New York City's hundreds of museums welcome millions of visitors from around the world each year, but their appeal extends well beyond the interests of leisure travelers. Let the exhibits at these fascinating cultural spaces inspire your delegates as the backdrop to your next meeting. TEASER BREAKHere are just a few of the many NYC institutions that can host groups—and will make for unforgettable events that your attendees will talk about for years to come.
American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West at 79th St., Upper West Side, Manhattan
This cavernous Upper West Side museum houses more than 33 million specimens, including a titanosaur, one of the largest dinosaur specimens ever discovered; massive meteorites visitors can touch; and an enormous, life-size model of a blue whale. At 2 million square feet, the institution can accommodate events of almost any size. Spaces include the museum’s Hall of Dinosaurs, which can host up to 600 attendees for receptions; the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, which can hold 1,200 for standing receptions and 1,000 for seated dinners; and the Akeley Hall of African Mammals, which accommodates 500 standing and 350 seated.
Total event capacity: 3,500 attendees
Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum
895 Shore Rd., Pelham Bay, the Bronx
This Bronx museum is an architectural gem. The Greek Revival house was built between 1836 and 1842, and the interiors and gardens have been carefully preserved to give visitors a glimpse into mid-19th-century life. Exhibits include furnishings and glassware from the period, as well as two gilded bronze peacocks that preside over the grounds. The museum has two event spaces: the Orangerie, which features lemon-yellow walls and miniature fruit trees, can seat 35; and the garden, designed by venerable architectural firm Delano & Aldrich in 1916, accommodates up to 125.
Total event capacity: 125 attendees
Bronx Museum of the Arts
1040 Grand Concourse, South Bronx, the Bronx
The Bronx’s signature art museum has an impressive permanent collection of more than 1,000 contemporary artworks from around the world, and has recently hosted exhibitions from Latin America, Africa and Asia. The museum’s spaces for events include the 2,400-square-foot second-floor gallery in the museum’s North Wing; and the Lower Gallery, which has a 350-square-foot stage.
Total event capacity: 6,020 square feet
Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration
Ellis Island, New York Harbor, Manhattan
Ellis Island’s museum is housed in the red brick Renaissance Revival building that from 1900 to 1954 served as the entry point for the millions of US immigrants. The museum has 13,000 square feet of meeting-and-event space, including a 1,630-square-foot conference room with full A/V capabilities and the tiled, flag-draped 1,200-square-foot Customs Room. Outdoor events for up to 1,200 attendees can be hosted on the grounds.
Total event space: 17,230 square feet
The Met Fifth Avenue
Fifth Ave. at 82nd St., Upper East Side, Manhattan
A New York City icon and one of the world’s premier museums, The Met dates back to 1870 and displays some 2 million artworks from around the world. The museum’s Beaux-Arts Fifth Avenue location has 16 spaces for meetings and events, including the majestic sandstone Temple of Dendur, which can host 550 attendees for seated dinners and 800 for cocktail receptions; the Carroll and Milton Petrie European Sculpture Court, which can accommodate up to 600; and the light-filled Terrace Room, which holds up to 50.
Total event capacity: 1,000 attendees
The Museum of Modern Art
11 W. 53rd St., Midtown West, Manhattan
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) lays claim to one of the world’s premier collections of contemporary art—more than 150,000 pieces in all, with Pablo Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night among the most famous. MoMA’s event spaces include the 12,400-square-foot lobby, the Donald B. and Catherine C. Marron Atrium, which features a dramatic skylight, and the one-of-a-kind Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden.
Total event capacity: 2,500 attendees
National Museum of the American Indian
1 Bowling Green, Lower Manhattan, Manhattan
This museum was established in 1994 in the Beaux-Arts Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, a seven-story building at the southern tip of Manhattan. Among the museum’s spaces for meetings are the white-marbled Rotunda, which features an oval skylight and can accommodate up to 600 for receptions, and the coffered-ceilinged, oak-paneled Collector’s Office, suitable for groups of up to 50.
Total event capacity: 1,500 attendees
New York Transit Museum
Boerum Place and Schermerhorn St., Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
This one-of-a-kind museum, situated in a decommissioned subway station, offers a unique window into the City’s history. Exhibits feature a fleet of vintage buses and subway cars and a multimedia exploration of the construction of the subway system. Visitors love the transit-related artifacts like subway tokens, advertisements and signs from the early 20th century. Several spaces—like the platform level, where attendees can board historic subway cars—are available for group events.
Total event space: 30,000 square feet
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West, Upper West Side, Manhattan
This Upper West Side gem was founded in 1804 as the City’s first museum. The four-story granite museum houses historical treasures like the complete set of John James Audubon’s watercolor studies for his pioneering work The Birds of America. Among the meeting spaces here are the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, which has 50-foot ceilings and two elaborate stained-glass windows, and the 420-seat Robert H. Smith Auditorium. The museum’s galleries can be rented individually or combined for events.
Total event capacity: 1,000 attendees
Queens Museum
New York City Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, Queens
The Queens Museum occupies a historic building in Flushing Meadows Corona Park that was constructed for the 1939 World’s Fair. From 1946 to 1950, it served as the headquarters for the United Nations General Assembly. Don’t miss Panorama, the 9,335-square-foot, 1:1,200-scale architectural model of the City, and the museum’s extensive collection of Tiffany windows, lamps and other stained-glass works. Spaces for private events include the domed atrium, which has a unique winding glass staircase, the 85-seat theater and several galleries.
Total event capacity: 1,000 attendees
New York City’s prominence as a global business and financial capital and vibrant mix of arts and culture means it's a can’t-miss destination for meetings and events. NYC & Company, the City’s official CVB, works with planners at every stage of the event cycle to create the best possible experience for attendees. Get in touch so that we can partner with you on your next event.