It's quirky, it's small, it's unique, and it is an authentic slice of NY nostalgia. This small…read moremuseum is charming and intriguing if not Alittle thin on information. It originally began as a labor of love by the owner, showcasing his eclectic collection of memorabilia in his house window. It's a little bigger now but will only take you 20 minutes to see everything. As others have said, there are no placards to explain the memorabilia or the acquisition process. This would have made the museum much more informative and 5 stars. Still, the peep show machine and the amazing bodega decor on the store outside and lobby is worth seeing. $5 for NYC locals and students, a little more for tourists; not bad!

What an amazing little museum. An absolute delight. A thoughtful and touching love letter to NYC…read more I can't recommend this museum enough. It is so charming. And romantic. Filled with the coolest collection of NYC artifacts and memorabilia. It is so worth the visit. Bravo to all involved in curating and maintaining it.

Not gonna lie, I ducked in here because the museum is free and I really needed to use the bathroom…read morewhile I was out and about in Chelsea. But jokes aside, FIT is an amazing school (I'm an alumni) and this museum is excellent.

Came here to view the Dress, Dreams, and Desire: Fashion and Psychoanalysis exhibit. I appreciate…read morethat the Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) is one of the cool free things to do in midtown Manhattan. The museum itself is small and kind of crowded, but they definitely packed a lot of fascinating garments into such a small space. Some of my favorite garments on display at the special exhibit: 1. Issey Miyake's red plastic body bustier from 1983 2. A red silk satin corset from 1889 3. Jack Jacobus high-heeled boots from 1895-1900, gift of the Victoria & Albert Museum 4. Top hats from Books Brothers, Christian Dior (his is corseted!), and Justin Smith 5. A Jean Paul Gaultier orange cone-bra dress 6. Thierry Mugler's mermaid dress 7. A spikey black coat ensemble from Viktor & Rolf 8. A 3D-printed spider dress 2.0 created and engineered by Annouk Wipprecht for INTEL in 2015, in collaboration with Philip H. Wilck (it made me think of the mantis blades from Cyberpunk 2077. There was also a video in the gallery of the "legs" on the shoulders of the dress moving. 9. Chocolate dress 10. Yohji Yamamoto's Fall 2006 rib-shaped Fall ensemble 11. Scarlet Woman (which entails a head-to-toe scarlet ensemble entailing a corset top hat, stiletto heels, corseted skirt, cinched structured coat of silk and lace, wielding a long red belt like a whip) and Horse-woman (head-to-toe grey with a saddle as a bustle) ensembles and gowns by John Galliano for Christian Dior Couture.

A bit of a small line outside but didn't have to wait long to enter on a Saturday. Interesting art…read moreinside and it's a very beautiful building. The line for the cafe was pretty long but I want to visit next time. The entrance is a bit too expensive honestly but it's worth checking out if you have time and like visiting different museums.

This is an amazing gallery!…read more They are VERY strict about bringing any liquids into the museum and will make you dump all - even sealed containers. This gallery contains early 20th century German and Austrian art. The most famous item is likely Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, made famous in the movie The Lady in Gold. The portrait is breathtaking to see in person as are the many other Klimt works of art in the gallery. The gallery holds more than paintings. There are clocks, ceramics, items of furniture, jewelry, posters, and more including works from the creation of the Bauhaus tradition. I highly recommend a visit to this amazing gallery. There is also a care and restaurant, though I did not eat during my visit. There are two gift shops. One is small and focuses on high end items complementing the collections. The other is more typical of a museum gift shop and includes books, knick knacks, etc. I collect playing cards and was excited to find a Neue Gallery set of playing cards for the bargain price of $34. No photos of any kind allowed.

