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The 8 Best History Museums In NYC

By: Aishah French By: Aishah French | January 3, 2025 | Lifestyle, Feature, Guides,

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Confucius once said, "Study the past if you would define the future," and NYC's many history museums certainly give plenty of opportunity to do so. Visiting a history museum is one of our favorite ways to spend an enriching and interesting afternoon. We’ve curated our favorite and most engaging history museums in the city so you can spend a day learning your way.

See also: The 11 Best Art Museums In NYC

The New York Historical Society

170 Central Park West / 212.873.3400 / Website

Explore New York’s first museum and nationally renowned independent research library at the New York Historical Society. Diverse exhibitions span the colonial era to the modern day and house historical collections like Tiffany Lamps and Audubon’s Birds of America. Bring the whole family and check out the DiMenna Children’s History Museum, the first history museum in the U.S. made specifically for kids.

The Ellis Island Museum of Immigration

Ellis Island Bridge, Jersey City, NJ / 832.960.0009 / Website

Learn about the famous history of U.S. immigration at Ellis Island. Housed in a restored immigration complex, you can walk in the steps of arrivals decades before us. The museum continues to update its content as it investigates what immigration looks like today. We recommend planning a day trip to both Ellis and Liberty Islands.

The Morgan Library & Museum

225 Madison Ave. / 212.685.0008 / Website

Live out your dark academia dreams at The Morgan Library & Museum. Venture through what was Pierpont Morgan’s personal library of early printed books, manuscripts and master drawings. Reserve tickets one week in advance for free admission on Fridays between 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. or visit its historic rooms for free on Tuesdays and Sundays between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

The Jewish Museum

1109 5th Ave. & E 92nd St. / 212.423.3200 / Website

The Warburg mansion currently holds art and cultural artifacts committed to Jewish culture. It is the first establishment of its kind in the nation and is one of the oldest Jewish museums in the world. Free admission is available on Saturdays and select Jewish holidays.

The Tenement Museum

103 Orchard St. / 877.975.3786 / Website

This National Historic Site focuses on the working-class tenement residents who moved to New York City from different parts of the world near and far. Stories of these residents are told through guided tours of two historical tenement buildings in the Lower East Side. We recommend purchasing tickets in advance as spots usually sell fast!

New York Transit Museum

99 Schermerhorn St., Brooklyn / 718.694.1600 / Website

Interested in trains? Check out the historical artifacts of the subway, bus and other commuter rail systems in the NYC metro area. Step into the vintage cars, walk through turnstiles and learn more about the city’s mass transit system. It’s all held in a decommissioned subway station, and entry is between five to 10 dollars.

Museum of the City of New York

1220 5th Ave. / 212.534.1672 / Website

Learn about past and present New York City at the Museum of the City of New York. From garments representing NYC fashion historically to exhibitions on social activism, this museum gives you the inside scoop on what it’s like to be a true New Yorker.

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum

180 Greenwich St. / Website

The attack on September 11, 2001, changed the lives of people across the world. Sitting right where it happened, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum tells the stories of its impact through media, artifacts and narratives. The memorial is free and open to the public all week, while the museum requires an advance ticket purchase.

Photography by: Rupert Ramsay/BFA.com

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