This holiday season my friends and clients were constantly asking for museum recommendations. New York is of course one of the most artistically inclined cities in the world but, sometimes, parents are looking for something a little more intriguing than the popular cultural mainstays. To help, I have a few off-the-beaten-path museums for you to discover with your kids. You may have heard of some of them, others perhaps not at all, but believe me, you will discover these institutions to be unique gems on the culture scene of New York.
Mount Vernon Hotel Museum. This hidden gem amongst its neighboring skyscrapers should be the first stop on your cultural quest. You will step into history the minute you spot its white wooden facade that harks back to the 19th century. Built in 1799 as the carriage house for a well-known New York City family estate (John Adam’s daughter Abigail lived there), Mount Vernon was converted into a day hotel in 1826 and was in operation during the 1820s and 30s. It now functions as a museum where kids can experience what a 19th century hotel was like. From the gentlemen’s tavern and game room on the first floor to the kitchen, ladies’ parlor, tea room, and bedroom on the second floor, children will get a true feel for how a day inn functioned in the distant past. And the staff is willing to entertain with historical objects such as a bedwarming pan and porcelain tea cups that kids can touch. Don’t miss their charming events like story-time, tea time, and even seasonal holiday concerts and events. 421 East 61st Street, mvhm.org
National Museum of the American Indian. This is one of my favorite museums in New York and the last time I checked, most people I know haven’t visited before. It’s a part of the Smithsonian institution and serves as a satellite branch to the main museum in D.C. Located in the historic Alexander Hamilton Custom House, the museum is part of a magnificent Beaux Arts building completed in 1907. The interior offers impressive painted ceilings and murals by some of the best known early 20th century artists such as Reginald Marsch and Daniel Chester French. In addition to the rotating permanent collections, the museum also offers wonderful temporary exhibitions. One of the most engaging exhibits is an exploration room where kids can touch such artifacts like a real buffalo hide and a baby rattle made with deer toes. Two long-terms exhibits to check out at the museum now include “Infinity of Nations,” showcasing a great variety of items from Eastern tribes such as the Mohawk of the Northern Inuit people, and “The Circle of Dance,” an exhibit presenting multiple dance forms through artifacts and the use of modern technology. Check the website for special presentations, films, and events. One Bowling Green, nmai.si.edu/visit/newyork
National Academy of Art. The National Academy of Art has been a part of our city since 1825 as an organization whose member artists, sculptors, and architects select and give their work to the museum directly. The museum is housed in a historic Hutchinson mansion and presents a variety of exhibits that dig deep into a collection of art dating from the early 19th century to contemporary times. The entrance and lobby of the museum were recently renovated. The latest exhibit scheduled to run January 31 to May 5 is titled “Seismic Shifts: Ten Visionaries in Contemporary Art and Architecture,” and will feature major contemporary artists such as Bill Viola, Vic Muniz, and Nick Cave. Kids will find such artists’ works to be worth a visit. 1083 Fifth Avenue, nationalacademy.org/museum
Rubin Museum. The Rubin Museum was founded by Donald and Shelley Rubin to house and promote art from the Himalayan regions. In my opinion, it’s really one of the best teaching museums in the city because it encourages an understanding of Buddhist art from a very approachable perspective. The museum’s five floors display both works from the permanent collection—such as the Dancing Red Ganapti or the Tibetan Shrine room for the ultimate immersion experience of Buddhism—as well as temporary traveling exhibits from other museums. In fact, The Rubin is considered the most significant Western museum to feature Himalayan works. You can’t find many of these works of art anywhere else outside of their native sacred temples and collections. Current exhibits include “Gateway to Himalayan Art” and “Modernist Art from India” (until April 29). Additionally, the museum offers family programs like art activities and Friday nights are for mingling with friends and exploring art works. I love both the downstairs café which boasts delicious Himalayan cuisine and a shop where many unique original works by artists from India and other regions are available for purchase. 150 West 17th Street, rmanyc.org
China Institute. China Institute is located in a townhouse on 65th Street and has the intimacy of a small establishment that manages to present unique art exhibitions mostly imported from museums and archeological sites in China that you wouldn’t normally see anywhere else outside of the country. The institute also offers cultural events and Mandarin language classes for kids and adults. It’s a very easy place to visit as the whole museum encompasses only two rooms so you can be in and out of the galleries in a half hour and find it very manageable. “Dunhuang: Buddhist art at the gateway of the Silk Road” (April 4-July 21) is the next upcoming exhibit at the museum and will feature diverse excavated objects, banners, and wooden sculptures. 125 East 65th Street, chinainstitute.org
Merchant’s House Museum. I took my oldest daughter here a few years back and she and a friend found this museum to be a real time-travel kind of place. Once you step inside the house, you feel like you’re stepping back in time into the home of a wealthy merchant. You almost wait for the merchant and his wife to walk out and greet you at any moment. The museum was built as a private residence in 1832 and was occupied by the Tredwell family for 100 years until it was converted into a museum by a relative. Some say there are still ghosts of the Irish maids who served the family and it does have a wonderfully authentic air of a bygone time. Slightly older kids, 8 years and up, will find this museum mysterious and fascinating. 29 East 4th Street, merchantshouse.org
Fraunces Tavern Museum. I discovered Fraunces Tavern years ago as one of the very few places that have been around since the American Revolution. Built in 1719 for the merchant Steven Delancey, it became a tavern in 1762 and served as an important political gathering place during the Revolutionary War. “With a heart full of love and gratitude I now take leave of you. I most devoutly wish that your latter days may be as prosperous and happy as your former ones have been glorious and honorable.” These words were uttered on December 4, 1783, by George Washington in the farewell speech to his officers that he delivered in the Long Room at Fraunces Tavern before setting on his trip back to Mount Vernon. Middle school-age kids will find this remnant of American history to be an exciting place to visit and know that they’re standing in the same rooms frequented by the first President of the Unites States. Though the building has undergone several reconstructions, the exterior certainly retains the facade of an 18th century building dwarfed by the neighboring skyscrapers. The collection has been lovingly gathered to represent furniture and objects from the Revolutionary period. (Plus, the Tavern part still stands true as there’s a restaurant located on the premises.) 54 Pearl Street, frauncestavernmuseum.org
Tenement Museum. I first visited this museum with my son’s fourth grade class some years ago and was quickly convinced that the Tenement museum is a necessary stop for anyone interested in learning about New York history in all of its glamor as well as grit. And this museum truly convinces its visitors of the hardships faced by so many immigrants who lived, worked, and crowded together in tight quarters of the Lower East Side tenement buildings. A museum visit is accompanied by a guided tour where museum staff members tell stories about particular families, truly bringing the experience to life. Kids will walk out of the museum awed by the drastically different lifestyle led by families surviving their first part of the immigration journey. And they will also, most likely, be in great need of some pickles and other goodies still to be found in the nearby stores of the Lower East Side! 103 Orchard Street, tenement.org
Natasha Schlesinger is an NYC mother of three. She is the founder of Artmuse, which offers interactive art tours to both kids and adults, and the co-founder of ArtXplorers, a multimedia arts website for kids.
