Past, Present and Future in the Museum of the City of New York

In New York only one museum is solely dedicated to examining the past, the present, and future of the city: The Museum of the City of New York. If you're visiting the city, this is the place to go to get an overview of the most populated city in the United States -- eight million people inside the city and nineteen million in the metropolitan area. Here, at 1220 Fifth Avenue, at 103rd Street, for a suggested admission price of nine dollars, you'll be able to see photographs and prints, costumes, maps, dioramas and memorabilia that sketch out the history of New York City from its start as a small Dutch colony in the 16th Century to its status as one of the greatest cities on the Earth.

Included among the permanent exhibits, you'll find a recreation of John D. Rockefeller's master bedroom and dressing room, and an area featuring "Broadway!", a history of the theater in New York.

Children will enjoy a showcase of toys and dolls called "New York Toy Stories." These playthings were once cherished by New York children over the centuries, still available for view long after their owners have grown to adulthood and left their toys to their own children, and the children after them.

An exhibit known as "Painting the Town: Cityscapes of New York" will show visitors how the city's skyline has profoundly changed from 1809 to 1997.

Last year, in the changing exhibits, the museum featured "Amsterdam/New Amsterdam: The Worlds of Henry Hudson," and "Valentina: American Couture and the Cult of Celebrity."

In past years, the museum featured issues and events that brought definition to New York City, topics such as how to increase the city's sustainability by 2030, New York's emergence from the shadow of Paris, taking center-stage in design, fashion and the arts, hip hop and its influence on fashion, Robert Moses and how the metropolis transformed in the middle of the twentieth century; and how immigrants created affordable housing for themselves in the early part of the twentieth century.

Look out for public programs at the museum, too, which have brought in a number of interesting guests, such as Ken Auletta, David Gonzalez, Robert Caro, Tim Gunn, Russell Shorto, and Robert A.M. Stern. Politicians have spoken here as well, including Mayor Edward Koch, Congressman Charles Rangel, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, former Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff, and others. During weeknights, you can find audiences listening to architects and photographers, urban planners, and even Broadway stage stars out to talk about their projects and entertain with song and dance.

The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays, from ten in the morning to five in the afternoon. And while there is a nine dollar admission charge for adults and a five dollars charge to seniors, students and children, on Sundays the museum is free to everyone.

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