New York City Police Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1999 |
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The New York City Police Museum (NYCPM) is a special place that teaches you about the history of the New York City Police Department (NYPD). It was started in 1999 and is located in Lower Manhattan, New York City. A big part of the museum is a memorial to the September 11 attacks. The museum also has lots of information about the NYPD's past. Visitors can even try a police simulation to understand what police officers experience.
Contents
How the Museum Started
Plans for a police museum were first shared on February 16, 1998. At that time, Police Commissioner Howard Safir and a local business group helped make $5 million available. This money was meant for the museum and a new police station in Lower Manhattan.
However, some people worried about how the museum was being funded. They thought it might mean certain areas got more police protection than others. Because of these concerns, Mayor Rudy Giuliani stopped the funding just two days later.
Even so, the New York City Police Museum became a non-profit organization in March 1998. The museum officially opened its doors in April 1999. A bigger opening event was held on January 19, 2000.
What You Can See at the Museum
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The museum has many interesting items in its collection. One unique item is the original New York Yankees logo. This logo was designed by Louis Tiffany even before the baseball team existed!
Over the years, the museum has shown many different exhibits. These include a 1972 Plymouth Fury police car and a model of a jail cell. There's also a timeline showing how police transportation has changed. You can see lock-picking tools that belonged to a famous criminal named Willie Sutton.
A large part of the museum's third floor is dedicated to the September 11 attacks. This exhibit helps visitors understand the physical damage and debris from that day. The museum also has a "Hall of Heroes." This area lists the name and badge number of every NYPD officer who died while on duty. This list starts with David Martin, who died on August 6, 1861. The museum was also known for its car shows.
Museum Homes Over Time
The museum first started as a small gallery at the New York City Police Academy. Since then, it has moved to several temporary and semi-permanent spots in Manhattan. As of August 2025, the museum does not have a permanent home. Its last main location was damaged by floods from Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Early Broadway Location
From its opening in January 2000, the museum was located at 26 Broadway near Bowling Green. It was run privately but received support from the city. This included free rent for over ten years and staff from police officers. Private donors gave more than $2 million to build the museum, and the city added $1 million.
This new museum replaced a smaller gallery that used to be at the police academy. Some exhibits at the Broadway location included:
- A display showing how police uniforms have changed since 1853.
- A gun used by Al Capone's group in a 1928 killing.
- The first machine gun used in a killing by criminals in New York.
- A gift from Italy to New York City. This gift was given after Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino was killed in Sicily in 1909. He was the only NYPD officer killed while on duty in a foreign country.
- Other exhibits included a green and white radio car, old firearms, and a wooden desk from a police station in the Bronx.
Moving to Old Slip
In January 2002, the museum moved and reopened at a new location on Old Slip. This spot was closer to South Street Seaport. The new building was actually the old First Precinct Building. It was designed by architects Richard Howland Hunt and Joseph Howland Hunt and built between 1909 and 1911.
This building was considered a model police station for its time. From 1884 to 1973, this grand building was home to the First Precinct. One historian called it "the most important police precinct in the world." The precinct closed in 1977. Museum officials saw moving here as a great way to connect with the department's long history. It cost over $4 million to build and renovate the new space. The exhibition area grew by almost 45%.
Recent Locations
In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused a lot of damage at the 100 Old Slip location. The museum then reopened on October 24, 2013, in a temporary space at 45 Wall Street. That location closed in 2014. In the summer of 2017, the museum had a temporary display on Governors Island.
See also
In Spanish: Museo de la Policía de la Ciudad de Nueva York para niños
