Forget the Met – New York's obscure museums are probably the quirkiest in the world
Ask anyone on the planet to name a museum in New York City, and they will likely rattle off all the usual suspects: the Met; the Museum of Modern Art; the Guggenheim. New York is home to some of the most famous museums in the world, full of awe-inspiring art and one-of-a-kind artefacts – and with constantly changing exhibitions, they’re great to return to again and again.
But some of the city’s most fascinating treasures aren’t exhibited at the most famous or talked-about institutions; they’re tucked away in offbeat museums on quiet side streets, filled with the sort of weird and wonderful curios that make this indecipherable place as unique as it is eccentric.
From a cabinet of curiosities in an old elevator shaft to a sex museum with an adult fairground, here are 10 of the most unusual museums to explore for a big authentic dose of NYC.
The City Reliquary
Located on Metropolitan Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, it would be easy to pass by the City Reliquary on your way to a trendy bar or restaurant and hardly even know it was there. But you shouldn’t. This small museum/civic organisation displays unique artefacts from all corners of NYC life – everything from pennants and spoons from the 1964 World’s Fair (held in Queens) to old Brooklyn seltzer bottles are featured in the small space. The Reliquary also hosts rotating exhibits from local collectors and community events like lectures and burlesque shows.
Admission $10/￡8
Mmuseumm
Founded by Alex Kalman and filmmakers the Safdie brothers – of Uncut Gems fame – the Mmuseumm is among the world’s tiniest: a dainty 60 square feet, housed within an old elevator shaft. The Mmuseumm curates ephemera focusing on the modern world, and manages to pack a surprising number of objects into such a small space, including cornflake taxonomy and bottles of air. It’s only open on the weekends, but if you can’t make it then, there are peepholes that allow you to see inside 24/7.
Free admission
Museum of Sex
The name might elicit some giggles, but the Museum of Sex is about so much more than the shock factor. Its permanent and rotating exhibits – like the popular “Porno Chic to Sex Positivity” – highlight the impact sex has had on history and society. But there’s plenty of fun to be had, too – the museum’s Super Funland exhibit is set up like an erotic carnival, where guests can have their fortune told (in titillating style, naturally) and jump around in a bouncy castle full of inflatable boobs – and really, where else can you do that?
Admission $36/￡28
National Museum of Mathematics
Can a museum make maths fun? Well, this one manages. Housed above Madison Square Park, the exhibits and interactive activities at National Museum of Mathmatics show how mathematical principles are at the foundations of so much that surrounds us in our everyday lives. Guests can create soundscapes, interact with robots and shoot a basketball, among other things – it’s great for children, and might even help convince the less enthusiastic mathematicians among them that numbers can be fun after all.
Admission $25/￡20
Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space
Probably the only museum located in a former squat house, MoRUS documents and commemorates the efforts of activists in the Lower East Side who, since the 1970s, have worked to turn vacant lots and abandoned buildings in the area into spaces including gardens and community centres. The museum also hosts a Radical History Walking Tour of the neighbourhood on weekends, and has a selection of zines and books for sale.
Free admission, suggested donation $5/￡4
New York City Fire Museum
A museum for anyone who dreamed of being a fireman when they grew up. The NYCFM, located in a renovated firehouse from the early 20th century, walks you through the history of firefighting in NYC, with vintage fire apparatuses on show, including a 1901 horse-drawn steam engine and 1921 gas-powered pumper, as well as tools and uniforms.
Admission $15/￡12
New York Transit Museum
Venture down into this decommissioned subway station in Brooklyn, and find a beautifully put-together monument to the history of New York’s famous subway. Exhibits explain how the subways were built (though claustrophobics may want to skip this part) and follow the evolution of fare collection, but the real treat comes on the lower level, where several vintage train cars, complete with era-appropriate advertisements and maps, make for a one-of-a-kind photo opportunity.
Admission $10/￡8
Coney Island Museum
It’s hard to think of a more offbeat place than Coney Island, NYC’s beach and amusement park strip – and the Coney Island Museum helps bring its history to life through exhibits showing old signs, postcards and shooting gallery targets from its days as a much-loved holiday spot. The museum is located on the first floor of a building on Surf Avenue, right above the Freak Bar, which offers vintage arcade games, pop-up exhibitions and, of course, good beer.
Admission $5/￡4
Poster House
Whether they’re plastered on teenage bedroom walls or high-street billboards, posters have long been some of the finest – most underrated, most nostalgia-inducing – chroniclers of history. This museum’s exhibits look at them as both historical documents and methods of communication, whether focusing on the movie industry, art deco adverts, or warnings about the impending environmental crisis over the past few decades. There are virtual lectures and kids’ programmes, too, so it’s worth consulting the website to see what’s on during your visit.
Admission $12/￡9; free admission Fridays
The Skyscraper Museum
The Empire State Building. The Chrysler Building. The World Trade Center. New York and skyscrapers are inextricably linked, and the Skyscraper Museum – filled with fascinating insights into their history, the evolution of the city’s skyline, plus models, photos and timelines – is a glass-and-steel love letter to them all.
Free admission
Essentials
TAP, JetBlue and Icelandair fly from London to New York from ￡347 return.
Bryant Park Hotel (001 212-869-0100) has queen rooms from ￡233 per night. Moxy NYC East Village (001 212-288-6699) has doubles from ￡195 per night. Mint House at 70 Pine (001 855-972-9090) has queen rooms from ￡183 per night