Rose Museum facts for kids
The Rose Museum is a special place inside Carnegie Hall in Manhattan, New York City. It's a small museum that tells the amazing story of Carnegie Hall. The museum first opened its doors in 1991.
You can find the Rose Museum on the second floor of Carnegie Hall. It was made possible by the Susan and Elihu Rose Foundation. The museum holds a huge collection of over 2,500 feet of old records. It also has concert programs from more than a hundred years ago! When it first opened, the museum planned to show new exhibits often. These would be in addition to its main collection.
The museum also shares how Carnegie Hall was saved. In the late 1950s, people worried about its future. A famous musician named Isaac Stern helped lead a campaign to save it. The government bought the hall in 1960. Then, in 1962, it was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a very important building in American history.
Explore the Museum's Amazing Collections
The Rose Museum has many cool things that music lovers will enjoy. Imagine seeing a program from the very first concert of the Vienna Philharmonic! That was way back on March 28, 1842. You can also see a program signed by The Beatles from their shows.
Some other special items include:
- A ring that belonged to the famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven.
- Eyeglasses once worn by Johannes Brahms.
- A notebook from Richard Strauss with ideas for an unfinished poem.
- One of Benny Goodman's clarinets.
- Batons used by famous conductors Leonard Bernstein and Arturo Toscanini.
- A sparkly jacket worn by the legendary singer Judy Garland.
- The trowel used to lay the very first stone of Carnegie Hall.
Even more items from Carnegie Hall's past are kept in the Carnegie Hall Archives. These archives are in an old studio. They have even more history that sometimes gets used for new exhibits at the museum.
Discover Past Exhibits and Famous People
The museum's exhibits have shown many different parts of Carnegie Hall's history. They often highlight famous people who performed there or were important to its story.
Some of the amazing people featured in past exhibits include:
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: An exhibit honored his visit to New York City. He came for the opening of Carnegie Hall itself!
- Marian Anderson: She was the first African American singer to perform at the Metropolitan Opera. Her story is very inspiring.
- George and Ira Gershwin: An exhibit celebrated George's 100th birthday. These brothers wrote many famous songs.
- Leonard Bernstein: A well-known conductor and composer.
- Andrew Carnegie: The man who built Carnegie Hall. An exhibit honored his 100th birthday.
See also
- List of music museums
