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New-York Historical Society

170 Central Park West, New York City, NY 10024 (Manhattan)
212-873-3400
Website
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Ranked #113 of 717 attractions in New York City
Type: Museums, History Museums
Activities: Group tours/walking tour
Owner description: Give us 90 minutes and we'll show you New York like you've never seen it! You know the city -- now hear the stories. Witness New York's rise from... more » Owner description: Give us 90 minutes and we'll show you New York like you've never seen it! You know the city -- now hear the stories. Witness New York's rise from remote outpost to city at the center of the world in our 18-minute panoramic film experience, "New York Story," in surround-sound on a 75-foot screen. Then travel through time in visionary exhibitions that show why this city has always captivated hearts and minds.Located across the street from Central Park, we offer visitors a complete one-of-a-kind experience featuring New York's history and art. We celebrate the city's uniqueness and resilience in interactive exhibitions spanning over 400 years from Dutch settlements to the American Revolution, the Civil War and 9/11. Our groundbreaking special exhibitions pair art and history to reveal the beauty and complexity of bygone eras. History will break free from the textbooks and jump into your life!On view through May 27, 2013: WWII & NYC reveals how the city contributed to the Allies' victory in World War II, and recounts the moving stories of how New Yorkers confronted the challenges of total war. « less
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124 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
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    37
    10
    4
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Date Rating
Vannes
Top Contributor
192 reviews 192 reviews
26 attraction reviews
Reviews in 59 cities Reviews in 59 cities
240 helpful votes 240 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 May 2013 NEW

The Audubon's collection is here and they offer it on different ways and always interesting. Their special exhibits are often terrific and the one of this year on NY during WW2 is exceptionnal. We learn a lot and didn't remember that some UBoat come till NY coast...

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See 29 more reviews by Monpetit for New York City
minnetonka. minnesota
Top Contributor
87 reviews 87 reviews
27 attraction reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
93 helpful votes 93 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 May 2013 NEW

In a city with several of the finest museums in the world, this one is often overlooked. The cab driver taking us here, a history buff, had never been inside. The more people we spoke to, the more ignored this place seemed to be. We came for the Audubon exhibit (sensational) and stayed for hours, going from exhibit to exhibit.... More

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See 17 more reviews by zadkine for New York City
Brooklyn, New York
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
6 attraction reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 May 2013

The New York Historical Society at West 77th St. and Central Park west is across the street from The Museum of Natural History.It is a small museum with wonderful information about New York history going back to the Dutch. An added attraction are the wonderful Audubon paintings of birds which every bird lover will want to see. Storico, the delicious... More

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See 7 more reviews by hjbrooklyn for New York City
Denver, Colorado
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
3 attraction reviews
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 30 April 2013

Breathtaking! Audio of bird calls a very nice accompaniment! Liked it and I hope this is fifty characters, I'm not very chatty tonite

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See 4 more reviews by woodstock91 for New York City
Long Island
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
10 attraction reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 April 2013

Great museum to visit that is overshadowed by the much larger American Museum of Natural History next door. The facilities are beautiful after its recent renovation. There is even a little iPhone app that has some introductory videos - helpful but somewhat limited. Also, don't forget to pick up the free audio guides that accompany some of the exhibits. They... More

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See 2 more reviews by daninny for New York City
Snohomish, Washington
Senior Contributor
25 reviews 25 reviews
9 attraction reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 April 2013

I had no idea upon entering this museum how many incredible artifacts this place houses. There were many floors of a variety of things all divided by categories such as "furniture" and even "toys." Even my seven year old child was fascinated with the collections at this friendly and enjoyable museum. It was a refreshing change having just gone to... More

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See 10 more reviews by Kristen M for New York City
Nashville, Tennessee
Top Contributor
61 reviews 61 reviews
14 attraction reviews
Reviews in 45 cities Reviews in 45 cities
98 helpful votes 98 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 April 2013

I don't even know where to start. I'm a huge art fan and of Audubon in particular. His widow Lucy Bakewell sold his original watercolor studies for epic masterpiece 'Birds of New York' to NYHS back in 1863 and they're showing them all in series from 2013-2015 every spring. If you're any sort of naturalist art fan, do whatever you... More

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See 2 more reviews by DivemistressofthDark for New York City
New York City, New York
Top Contributor
82 reviews 82 reviews
16 attraction reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 14 April 2013

This museum has been re-done in appearance and programming. Its beautiful. Check out free events on Friday nights, their ongoing exhibit of Audubon prints, and their permanent collection of Tiffany lamps.

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See 61 more reviews by Janet D for New York City
Rochester MN
Senior Contributor
33 reviews 33 reviews
7 attraction reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 14 April 2013

We planned a trip to NYC specifically to see the Audubon watercolors -- checked and double checked the dates on their website, and when we got to the museum, the Audubon exhibit was closed for a "special event". This was on Friday, April 12 -- they said it would re-open at 3:30 the next day. Fortunately, our flight home was... More

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See 2 more reviews by bookerRochesterMN for New York City
California
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
13 attraction reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
29 helpful votes 29 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 April 2013

Very informative and interesting. The introductory film was very good, and the exhibits were well presented. It covered the Civil War, World War II and the Cold War as well as the founding of New York. Our 11 year-old who loves history found it gripping, but may not be interesting for all kids. The adjacent cafe was expensive, so we... More

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See 11 more reviews by pickyhotelguy for New York City

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