New-York Historical Society Review

The new show about women s suffrage is very well done. Excellent presentation. I also went into the tiffany rooms. Beautiful work there - mostly by women! The Restauant was booked, even the bar, but the food there is very good if you make a reservation. $$$ though. The coffee shop has some breads and coffees. It is just ok. The whole building is full of interesting things to see and experience. Worth a visit for sure. Just beside the natural history museum it is a nice contrast to the Disney feeling at the natural history museum - though of course that is a wonderful place to visit too.

Very well worth visiting. Some fascinating exhibits.

Often overlooked smaller museum with some great exhibitions; plus the restaurant is lovely.

They did a fairly good job with the Chinese American exhibit. I especially liked the maps they had which mapped out the prostitution and gambling houses in San Francisco.

I loved the type writers and I even got to type on them.

Would like to come back when renovations are done. Think the price should be $10 when you can very easily go across the street for the museum of natural history for a little bit more.

Had trouble parking in this area. The Historical Society is on Central Park WEST also, the streets around here can be confusing.

The NY Historical Society has been around for some time.

If you're looking for a bit of New York history there's no place you should visit first. Inexpensive easy to reach and right in the heart of Central Park. Friendly and informative staff. You'll be amazed at how much our past paved the way for the country we live in today. Enjoy

Walked in the door to grab coffee. While waiting went to use the bathroom where we were yelled at by a guard

New-York Historical Society is fantastic! It's a great place to visit to take pictures at night even if the rest is closed. My kids and I enjoyed taking selfie photos here. Great for wedding pictures or memory pictures. This is definitely a selfie stick kind of moment. Bring the folks that come to town. Totally recommend this place.

Nice space. Runs exhibits and talks. Also hosts educator workshops and produces educational materials.

A living story of the the people and events that made NYC the greatest city in the United States.

100% Worth it . No need to pre buy tickets online , everyone joins the same line . Learned a lot

This is a great museum with a full sized film theater, rotating exhibits from all corners of the city/country (when I went there I saw the "History of Computing" sponsored by IBM and the classic batmobile) and a charming interactive kids museum in the basement (seems perfect for like 3-6 year olds).

Excellent, unique museum experience with an awesome children s museum in the lower level and plenty for all in the upper levels.

Went in for a quick visit but stayed for 3h. Loved it!

My Son attends the Saturday Academy- History of Comics and Prep for the SAT.. great program!! excellent!! my son is really intrigued by it! and I am very pleased!! thank you for offering this!!!Hope to attend many more programs.

The fourth floor water fountain has poor water pressure.

They also had pretty lamps.

Great experience! Highly recommended to all who visit or live in NYC.

I highly recommend the current exhibition, Hudson Rising. This is one of the most sophisticated, and yet completely accessible (and fun!) overviews of the relationship between New York City history and the Hudson River that I've ever encountered. The curators are clearly experts who have worked hard to create a visual and experiential journey across time and riverscape that you won't forget. I'm an educator and I've recommended this exhibit to everyone I know who wants to have a great museum experience while learning alot at the same time. Thank you, NYHS, for this fantastic exhibit!

A real museum with three floors. Great for children and family visit.

Great museum. Easy to get to on the B and C train. Kids museum on the lower level. Had 3 or 4 galleries upstairs. We spent about 3 hours.

Most beautiful place to learn your history. Very existing experience.

Disappointing exhibits. They seemed like they were created quickly and temporary. The stonewall exhibit was hard to follow how it all related to stonewall, and over-simplified. It is presented in a hallway and a small room. Having lived through most of the content, I didn t feel like it represented the experience for a younger generation. I heard guys in their 20s asking reasonable questions that were not answered in the exhibit. I wish they spent more time, it seemed rushed. Pretty disappointed. The staff was really sweet and the space was opulent and clean

Good place to visit and the kids can enjoy the exhibition too.

Very interesting exhibits throughout the museum, of interest and relevance to most people. We enjoyed learning the history of the Revolutionary War in New York (George Washington encamped there), the history of the Hudson River and the first environmental protection efforts, historic photos of Muhammad Ali, the garment industry, Tiffany lamps and jewelers, and The Stonewall. The museum is well air conditioned and there is a nice snack bar.

Excellent exhibit on the history of magic with Harry Potter as the incentive to get us in the door. The fascination was with JK Rowling s draft scripts from some of her series. Shows such hard work and genius! The shocker was the extensive Tiffany exhibit that just amazed us in every way! The craftsmanship, color, designs and brilliance of these lights amazed my entire family. Wish we had more time.

A small museum that is worth visiting. Maybe for outsiders it is not one of the best known. A wide and interesting collection of Tiffany lamps. Then during the year he offers talks on various topics, usually historical, with very relevant speakers. Also cinema cycles.

