History Museums in New York City
THE 10 BEST New York City History Museums
History Museums in New York City
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Types of Attractions
Museums
Awards
Travellers' Choice Awards winners (including the "Best of the Best" title) are among the top 10% of listings on Tripadvisor, according to the reviews and opinions of travellers across the globe.
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42 results sorted by traveller favourites
- Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, number of page views, and user location.
Speciality Museums • Science Museums
NoMad
Recommended Museum Tickets and Passes (35)
Revenue impacts these recommendations, learn more.
Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
Ellis Island
Military Museums • Speciality Museums
Midtown
Game & Entertainment Centres • History Museums
Speciality & Gift Shops • Speciality Museums
Upper West Side
Historic Walking Areas • History Museums
Financial District
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Open now
Speciality Museums • History Museums
Battery Park City
Historic Sites • Architectural Buildings
Financial District
Historic Sites • History Museums
Gramercy-Flatiron
Architectural Buildings • History Museums
Financial District
Science Museums • History Museums
Greenwich Village
Speciality Museums • Art Museums
Midtown East
Historic Sites • History Museums
Upper East Side
Speciality Museums • History Museums
Murray Hill
Speciality Museums • History Museums
Battery Park City
Art Museums • History Museums
Harlem
Speciality Museums • History Museums
Lincoln Square
History Museums
Gramercy Park
Speciality Museums • Art Museums
Chelsea
Showing results 1-30 of 42
What travellers are saying
- Potomac_11Potomac, MD545 contributionsPerched on a hilltop in northern Manhattan, overlooking the Hudson River, the Cloisters is calm oasis of peace, quiet, and medieval art, architecture, and gardening. This was our third visit - it is a beautiful place.Written 17 March 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Liz S1 contributionSO FUN! The staff were very friendly and made us laugh a few times, and we loved the interactive part! We won a few prizes from some funny gamesWritten 21 March 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Karen FairweatherSwansea, UK502 contributionsWe came to Ellis Island as part of a
visit to liberty island. We learnt a lot about the island from listening to the
audio tour as we walked around. The rooms in the building were very hot, which spoilt the tour as some rooms we had to skip due to the temperature in them being unbearable which was a shame!Written 20 March 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Ashely FangNew York City, NY366 contributionsWhile tickets are a bit pricey, the overall experience was super fun. The SPYSCAPE museum offers some games you can do at home in advance of the visit, and the Batman experience has a section to play in advance of your visit and hours more of playtime for after your visit. The games may be a bit frustrating for younger children, but all-in-all it was fun to challenge myself to do well and to beat my friend. I would definitely be open to visiting again. I advise against getting VIP tickets - they are expensive and unless you want the nice baseball hat that comes with it. The bracelet that comes with VIP tickets is not worth the money.Written 15 August 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- karenligYasuni National Park, Ecuador19 contributionsMy friend was visiting the 9/11 Memorial and I couldn’t bring myself to visit. Decided to start the morning here. Starts out with a great movie and then you move through the exhibits until you end with the main attraction. They did not tell us that we could take our time to view the exhibits so I rushed through thinking that I had to be at the movie at a certain time. The exhibits were wonderful and wish I would’ve spent more time there. At the end the staff said they must’ve forgotten to tell us we could hav taken time with the exhibits. Definitely a fun thing for anyone to do for an overview of NYC. An amazing movie both in the beginning and the end. Even more of a bonus since it was Broadway week and the tickets were half-price.Written 23 January 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- NoraatcSudbury, MA41,287 contributionsI was very interested to visit the Merchant’s House after reading Edward Rutherfurd’s book “New York”. Visiting this typical 19th century house of a wealthy family of New York traders, the Tredwells, was like a short trip back in time… The of the furniture is mostly original, the rooms are furnished exactly as at the time of the original owners and their Irish servants… the house tells you the story and you become part of it.
The curators of this wonderful small museum are so knowledgeable, welcoming and are ready to answer any questions.
