At the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY), located on Museum Mile between 103rd and 104th Streets, families can design their own “laissez-faire” day at the museum. With its spacious rooms and colorful walls, the museum feels both sophisticated and fun. It houses a wide variety of historical and cultural artifacts that tell stories of New York City’s past, present, and future, from Gilded Age-era Tiffany & Co. jewelry in the “Gilded New York” exhibit to photos of legendary hip-hop artists like Salt-N-Pepa in the “Hip-Hop Revolution” exhibition. The relatively contemporary collections will appeal to kids, making the museum ideal for a family afternoon. So, for your next trip to Museum Mile, here are five things to do right now at the Museum City of New York.
“Hip-Hop Revolution: Photographs By Janette Beckman, Joe Conzo, and Martha Cooper”
Visit the “Hip Hop Revolution” exhibit to see images by iconic NYC photographers Janette Beckman, Joe Conzo, and Martha Cooper that capture the history of hip-hop on the streets of New York 1970s to the 1990s. These vivid photographs of hip-hop artists and dancers showcase the era’s youth culture. In conjunction with the exhibit, kids can create their own graffiti mash-up inspired by Janette Beckman’s collaborations with graffiti artists, who layered drawings and words on top of her photographs. Be sure to check out this dynamic exhibition before it wraps up on September 13.
“Folk City: New York and the Folk Music Revival”
This highly-anticipated exhibition, which opened in mid-June, focuses on New York’s folk scene during the late 1950s and early 1960s. While the genre’s origins may be rural, the music made its way to New York and into the coffee shops of Greenwich Village during this period. Kids–as well as adults –will enjoy putting on the headphones stationed throughout the exhibit and discovering the original lyrics of artists like Bob Dylan. At a special workshop on Saturday, August 8, kids can create their own stringed instruments from foam and rubber bands and take them home to perform folk songs for their family. “Folk City” will be open through January 10, 2016.
Chet the Architect Scavenger Hunt
Put a fun twist on a family day at the MCNY by participating in one of their family-friendly scavenger hunts. At the security desk in the lobby, ask for a guide to the Chet the Architect scavenger hunt. This hunt may include architecturally-focused activities like counting the number of columns dispersed throughout the museum, or tracing the shapes of certain artifacts. Families will enjoy exploring the beautiful architecture of MCNY while also discovering the different exhibits as they work together to complete the hunt. There is also a family scavenger hunt available in conjunction with the “Activist New York” Exhibit.
Both adults and kids can learn about the people and events that shaped the history of the city through advocacy in the popular exhibition “Activist New York.” Pick up an Activist New York Exploration Guide to supplement your walk through the rich collection of photographs, audio, and video. Families can explore the long history of social activism of New York, from when the first enslaved Africans were brought to New Amsterdam in the 1600s. After exploring the exhibit, kids can make their own activist buttons in support of causes they believe in.
Activist New York Family Book Club
This coming fall, parents and children in grades 3-5 can participate in a book club associated with the “Activist New York” exhibition. Stories will cover topics such as abolition, women’s suffrage, immigration, and civil rights, and will engage families in meaningful conversations on these topics during the 90-minute sessions. During book club meetings on select Tuesdays at the museum, the families can discuss what they learned and partake in a related art-activity. Families can learn more about book club at the Museum’s Book Club Open House on Tuesday, October 6 at 5pm, which will include a curated tour of Activist New York and a preview of the books. To learn more and register for the Book Club Open House, click here.
To learn more about the Museum of the City of New York, visit mcny.org.