I went to the New-York Historical Society on Saturday, April 7. I'd purchased a ticket ($48) online to hear a talk by historians Annette Gordon-Reed and Carol Berkin, part of the NYHS's Bernard and Irene Schwartz Distinguished Speakers Series. I presented the confirmation I'd printed at home at the admission desk and was told that I could go right in.

Immediately after the talk, I went to the Society s gift shop and purchased Ms. Gordon-Reed s new book ($19.54) so that I could have it signed.

Signed book in hand, I visited the upstairs galleries. I returned to the main floor and tried to visit the Vietnam War exhibition where I was stopped by a museum guard and told that I needed to have an admission sticker in order to visit the galleries. I told her that I d purchased a lecture ticket. She told me that I still needed to purchase a general admission ticket.

The ticket seller at the main desk confirmed that I needed to cough up another $21 to visit the galleries. When I balked, and explained that I d bought a ticket for the lecture she told me that I could come back on Friday between 6:00pm and 8:00pm and pay whatever I d like to pay. I live 200 miles from New York City; returning on a Friday between 6:00pm and 8:00pm isn't an option.

I looked over the NYHS's website and the Winter/Spring booklet promoting programs and exhibitions. If the society mentions that a lecture ticket doesn t provide admission to the exhibits, it's not in a prominent spot. They say that ticket sales are final, that the program is subject to change, and that late comers may not be seated. They don't say that admission to their events does not provide admission to the galleries. When I presented my ticket at the admission desk, no one warned me that I'd still need a ticket to see the Society's exhibits.

I shared this experience with an old friend who reminded me that the NYHS charged her $50 a day to use its collection while doing her masters thesis research in the late 1970s.

Times may have changed in the last 40 years, but when it comes to extracting money from the public, the society hasn't changed very much at all.

A great place to do research, attend programs and gain historical perspective on life in the city.

This is properly one of my favorite museum. It's small, manageable to get around and not too big. The art here is just amazing, I wish I had some skills like that. Staffs are friendly and knowledgeable. Overall great place to visit.

I was not that impressed, but it was not a waste of time at the same time I probably wont go back. TWO stars because for the price they charge it is not much of a value for the buck. The story of NY show/movie was pretty good. We were done in about two hours, this place is directly across from Museum of Natural History,( now that is a museum worth going!)

They are now open for both indoor and outdoor exhibition. NYHS is the oldest museum in New York. Smaller than other museums but a great place to learn about history. Current outdoor exhibition is very touching. Make sure to plan your visit and get your tickets online beforehand.

Family book club events are a great learning experience that happens once a month and includes a review of historical artifacts related to the topic. The children s museum is also a lot of fun and hands on and the train exhibit was great hit with the kids

Story time with art project
Sundays 11:30am -12:30pm

Permanent collection of art and historical objects relating to the history of New York. A changing selection of exhibits relating to anything from AIDS to immigration to beer. Recently renovated to include permanent objects such as the roof the Keith Haring's Pop Shop and a short film start your visit. Lectures, walks and films provide an added experience on evenings and weekends.

The continuously showing film about the history of the melting pot that is
New York City is brilliant. The exhibits are always high quality.

What a great treat the new york historical society is! Such diverse exhibits which are always changing. Some of the permanent collection is always on display. From the George Washington portrait that is the basis of the George on your dollar bill to the gorgeous glowing glass of tiffany lamps to shows through the ages and bill Cunningham there really is something fir everyone. Pay what you want on Friday.

1st time the and it was wonderful, did many things to admire about our history!!

Wonderful museum and collection of items and paintings. Especially loved the Tiffany lamps. The kids floor was well curated also and a great place for little ones.

Great museum with neat artifacts, interesting art, and helpful staff. I enjoyed the WW1 art exhibit and, suprisingly, the childrens museum the most. It's in a great location too.

This is a cultural museum, not a historical society. Pretty disappointed.

They have nice exhibits, current there is a wonderful selection of Tiffany lamps, and they have shadow origami.

Very varied collection of artifacts relating to a wide range of topics. Has very well-made children's history museum in the basement. Probably best for kids that can at least read a bit though. Changing special exhibition that not necessarily have to do with NYC, but are certainly quite interesting.

I give it only four stars because, while the front desk staff was friendly and helpful, and the exhibits great, at the end, one of the closing security guards was VERY rudely and VERY persistently SHOOING (practically pushing) us out the door at 5:55, even though 6:00 is official closing and we were still admiring something near the front doors on the first floor.
The collection itself is great, and I have to go back as I did not have enough tie to see all of it, fairly extensive and interesting.

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Pretty Disappointing. New Brighton MN has a better history museum than the pitiful, dirty, smelly city of New York.