There are four floors and the stairs are rather steep, but that’s how it was in the old days…Written 10 March 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - toslJersey City, NJ1,007 contributionsGreat rotating exhibits and a new permanent display on the Presidents. There is a lot to see but this museum is next door to the Museum of Natural History and Central Park so it is often overlooked. Great for research and a good store.Written 9 August 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Thomas VOakland, CA19,472 contributionsMany, many years ago this area was the Fulton Fish Market, and my family came here on a tourist vacation. Since then, it has been redeveloped into a big tourist area with restaurants, bars, and a port theme. Some good food here, sone kitsch.Written 4 September 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- CarolusvLThe Hague, The Netherlands212 contributionsThe exhibitions are impressive. Due to school trips, I started at the Danish exhibit, which was a great suggestion. As a European, much of the information was familiar, but it’s still a powerful experience.Written 20 January 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Bob FoutsWheaton, IL18 contributionsVery nice place, the food was ok, we might have made better choices, drinks great! The museum upstairs is very much worth the 10 bucks if you are into history, we thought it was a bargain for how good it was. Nice Jazz quartet on Sunday afternoon.Written 30 May 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- AverageJoe55Atlanta, GA718 contributionsWe did a free tour with Jessie. He did a great job of bringing the home to life and sharing the history of one of our most accomplished presidents. Well worth the time to stop in. The museum portion is rather small but the tour is what makes the difference. It is also very near Gramercy Park.Written 20 February 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Thomas VOakland, CA19,472 contributionsBuild sort of like a fortress, maybe a castle of money. Lots of power in this grand building that we stumbled upon while walking from Wall Street to City Hall.Written 1 January 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- marissa vPhiladelphia, PA157 contributionsI was looking for something different to do with my young adult boys during a meet up in NYC and thought we would try The Museum of Interesting Things! It turned out to be less of a typical "museum" and more of an authentic NYC experience! I easily connected via email with the amazing host and historian extraordinaire, Denny and secured an appointment time. Upon entering, I knew we were in for a special treat. Denny presented us with many different objects from the 19th and 20th centuries, many related to film, sound and photography accompanied by the historical background and a chance to try out the objects ourselves! Denny is knowledgeable and personable, with a delightfully quirky sense of humor. If you are interested in going back in time, or a nostalgic trip down memory lane, don't miss this! My only regret is that we didn't have enough time to go through each item in his apartment! I saw some gems hiding in there!Written 23 August 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- JemlnlxBronx, NY5,717 contributionsRecently visited the Museum's Holiday Display (2023).
Although you need to make reservations online at all times, entrance to the display is free before a certain date in mid-November and $5 per person after that date.
I visited on a Friday evening at around 6pm and it wasn't crowded.
The display itself was quite impressive with lots of fine details only true New Yorkers would notice and appreciate. There are a few running trains throughout the display.
There are lots of MTA-related items to purchase both in the display area and the main store area.
It is something nice to do in the area to kill a few minutes. Don't plan on spending longer than 5-10 minutes maximum there. Luckily there are lots of shops in Grand Central, including the Holiday Fair, and it is a major transportation hub...so lots of other reasons to be there.
I'm not sure the $5 admission fee is justified for what it actually is...maybe more like $2-3 would be more appropriate.Written 22 November 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Fran727Long Beach, NY2,061 contributionsI went to Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden on Smithsonian Museum Day. (If you are unfamiliar with Smithsonian Museum Day, it is an annual event in September when certain museums are free, using a ticket printed from the Smithsonian website.)
This hotel museum was built as a carriage house in 1799 and converted to a hotel in 1826. And it’s amazing that Mount Vernon Hotel is still standing among the tall buildings in Manhattan! Because I visited on Museum Day, guided tours weren’t offered, but there were knowledgeable docents in every room to answer questions and talk about the history of this “Day Hotel.”Written 28 September 2018This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
