New York City's 10 Best Small Museums

“Famous NYC institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Museum of Modern Art are justly famous, but they’re also hard to explore in one day. If you’re looking for a less overwhelming experience, head to one of these 10 museums, which offer plenty of history and culture in smaller, easily navigable spaces.”

City Reliquary Museum

Location: 370 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn, New York, 11211, USA

The City Reliquary is a not-for-profit community museum and civic organisation located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Through permanent display of New York City artefacts, rotating exhibits of community collections, and annual cultural events, The City Reliquary connects visitors to both the past and present of New York.

The Tenement Museum

Location: 103 Orchard St., New York, New York, 10002, USA (877) 975-3786

The Tenement Museum preserves and interprets the history of immigration through the personal experiences of the generations of newcomers who settled in and built lives on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, America’s iconic immigrant neighborhood; forges emotional connections between visitors and immigrants past and present; and enhances appreciation for the profound role immigration has played and continues to play in shaping America’s evolving national identity.

THE NOGUCHI MUSEUM

Location: 9-01 33rd Road, Queens, NY, 11106, United States (718) 204-7088

Sculptor Isamu Noguchi designed this small museum, located in a building that was once a printmaking plant, just a few years before his death in 1988. Now, it’s a testament to his work: The galleries contain sculptures such as geometric shapes rendered in marble, or abstract slabs of stone.

THE MUSEUM AT FIT

Location: Seventh Ave. at 27th St., New York, NY, 10001, United States (212) 217-4558

The Museum at FIT, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is one of a select group of specialized fashion museums, including the Musée de la Mode, the Mode Museum, and the Museo de la Moda.

NEW YORK TRANSIT MUSEUM

Location: Boerum Pl. and Schermerhorn St., Brooklyn, NY, 11201, United States (718) 694-1600

The New York Transit Museum is dedicated to the collection and preservation of materials relating to the region’s land based public transportation systems, past and present. As part of this commitment we are pleased to announce that we will soon be moving into a newly outfitted, environmentally controlled storage space.

MUSEUM OF CHINESE IN AMERICA

Location: 215 Centre St., New York, NY, 10013, United States

The Museum promotes dialogue and understanding among people of all cultural backgrounds, bringing 160 years of Chinese American history to vivid life through its innovative exhibitions, educational and cultural programs.

SKYSCRAPER MUSEUM

Location: 39 Battery Pl., New York, NY, 10280, United States

Located in New York City, the world’s first and foremost vertical metropolis, The Skyscraper Museum celebrates the City’s rich architectural heritage and examines the historical forces and individuals that have shaped its successive skylines.

Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum

Location: 895 Shore Rd., Bronx, NY, 10464, United States

“At one point in the 19th century, luxe homes like this one were abundant on the fringes of New York City. As time progressed, most of those homes were torn down, but the Bartow-Pell house remains. Situated within Pelham Bay Park (the city’s largest park), the Greek Revival home looks much the same as it did when it was built in 1842, with Neoclassical interiors, a light-filled sitting room, and beautiful formal gardens surrounding the stone house.”

The Morgan Library & Museum

Location: 225 Madison Ave., New York, NY, 10016, United States

“The onetime home of famed financier J.P. Morgan and his family actually comprises several buildings, including a pink marble building designed by Charles McKim, and a sleek, modern entrance added by architect Renzo Piano in 2006. Galleries showcase pieces from Morgan’s personal collection, including drawings (by artists like Rembrandt and William Blake), manuscripts, and writings.”

Studio Museum in Harlem

location: 144 West 125th St., New York, NY, 10027, United States

“This museum is located along Harlem’s historic 125th Street corridor, only a block from the Apollo Theater (among other landmarks). Unsurprisingly, the surroundings inform the space, which showcases the work of artists who are inspired by their African heritage. The collection includes pieces by Kara Walker, Romare Bearden, and Chris Ofili, and the museum itself has hosted exhibits featuring the work of photographers Gordon Parks and Carrie Mae Weems.”