Nice place. All the items were properly placed . Their collection was also amazing. The atmosphere was calm and positive. All the stuff was very interesting and unique.

hidden gem, they did a phenomenal job with the harry potter exhibit

When the best part of a museum experience is the gift shop, you know you've wasted $20.00.
The permanent collection was closed when I visited on 2/26/16. There were a handful of items on display on the main floor, but nothing memorable. There were also two separate exhibits: New York and computers (yawn) and a toy collection and that was it, well except for the aforementioned gift shop (some interesting books on New York history).

It may be a small museum but it has an amazing arts displayed everywhere! My favorite here are the lamps, they are so beautiful!

I attended the Malcolm Gladwell interview on 1-13-20. What a missed opportunity for me and my daughter. If my eyes were closed I would not have known who was the guest and who was the moderator. The moderator seemed to be in a contest as to who was more intellectually gifted him or Gladwell.
Tonight I am attending Churchill and the Jews hopefully the moderator knows his function.
Best, Barry Erdos

Of all the museums I visited in NY this is my favorite. The upper floor shows the elaboration of Tiffanys lamps, the second on the evolution of social rights, the first is more general. The basement is a wonderful activity room for children. It's really beautiful.

I was at the Harry Potter Exhibit yesterday and although I enjoyed the visit, the people working there ended up ruining the experience. I unfortunately had a 6:00 time slot and being a huge fan, took my time. I had no idea it was closing until someone walked through saying yeah we are closing in four minutes . And that was all the announcement that was made. after I rushed through the next room I wanted to take a picture quickly in front of the first book cover sign in the lobby while waiting for my family and the man who stopped me was so rude and made me feel stupid because the museum is closed . I asked for one picture and he was so condescending about it. It ended up ruining part of the experience for me after months of waiting. This exhibition mattered a lot to me and just because they don t care doesn t mean they should take it out on the people who do. It was a great museaum but being treated like that deters me from wanting to go back again in the future. Making history matter starts with the way we experience it.

I must be visiting during an off time, but i learned absolutely nothing about NYC here. Plenty if exhibits about civil rights marches in Alabama, toy trains, and Chinese immigrants in San Francisco, but the small hallway I found had exactly 3 windows about life in New York in general, but nothing about the city itself.

So disappointed, just a waste of time and money for things I can see in any other museum in any other city.

Excellent place to understand how you can make a museum with nothing. Saturday is a free offer and every figure is donated. No one would enter Italy with all the works of art we have ....
A whole floor for chandeliers? Go to a shop ...
If you want to review news about the Vietnam War, but they are things known, mince and retract. Are you interested in a relic of war? A jeep exposed at the entrance. It could be an Italian military jeep.
Tip: Spend your time and money better in New York.

I might have given 5 stars if I had had more time to explore. We stopped in to see the gallery of Tiffany lamps which was definitely 5 stars. They are beautifully displayed and are real works of art.

Complete waste of time and money! Based on reviews had expected much more. Kept thinking hadnt actually found the heart of the museum. With lots closed just fee artifacts in hallways and some interactive dsiplays on main floor. What a waste!!!

Nyhs has some of the best exhibits. I visit as often as possible

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Went here because I had to for a college course. Glass is oddly and notably clean sometimes I didn't know there was glass guarding an object! Give the custodians a raise!

Overpriced for what it is,especially with a lot of stuff closed. I loved the movie though.

This museum is really dynamic from it's first floor interactive exhibits to it's older historical paintings. Their current exhibit of the Swing era in NYC was engaging and I was happy to see the placards alongside the paintings delve into the artists materials and references for each painting. The attached restaurant also has gracious and helpful staff. My only downside was the inability to take photos, even in the entry way to exhibits like Swing Time.

Excellent for children. It is best way for your children to see modern history of NYC. Also there have many things for adult specially old movies in theater.

Endlessly fascinating collections. Informative, educational, entertaining.

Nice little museum. We went to see the Holiday Express exhibit by Richard Scarry. It's a fun and somewhat interactive exhibit. My little one really appreciated the trains! We also went downstairs to the children's museum and got to play and explore a bit. It was a bit difficult to navigate as some elementary school children were visiting the exhibit and it was a bit crowded.

Great museum. There was a Highlights tour at 2pm and 3.30pm. The Al Hirschfeld exhibition is very interesting as well.

Nice museum. He explains the beginning of New York but that's all. There is no presentation of the evolution of New York over the years. On the other hand beautiful temporary art exhibitions

I've only been to their shop and cafe- very peaceful and great for a break after going through the galleries. I love how neatly the goods are displayed and the employees are so helpful. Baked goods are delicious and surprisingly priced like a normal coffee shop!