Skyscraper Museum facts for kids
The Skyscraper Museum is a special place in New York City. It's located in Battery Park City, a neighborhood in Manhattan. This museum opened in 1996 and is all about tall buildings!
As its name suggests, the museum teaches you about skyscrapers. It shows how these huge buildings are made and designed. You can learn about the technology used to build them. The museum also explores how skyscrapers are used for homes and offices. It celebrates New York's amazing skyline and the people who built it.
Before finding its permanent home, the museum moved around. From 1996, it held small shows in different places. These temporary spots were all in Lower Manhattan. In 2004, it finally moved to its current, permanent spot.
The Skyscraper Museum was started by Carol Willis. She is a professor who studies architecture and cities. The museum has two areas for exhibits. One area is for things that are always on display. The other is for new, changing shows. There's also a bookstore. Above the bookstore, you'll find the museum's office. You can get to the museum by a ramp that starts in the basement.
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A New Home After 2001
The museum's first location was very close to the World Trade Center. After the sad events of September 11 attacks in 2001, the museum had to close. Its space was needed to help people get information.
In March 2004, the museum opened again. It moved to a new, permanent building. This new home is at 39 Battery Place. It's still in Battery Park City, at the very bottom of Manhattan. The Skyscraper Museum was the first museum to open in Lower Manhattan after the 9/11 attacks.
The museum's new space is about 5800 square feet (539 square meters). It's on the ground floor of a building. The building's developer kindly gave the space to the museum. The design for the new museum was done by Roger Duffy. He is an architect from Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. He worked for free to help the museum. The museum's ceiling is 10 feet (3 meters) high. The architect used shiny stainless steel on the floors and ceilings. This makes the space look much taller, like it goes on forever!
Cool Exhibitions at the Museum
The Skyscraper Museum often has interesting exhibits. These shows teach visitors about different aspects of tall buildings.
World Trade Center Exhibit
On September 6, 2006, a special exhibit opened. It was all about the construction of the World Trade Center. This show also covered the history of the famous towers. It even included the original models used by the architects and engineers.
Shanghai's Skyscrapers
In 2009, the museum featured an exhibit called "China Prophecy: Shanghai." This show looked at how Shanghai became a city of skyscrapers. It had models of famous buildings like Jin Mao, Tomorrow Square, and Shanghai World Financial Center. There were also computer animations, films, and photos. The exhibit showed how Shanghai changed from a city of low buildings to one with many towers.
Supertall Buildings!
In 2011, a new exhibit called "Supertall!" opened. This show was all about the world's tallest buildings. These are buildings that are at least 1250 feet (381 meters) tall. That's the same height as the Empire State Building! The exhibit featured buildings built since 2001. It also showed buildings planned to be finished by 2016. It highlighted how popular skyscrapers became in many countries. This was interesting because some people thought no one would want to build or work in skyscrapers after 9/11.
Besides its own exhibits, the museum also supports other shows. It hosts programs in different parts of New York City. The museum also has a cool online feature. Its website has a "virtual gallery." This is a 3-D collection of skyscrapers in Manhattan.
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