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MuseumList

Tenement Museum

SkipLower East Side, Manhattan

Historic-house museum on steroids. I’ve been on literally every single tour. Avoid: complete waste of time.

What it is

1863 preserved tenement building brings Lower East Side immigrant stories to life with guided tours.

Pair it with

Worth a detour or better, within a 15-minute walk. Numbers match the map.

  1. 1Museum at Eldridge St0.2 mi · Free

    European-style 1800s synagogue in NYC, who knew.

  2. 2Museum of Street Art0.2 mi · Free

    Take the elevator to the 20th floor of a hotel and walk down 20 flights; the stairwell is the museum.

  3. 3International Center of Photography0.4 mi · $18

    Massive space, tons of interesting photos.

  4. 4Museum of Chinese in America0.5 mi · Free

    Solid permanent exhibit on Chinese immigration to America.

  5. 5Grey Art Museum0.6 mi · Free

    Fantastic and shockingly large modern art collection for a museum no one’s heard of.

  6. 6Drawing Center0.7 mi · Free

    Large collection of drawings, all modern.

Also on the block, if you have time

Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue & Museum (0.1 mi, free), Judd Foundation (0.2 mi), Milton Resnick and Pat Passlof Foundation (0.2 mi, free), New Museum (0.3 mi), Daredevil Tattoo Museum (0.3 mi, free).

Skip Italian American Museum (0.4 mi), even if you’re passing.