The New York Historical Society is a first class American Library & Museum that contains more than 1.6 million works of art and holds more than 3 million written works such as books, pamphlets, manuscripts, newspapers and other written documents. It is recognized as New York’s first museum and primarily features exhibitions that showcase New York and the United States from the 18th Century to the current times. In July Of 2022, I brought and treated myself and my wife for a visit to the New York Historical Society and we very much enjoyed our time at this top notch institution!!! Our favorite exhibitions were the “Meet The Presidents & The Oval Office” which features great portraits of US Presidents & stunning and highly detailed recreation of the White House & Oval Office, & “The Gallery Of Tiffany Lamp” which showcases the most extensive collection of gorgeously designed of Tiffany lamps!!! If you are passionate about art & history, then you should definitely visit and explore the New York Historical Society!!!

Went on the first weekend of the month which is Bank of America’s Museums on Us program. Super informative exhibits with a wide variety of galleries covering a variety of topics. From the most famous stained art makers, to black history. Had a lovely time diving deep in to every artifact. There were even some interactive exhibits that were pretty cool.

What a fascinating museum. I honestly didn’t know what to expect going in - this wasn’t an institution I was familiar with before moving to the area. The exhibitions are quite interesting and cover a wide range of topics. There is a wonderful hall of fine art curated to reflect various scenes of New York through different mediums and times. I particularly enjoyed the Leyendecker exhibit. I wish exhibits had more pieces and were larger, as each one is sort of a single room and feels limited. But the information panels are very helpful and there is a lot of knowledge packed into them. The Tiffany Lamps were also extremely beautiful, and I liked how there were a couple interactive sections in the lamp gallery. There were also docents(?) or guides answering questions and providing more details in the lamp gallery when I went. Very friendly and accommodating.

Most people would not think this is an inviting place based on the name of it. For us, it was a big surprise, especially due to the low expectation. The exterior alone already gave us a good first impression. We had to immediately take a photo with the statue of President Lincoln to the right of the entrance. It was recommended to start from Level 4, where I think housed the top 2 highlights of our visit: Gallery of Tiffany Lamps, and Meet the Presidents & Oval Office. There were many dozens of stain glass lamps windows. Sure, we've seen them in other places, but the rooms themselves that housed them were simply exquisite. And for the Replica Oval Office, you are actually encouraged to SIT at the president's desk for your photo op! There were also a miniature White House right outside the Oval Office, with all of the miniature presidents standing in front of it. Very cool. There was no Level 3, just space for staff. On Level 2, one highlight was the Exchanging Imagination which showcased the works of 2 French jewelers. Each of the 2 dozens or so pieces was eye-popping and jaw-dropping amazing. Level 1 was the lobby and some garden variety exhibits which you can skip if you're out of time. It was time well spent. Totally worth the visit.

My first time here. I can't believe I've never checked out this fabulous museum before today. I came to see the Acts of Faith show (which was informative if not particularly well installed) BUT then we went up to the 4th floor and I was blown away by the absolutely excellent installations, especially The Objects Tell Stories exhibition which is brilliant and the Tiffany Lamps are also incredibly well installed. They also have a fun Oval Office installation where you can sit at the President's Desk for a photo op!!!

As a photographer in New York I don’t like this place so much but I like to come here. While the museum may not be universally captivating, I find it interesting, especially the president's room. The New York Museum of Historical Society goes beyond politics, offering a varied and engaging experience for visitors. Friday from 18:00-20:00 pay as you wish you can pay even 5 cents. Normal price is from 18 usd.

This museum is worth the day's visit. The Tiffany lamp permanent exhibit alone is reason enough. The historical displays are interesting, informative, and well done. Plan to spend 2-3 hours. A NYC library card will grant you a free pass through their museum pass program. Only posted a few pictures so you can enjoy for yourself. 😉

I love the NY Historical Society. Their programming reflects usually what is happening in current events. The staff is always warm and knowledgeable. The exhibition are perfect in size. Never overwhelming. This visit was for the "Black Is Beautiful" exhibition, photography by Kwame Brathwaite. It was excellent.

Such an awesome museum. It’s surprisingly big and lots to see. We were there for nearly 2 hours and didn’t get through everything. They also have an awesome little exhibit with a bunch of costumes from Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which was a nice surprise. Definitely one of the best museums we’ve been to in NYC!

