Travelling Han

I absolutely love museums; I think it’s important to learn about new things, different cultures and histories, and about the places we visit. You can find out a lot about a place through its food, its people, its architecture – but I also like immersing myself in museums to also understand a bit more about the places I am visiting.

New York is renowned for its art Museums, but honestly – I’m just not that fussed. I’ve therefore tried to hunt out 10 of my favourite cultural and historical museums, which I really think are worth a visit if you have time when you’re in the Big Apple; let’s go!

1. Museum of the City of New York
2. Ellis Island National Immigration Museum
3. American Museum of Natural History
4. Lower East Side Tenement Museum
5. 9/11 Memorial and Museum
6. Federal Hall
7. Fraunces Tavern
8. Museum at Eldridge Street
9. New York Transit Museum
10. Morgan Library & Museum

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Museum of the City of New York

This Museum is perfect if you want to learn more about the history of New York.

It covers 400 years of NYC’s history:

• Story of its origins as a Dutch trading colony in 1609
• The English taking over and making it an English Imperial Port from 1664-1775
• The origins of the American revolution, independence, and tackling the challenges of growing population density, alongside constant waves of immigration from Europe
• An overview of immigration in the early 1900s and how it changed the face of the city – with more from eastern and southern Europe; tenements grew and whole neighbourhoods like Chinatown developed.
• 1920s development of skyscrapers and the Greater New York area until the 1929 Wall Street Crash abruptly ended the period of prosperity and NYC entered a depression.
• An overview of America’s role in WW1 and WW2.
• Civil rights and domestic challenges from the 1950s – 1990s; covering everything from the Vietnam War to the growth of HipHop.
• Stats on more recent immigration, including from Central America.
• The atrocities of September 11 2001.

Entrance to, and inside, the museum

Ultimately the museum considers what New York actually is, what it means, and what the future holds. It concludes that New York is a money town – a fierce marketplace. It’s also driven by immigration, and to be a New Yorker means to be diverse. It’s also busy – the crowds, the people, and the innovations. And finally, that New York is a city of creativity – a city of relentless constant change and energy – constantly attracting more money, more diversity, more density and continually redefining itself.

I loved it. And I learned a lot. In fact I spent an entire day there just reading and buying lots of books. Oh and the staircase was awesome.

The staircase

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Ellis Island National Immigration Museum

Another of my absolute favourite museums in New York is the National Immigration Museum, telling the story of the millions of people who entered America in the 18-1900s, mainly from Europe. It covers:

• An overview of the peopling of America from 1500-1800, i.e. the Dutch and British colonial impact, through to American Independence
• Peak Immigration Years from the 18-1900s, mainly from Europe but also covering other areas like China and Canada
• The Ellis Island experience; what it was like to be an arrival here
• Modern day immigration since the 1945 post war era – the immigration limitations, boom from Central America and future trends.

It’s absolutely fascinating to learn about which groups came over when, where they settled and what jobs they did – as well as focus on what the experience was like as an immigrant; with health, wealth and intelligence checks on arrival, and settling in an entirely new country so far from home. The Museum is moving and I easily spent 5hrs here reading everything.

You can read my full write up on Ellis Island: HERE (post coming soon)

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American Museum of Natural History

For something a little bit different, but absolutely no less interesting – head to the American Museum of Natural History, located in the Upper West Side (perfect to combine with a visit to Central Park).

The museum is dedicated to cultures, the natural world and the known universe – it is absolutely incredible and again, you could easily spend a whole day here.

Entrances to the Museum

There is so much to see, including (but not limited to):

• The Human Origins and Cultures Halls covering everything from Asian, African and Central American heritages, to the Plains Indians and development of humans themselves.
• Mammal and Fossil Halls exhibiting animals from all over the world and how they’ve developed over time.
• Planetary Science Halls to learn all about the vastness of the Universe and how we came to be.
• Birds and Reptiles Halls to explore all of the history birds and reptiles across the Americas, Europe and Asia.
• Biodiversity and Environmental Halls focusing on climate change and
• The Rose Center for Earth and Space, & Hayden Planetarium where you can sit in the giant dome and watch incredible shows taking you around the universe.

A lot of the museum is interactive and super engaging so great for kids and adults alike.

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Lower East Side Tenement Museum

Traditionally, the Lower East Side was an immigrant, working class neighbourhood. It started off as mainly Dutch, then had many Germans settling, followed by groups of Italians, Hungarians, Poles, Eastern European Jews, Russians and Ukrainians. By 1920, the Jewish neighbourhood was one of the largest of these ethnic groupings, and this heritage can still be found in the area today.

