6 best under-the-radar museums in New York City
Photo credit: The New York Historical
The Met, the MoMA, the Guggenheim. The hallowed halls of these New York City institutions house some of the world’s most renowned works of art. But what if you’re really into posters? Or have a specific love for paintings of dogs? Well, there’s a place for everyone in this great city! Here are six niche museums to spend an afternoon.
The AKC Museum of the Dog
Dog lovers, perk up your ears! The American Kennel Club opened the Museum of the Dog in 2019 at the AKC headquarters near Grand Central. Inside, you’ll find classical and contemporary art honoring man’s best friend and interactive exhibits that are fun for kids and adult canine enthusiasts. Plus, dogs are invited to join in on Fridays; there are also “reactive” hours for dogs who don’t do well around their peers.
Visit if: “You want to discover one of New York City’s most delightfully unexpected cultural gems; a museum where world-class art, history and the joy of dogs collide. Whether you’re a devoted dog lover or simply looking for something uniquely New York, the Museum offers an experience that is playful, beautiful, surprisingly moving.” – Executive Director, Christopher E. Bromson
101 Park Avenue, Manhattan
Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.
Brooklyn Seltzer Museum
Fizzy water fanatic? There’s a museum for that. The family-owned Brooklyn Seltzer Museum and factory gives visitors a peek into the science and history of the carbonated refreshment. In March, the museum hosts an annual SeltzerFest at Industry City with an egg cream invitational, won this year by Staten Island’s Egger’s Ice Cream Parlor.
Visit if: “You want a quirky, touching, unique deep-dive into Brooklyn history and one family’s four-generation quest to promote the effervescent story of seltzer water.” – Curator, Barry Joseph
474 Hemlock St., Brooklyn
Hours: Check website for tour availability
Poster House
Posters are not just something we tacked onto our walls in high school. They hold artistic, cultural, and historical significance. That’s what the first museum in the United States dedicated to the medium wants to show people. Current exhibitions at Poster House include “Act Black: Posters from Black American Stage & Screen,” “Love & Fury: New York’s Fight Against AIDS” and “Reading Under Fire: Arming Minds & Hearts During Wartime.”
Visit if: “You’re curious about how posters have historically influenced the world around us.. Our exhibitions explore everything from political propaganda and protest movements to film, travel, music, and advertising, showing how graphic design influences the way people think, communicate, and experience culture.” – Board President, Valerie Crosswhite
119 West 23rd Street, Manhattan
Hours: Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
The Skyscraper Museum
If you’re constantly looking up and wondering, The Skyscraper Museum can answer the questions you have while gazing at New York’s skyline. Since 1996, the museum has been dedicated to the architecture, science, and history behind these tall buildings. The permanent collection features a large mural and miniature replicas of the city’s iconic buildings; the current exhibition is “The Invention of Park Avenue.”
Visit if: “You like big buildings and cities and are curious about how architects, engineers and builders have designed within a complex system of economics, technologies, zoning and public review to create the world’s most spectacular skyscrapers and skylines.” – Head of Programs & Operations, Daniel J. Borrero
39 Battery Place, Manhattan
Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 12 p.m.- 6 p.m.
The New York Historical
This museum is dedicated to both the history of the Big Apple and the United States. This year, catch art exhibits for America’s 250th, a Picasso masterpiece, and paintings highlighting the fair city. The jewel of the museum is the Tiffany lamp gallery of 100 illuminated Tiffany lamps. “Regarded as one of the world’s largest and most encyclopedic, the Museum’s Tiffany Lamp collection includes multiple examples of the Dragonfly shade, a unique Dogwood floor lamp (ca. 1900–06), a Wisteria table lamp (ca. 1901), and a rare, elaborate Cobweb shade on a Narcissus mosaic base (ca. 1902), among many others,” the site describes.
Visit if: You love art, American history, and, of course, the city of New York (and the beauty of a Tiffany lamp).
170 Central Park West at 77th Street, Manhattan
Hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Waterfront Museum
Step on a barge in Red Hook to immerse yourself in the seafaring history of New York City. The museum is located on the 1914 Lehigh Valley Barge #79, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. “Many of the items in our collections are the remnants of maritime businesses in Red Hook…In addition to collecting and preserving artifacts and archival materials relating to lighterage and showboats, the Waterfront Museum has launched projects to collect oral histories from longshoremen who worked break bulk during the end of the transition to containerization,” the site explains. The barge is also available for private events and for school trips.
Visit if: “You want … a front row seat to the New York Harbor — a place where maritime history, live performance, art exhibitions, waterfront views, and community come together in one unforgettable setting. Whether you’re interested in history, architecture, theater, music, boats, photography, or simply finding a peaceful and inspiring place by the harbor, the barge offers something unlike anywhere else in the city. Visitors of all ages can explore a rare piece of working waterfront history while enjoying free and low-cost cultural programs.” – Executive Director, David Sharps
290 Conover St., Brooklyn
Hours: Thursdays, 4 p.m.-8 p.m.; Saturdays, 1 p.m.- 5 p.m.
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