I had a blast here. The Tiffany lamps and 5 borough art was amazing. I cant wait for the other exhibits to open up. Groupon has a deal for 20 dollars and it is definitely worth it. All the artwork i seen in here, I have never seen before. This is my newest favorite place in the city and I can not wait to come back.

Went here one day because the line was too long at the Museum of Natural History. Was not disappointed. Seemingly very underrated museum with a wide variety of exhibits, most of which relate to the city.

This is such a great museum. The introductory video is interesting and well done. The exhibits are thoughtful. Guided tours are available at no cost. The Tiffany exhibit is one of the best gallery spaces in the city. The presidents exhibit includes a replica of the Oval Office. If you like New York, then this is a must see museum.

Highly underrated museum! There is something for everyone here— adults and children alike. The programming for school trips and education is amazing. The presenters are engaging and really get the kids to interact with the topic. My students loved all the image interpreting during the 2 field trips we had here (pre-Revolutionary NYC and the Industrial Revolution).

A New York institution with always interesting exhibitions. I enjoyed the current "The Art of Winold Reiss" with a particularly nice portrait of the young Isamu Noguchi and "Black is Beautiful: The Photography of Kwame Brathwaite". Of note the curtain painted by Picasso that used to hang in Philip Johnson's Four Seasons restaurant is now on permanent display at the Society. Magnificent building with spectacular reading room.

This is the first museum in New York . It has all kinds of interesting items dating back to the earliest European explorers. If you are are at all interested in New York City history this museum is a must.

No doubt that highlight of the museum is Tiffany Lamps collection. Gallery’s design is stunning with illuminated staircase being prominent part of the exhibition. Out of current exhibitions I have liked “Enchanted Imagination” jewelry collection, it is beautiful and cool. There are also few paintings of Hudson River school artists that are worth attention. To be fair, some other exhibitions / galleries could be skipped entirely from my point of view.

Great museum and not over crowded like the one next door . In this museum you can experience 400 years of history through groundbreaking exhibitions, outstanding collections, immersive films, and thought-provoking conversations among renowned historians and public figures at the New-York Historical Society, New York’s first museum.

The women’s work exhibition was a not to miss. A fabulous place with lots of information. A not to miss. Oh the shop. Great books

My favorite NYC museum. Beautiful, interesting exhibits. Strongly recommend only bringing children who are old enough - and like - to read. Not a good place for toddlers or even [most] under 10s.

I was surprisingly surprised by this museum, as I wasn't expecting much out of it. I spent about two hours there. The cleanliness and organization of the exhibits were superb, as were the exhibits themselves. My favorite was the Oval Office mock-up, and of course it was really cool walking through the Tiffany lamp exhibit. My only complaint is that it seemed like there were more than just a few exhibits that were closed to the public (um, get with it please!).

Lovely museum. I loved seeing all the amazing Tiffany lamps on display. We also loved the President display and Bob Hope/Mrs Maisel exhibits. Great Covid practices in place at this museum.

Great and mostly quiet and peaceful museum. There were many painting and sculptures on display and had a great experience there. Unlike the Museum of Natural History next door, this museum is not very busy. Overall great experience. Looking forward to coming back.

Large collection of artifacts. When I visited they were displaying a lot of Abraham Lincoln artifacts, Tiffany glass items, George Washington's Inaugurial chair, and several paintings from John James Audubon including the famous original "American Flamingo" study. Also when you enter the museum don't forget to look at the floor they actually have artifacts embedded in the floor itself such as an antique bottle it's often walked by and not noticed by many visitors.

Great museum. I came for the J.C. Leyendecker exhibit which was great for Pride. Loved the Tiffany Lamps and the Oval Office recreation that you can sit behind the President's desk and take a picture at. Also loved the Time Life archives and the We The People piece. Plus there's a portrait of the nurse who was the first person in the country to get a COVID vaccine. The lady leading tours was fascinating and engaging!

I went there for an exhibit on Ruth Bader Ginsberg, which was excellent. I enjoyed The New York Times exhibit. I had to skim through the other exhibits because of time restraints. Historical objects, photos and articles. A great place for history buffs.

This is definitely in my top NY 5 museums! As a born and raised New Yorker, I would always walk by the New York Historical Society and never walked in. Recently my dad came to visit so we finally hit the museum and so glad we did!! Clearly there are somewhat permanent exhibitions such as "Meet the Presidents" and the grand hall of New York related paintings. BTW they have a full sized replica of the oval office. You can even take pictures while sitting at the president's desk!!! Please please check out this museum especially if you love New York history!