Since the 1960s, the area has been settled by immigrants primarily from Latin America. Today it’s a predominantly a Puerto Rican and Dominican community, and this diverse history of immigration is what makes the Lower East Side so special.

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum preserves this heritage. It is housed in two preserved tenement buildings which were home to c.15,000 people from over 20 countries between 1863 and 2011. The museum is brilliant, telling the story of these inhabitants via guided tours

• Tours promote understanding of the immigrant journey
• See the preserved tenement buildings on various experiences
• Learn about the lives of the people who lived here – today’s exhibition focuses on Joseph and Rachel, a black couple living here in the 1860s &70s
• Other exhibitions that have been shown include the lives of Holocaust survivors, Chinese residents and Latin American immigrants. Exhibitions change regularly so there’s always someone new to learn about.

This museum was actually my favourite in New York so I couldn’t recommend it enough.

Inside the museum

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9/11 Memorial and Museum

What is there to be said about this museum that hasn’t already been said. Visit it, be moved, be shocked, cry – and most importantly pay your quiet respects to the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks in 2001 that shocked the world.

The museum and memorial are beautifully done as a tribute to ensure those who lost their lives are never forgotten. I was teary the whole way round and also learned a lot about the politics and the build up to the attacks that I hadn’t really appreciated before. Given everything going on in the Middle East at the moment, I really worry about where we will end up again.

Reflection pool (L) and vehicle destroyed by the explosions (R)

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Federal Hall

Federal Hall lies in Manhattan’s financial district, and it’s at this site that many meetings of Congress prior to the Revolution were conducted. After the United States became an independent nation, it served as the meeting place for the Congress of the Confederation, the USA’s first central government.

With the establishment of the US Federal Government in 1789, it historically hosted the very first congress where George Washington was sworn in as the first President of the United States. Today the museum on site covers:

• The day Washington became President
• History of the building
• Timeline of American Independence
• Other information on US National Parks

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Fraunces Tavern

As a top tip, combine a visit to Federal Hall with nearby Fraunces Tavern Museum if you’re interested in the American Revolution.

Fraunces Tavern is another Revolution history highlight. It’s here that hosted many a night for the founding fathers, including Anthony Hamilton and George Washington – who had his “farewell dinner” with his officers before becoming President. After independence, America made New York its capital and it was in Fraunces Tavern that the departments of Foreign Affairs and Finance were set up!

Today, the pub itself is absolutely incredible, and still operating as a bar and restaurant on the lower levels. On the top floors is now a museum telling the story of the building and its famous visitors – a Museum and a Bar; perfect!

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Museum at Eldridge Street

Learn about New York’s Jewish community at the synagogue on Eldridge Street. This Synagogue, opened in 1887, is one of the  first in the USA by Eastern European Jews, and one of the founders was Rabbi Eliahu the Blessed who was previously Head Rabbi of St Petersburg in Russia.

The Synagogue thrived but after the Great Depression was used less and less. Eventually it became in need of serious repair, and was closed for renovation for 20 years, then reopened in 2007 after US$20 million of renovation as a museum.

It offers informative tours that relate to American Jewish history and the history of the Lower East Side and immigration. Again it really is worth a visit and at least a few hours of your time. Plus the blue window of the interior is absolutely stunning

Outside and inside the amazing museum

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New York Transit Museum

Another of my favourite off the beaten track museums is located in Brooklyn, situated in a decommissioned subway.

It displays historical artifacts of the New York City Subway, bus, and commuter rail systems. It tells the story of how New York’s transit development has helped the city grow, and its progress over time to the booming metropolis it is today. It’s actually super fun and interactive, and well worth a visit. We spent 1.5hrs enjoying the Museum.

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Morgan Library & Museum

A total favourite of mine, The Morgan Library and Museum is truly incredible. The private collection of JP Morgan (he of banking fame) is astounding and in one of the most beautiful buildings you’ve ever seen.

Head to the Museum to see not just the library itself, but learn about the history of the banking family, the incredible library and the people and politics of the time – particularly interesting is the story of Belle da Costa Greene, the librarian.

You can read my full write up on The Morgan: HERE (post coming soon)

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My ultimate takeaway from all of these museums is that New York is a melting pot- of cultures, people, creativity and diversity. It’s an amazing city really, constantly changing and evolving – and I can see why people are so proud to be New Yorkers. It would be way too exhausting for me though!

If you’re interested in more of New York, then check out my other posts (coming soon):

• New York Itinerary
• Financial District Guide
• Ellis Island Immigration Museum
• Brooklyn
• Morgan Library & Museum

Thanks for reading; let me know what you think in the comments below. Stay safe and happy travelling!