Special Film Series: They have ongoing movie series like "Changing the Picture" and "Science on Screen." These series explore different parts of movie art and culture.
- Video Games: The museum also has one of the biggest collections of video games and gaming systems. It's a great place to learn about the history of gaming!
- Jim Henson Exhibition: In 2017, a special permanent exhibit opened. It celebrates the life and amazing creations of Jim Henson, who created The Muppets.
- Stanley Kubrick Exhibit: Another cool exhibit, "Envisioning 2001: Stanley Kubrick's Space Odyssey," opened in 2020. It explores the famous movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Museum History
The museum is in a historic building called Astoria Studios. In 1970, a group called the Astoria Motion Picture and Television Center Foundation took over the studios. They wanted to save the building and bring back interest in filmmaking there. Their hard work helped the area and made people want to learn more about the movie industry. This led to plans for a museum.
Opening Day
After seven years of planning and building, the American Museum of the Moving Image opened on September 10, 1988. It was the first museum in the United States dedicated only to film, TV, and video. The museum's theater was very modern for its time. It could show many different film types, including old nitrate prints. Visitors could also experience what it was like to watch TV in a lounge from the early days of television.
Big Expansion
In March 2008, the museum started a big expansion project. This project cost a lot of money and doubled the museum's size! It added a new theater and more space for learning. The museum stayed open during most of the building work. The new and improved museum officially reopened on January 15, 2011. The main exhibit, "Behind the Screen," was also updated at this time.
Film Festivals
Since 2011, the museum has hosted the First Look Film Festival. This festival is known for showing new and interesting international movies. It helps introduce New York audiences to creative films that try new things with cinema.