A pretty cool place that needs to be on everyone’s to see list. Lots of great things to see and learn about. It doesn’t take too long to see it all but just take your time and enjoy it.

Though many of their exhibits are quite good, the general tone of the Museum is anti male, anti white, anti capitalist and anti European. It's a "cancel culture", woke dream come true. They do little to show contributions made to New York society by the generations of immigrants. It's as though the Museum management were recent political science graduates of a university unwilling to see the big picture and placing things in perspective. Historically speaking, life has not been fair for many immigrants, disabled etc....but this Museum's self righteous management appear to be obsessed with race & gender. Why do most exhibits appear to have race or gender component to it?

Curated exhibits focused on a variety of topics relevant to our country’s history. They got a cute library and exhibits just for kids also. Will definitely be going back just so I can devote to learning just one or two specific exhibits per visit as they have free entry every Friday PM!

I LOVE this museum. It’s a gem on the upper west side and the renovation is amazing. Where else can you sit in a replica of the Oval Office and see a world class collection of Tiffany lamps all under one roof? The current curatorial program has seamlessly integrated works from the collection with contemporary art. I highly recommend this museum to anyone interested in American art, history and culture.

I really enjoyed the New York Historical Society Museum. All of the exhibits were great and very interesting. I especially liked the Tiffany lamp exhibit, the Asia Society Museum collaboration exhibit and the Oval Office exhibit. My favorite, though, was the Bill Graham exhibit. The music, provided by a device that the Museum provided was just great. It triggered songs as I proceeded thru the exhibit. The artwork (concert posters) and photos were awesome. Bill Graham was such a prolific concert promoter. The exhibit really details this and his great impact on the music world.

Excellent collection of NYC historical items. The Tiffany lamp collection blew me away; beautifully curated. So much character with each exhibit. The gift shop Is one of the best I’ve seen also with many hard to find items. All around fantastic place to spend the afternoon. Look forward to returning…

My new favorite museum in the city! I could (and will) come back here again and again, to continue reading every plaque. Such informative plaques, each containing a tiny but fascinating piece of info. The Tiffany lamp collection would have been worth the cost of admission all on its own.

6 to 8 pm pay as you wish on Fridays. I would say $22 dollars would be too much, but the Friday pay as you wish is reasonable and a donation per your choice makes this visit an absolutely worthy affair. I have to say, I was very surprised at the Tiffany lamp exhibit. To see them in person (I would say they had about 75-100 examples) is quite astonishing and they are very beautiful. Other interesting exhibits make an enjoyable visit.

Unexpectedly quite the surprise! Sitting just opposite the park, there is an amazing collection of Tiffany lamps held here. It is well layed out with some minimal reflections. Would go back and bring others to see. Head and shoulders above what is available anywhere else to see.

This is one of the best city museums I have ever visited. The ticket price is totally worth it.

I came here to see the Jewish deli exhibit I couldn't really enjoy it too much because they had multiple tour groups with a tour guide (I'm assuming from the museum) crowding up the exhibition. So I decided to check out the other parts of the museum it was very good and informative the best was the replica of the oval office. I also enjoyed the paintings I would go again but I would probably try to find out when they don't have any tour groups first

There are many reasons to visit the NY Historical Society. For one the extensive train exhibit in the lobby will keep kids of any age occupied till lunch. On the top (4) floor is an excellent permanent exhibit of Tiffany glass which is also worth the price of admission. I love to come to bask in the glory of NYC themed art and there is alway some to enjoy. There is also wonderful special exhibits and a cafe.

Great exhibits. Currently, J.C. Leyendecker who, in the first 30 or so years of the last century, did wonderful ads, often for men's wear, of beautiful men, who, when there were women in the picture, did not look at all interested in them! Other wonderful historical exhibits too.

the tiffany lamp show is 10/10! our docent also made the visiting experience more enriching as i learned many fun facts about US presidents. it also qualifies for bank of america “museum on us” so it’s good to get in for free. overall a hidden gem by the central park :)

Such a great experience! An interesting exhibit about NYC and it's history. Dynamic art and stories about New York I've never heard about which was fun and informative. Definitely check it out.

Located next to the Museum of Natural History, it's easy to travel to. I went the other day and enjoyed the experience. Navigating the space is easy and they usually have interesting exhibitions. There are four floors although a lot of the exhibits seem to be located on the first and second floors. The lower level contains a children's section. The photos I included are from the "Black Is Beautiful" and "I'll Have What She's Having: Jewish Delis" exhibits.