The southern tip of Manhattan is famed for several things—the Financial District, City Hall and other government buildings, the Brooklyn Bridge—but it’s never ranked high on the list of culture vultures. A pity, because within the winding canyons of Wall Street are several intimate but intriguing museums. Their missions are targeted and, like any boutique’s, their collections are specialized. But they are welcoming to any visitor, aficionado or novice, with a free hour or two.
Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
36 Battery Pl., 646-437-4200, www.mjhnyc.org
As the name implies, this museum is dedicated to maintaining what’s arguably the central defining experience for Jews in the 20th century: Its Core Exhibition, housed in a six-sided building—symbolic of the six points of the Star of David—uses artifacts, photos, and films to explore life before, during, and after World War II. The institution also explores modern and contemporary Jewish (and Jewish-themed) life and culture through its temporary exhibits and a rich calendar of talks, readings, screenings and tastings.
South Street Seaport Museum
12 Fulton St., 212-748-8600, www.southstreetseaportmuseum.org
Not so much a single museum as a collection of historic structures on the edge of the East River, where New York City’s life began some 400 years ago, and flourished as a port throughout the 1800s. As befits the location, much is devoted to maritime doings: from exhibits relating to the shipping industry and the bustling waterfront in the lobby of Schermerhorn Row ( a cluster of combined storefronts) to the six historic ships of Pier 16, which you can actually board and explore. One of them, an 1885 schooner, goes out on spins around the harbor, May-October.
Fraunces Tavern Museum
54 Pearl St., 212-425-1778, www.frauncestavern.com
It’s set in one of the oldest buildings in NYC, dating back to the early 18th century, but there’s nothing stuffy about this tavern-turned-museum, where you can party like it’s 1799, thanks to a pub/restaurant on the ground floor. The galleries include a recreation of the room where Washington held a farewell fete for his army officers (the FTM’s main claim to fame); permanent displays of Washingtonian memorabilia and colonial art and artifacts; and changing exhibits relating to Colonial America, the American Revolution, and the early Republic.
Museum of American Finance
48 Wall St., 212-908-4110, www.moaf.org
Even if you’re no numbers cruncher, you’ll find that finances can be fascinating when examined through the interactive exhibits of this institution, housed within the neo-Classical, chandeliered confines of a historic bank located literally on Wall Street (well, what better place to study money?). There are always displays on the development and workings of the U.S. financial system and its founder, Alexander Hamilton, along with special exhibits on monetary themes and schemes; the museum also hosts walking tours of the Financial District.
Museum of Chinese in America
215 Centre St., 212-619-4785, www.mocanyc.org
Through a series of intimate rooms arranged around a central atrium—resembling an urban version of a traditional Chinese courtyard—MOCA chronicles the experiences of Chinese immigrants to the U.S. and their Chinese-American descendants. It’s part history museum, part art gallery: Along with a long-term exhibit, the narrative chronicle With a Single Step: Stories in the Making of America, it usually has at least one additional show, often focusing on a contemporary artist or artists.
Skyscraper Museum
39 Battery Pl., 212-968-1961, www.skyscraper.org
An intimate site, with polished stainless-steel floors and ceilings that are mirrored to give an illusion of height—and to reflect into infinity its displays devoted to the art and architectural science of the high-rise. Don’t miss the permanent installation: a wood-block panorama of Lower and Midtown Manhattan, composed of hand-carved, detailed, tiny structures (including a 4.7-inch Empire State Building)—the very model of a mini major metropolis.
National Museum of the American Indian
One Bowling Green, 212-514-3700, nmai.si.edu/visit/newyork
Long before Europeans landed here, New York was a place of gathering and exchange among Native American tribes. So it’s appropriate that this branch of the Smithsonian be housed in the old HQ for the collection of customs duties and taxes. Within the opulent, Beaux-Arts space within the historic Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, are exhibits and events exploring the culture, lives and history of a variety of Indian tribes from all over the U.S.. Be sure to check out the gallery store, with a store of items ranging from Native American handcrafted jewelry—both traditional and modern—to toys to foods.
New Museum
235 Bowery, 212-219-1222, www.newmuseum.org
Rising above the Lower East Side in a huge stack of white mesh building blocks, the New Museum is devoted entirely to contemporary art and living artists. That means a lot of edgy, multi-media and performance art installations, reached via vibrantly lime green-colored elevators. There’s also a subterranean theatre for concerts and a café that, in keeping with the institutional theme, serves artisanal treats made by local, up-and-coming “food entrepreneurs.”