Sometimes the best museum visits are the ones you don't plan--and that was exactly the case with…read morethe Gilder Center, a hidden gem we stumbled upon late one afternoon. We arrived at 4:00 PM, thinking we'd squeeze in a quick walkthrough before closing at 5:30, only to discover the most beautiful surprise: free admission after 4. An unexpected win that made the visit feel even sweeter. With only an hour and change, we braced ourselves for a rushed experience, but the space unfolded into something bigger and more immersive than anticipated. From the dinosaur fossils to the vivid animal exhibits, every room had something that stopped us in our tracks. This wasn't just kid stuff either--our group of adults had an absolute blast. The real scene-stealer? The architecture. The building feels part cave, part spaceship--organic curves meet sharp, modern design, like nature and the future co-authored a museum. It's visually stunning, both inside and out. A happy accident turned into a highlight of the day. If you find yourself nearby in the late afternoon, it's absolutely worth a visit--free or not.

Visited this new addition to the natural history museum last year. My friend and I really enjoyed…read morethe immersive experience! Highly recommended!

OK, if you do the research on the LES/ East Village Community Gardens, you can't help but be…read moretouched. This one, in particular, was started by an apparent Superwoman named Francoise Cachalin, who defended this Safe-Haven from Ye Ole gentrification and didn't live to see the fruits of her labor. I'm so glad she fought for it. *Especially* during COVID/ post-lockdown era, I and other New Yorkers I've observed have come to appreciate the sacred outdoors. In the NE, we don't have good weather often, so Summer is the *best* time to take advantage of the lil free NYC perks like these. Anyway: I stumbled upon this place during my recent exploratory strolls through the East Village. What a cute gem. Ample seating for such a small space, mild greenery (we're not talking a jungle and that's OK). Some lil trinkets and garden art throughout. Totally serene, I don't see any justification for negative reviews. IF I lived down here I would *definitely* be in a place like this every. single. morning. PS: They have great deals for membership if you have a green-thumb and want to literally cultivate this atmosphere. Also, you can have group gatherings here for a *very* reasonable price, which I think is a great resource during these dark days of anti-socialization.

I wish I had one of these little gardens nearby right now because today has been one big bucket of…read morestress. But if you *do* live (or travel) near Creative Little Garden, you're in for a treat. This place is adorable and oh-so tranquil in the middle of a concrete heaven. I'm not sure who maintains this sweet little place, but it's charming, well-groomed, and the perfect spot to hide out in for an hour or two and shed all your worries. Check it out! I'm sure the set-up is ever-evolving.

I took the House & Studio Tour this past Friday and was really blown away by the experience. I…read moregraduated from NYU about 15 years ago and may have walked past this building hundreds of times and never noticed it. I'm so glad I learned about it and visited this past weekend! So what is it? Chaim Gross was a modern American sculpture who immigrated to New York in 1921 and spent his life creating sculptures in wood and other materials for the next 70 years (he passed in 1991). In 1963, he and his family moved to this building, which served as their home and his studio. Now, you can tour the buiding, both his studio space (which has an incredible amount of his work) and a level that served as their home (which contains the art of many of his famous and talented friends and family). The tours are about an hour and very personal (they're kept small). Harriett was my guide on Friday, and she was wonderful - so informative and passionate and lovely. This is an incredible space. To learn about an artist and his work in the place where he created it was very special. If you're interested in art, artists, or sculpture, this is a must do tour. A real NYC treat.

To use a cliche phrase, this place, located in the East Village, really is a hidden gem! The…read moreformer residence of renowned sculptor, Chaim Gross, and his wife, Renee, this museum of sorts offers three floors of amazing art and antique/vintage furnishings. The first floor boasts Chaim's studio, which still has unfinished works on view. You can see his tools and his workspace as he kept it. The first floor also shows off a plethora of his impressive, beautiful, ethereal wooden sculpture work. Brittany, my guide, taught me so much about the work, the tools, and the type of wood/mediums Chaim used. The second floor is used as a gallery space for rotating exhibitions. The exhibition on view when I went revolves around immigrant art. Most of the art belonged to the Gross family, as they were major collectors. Such haunting, thought provoking pieces. The third floor is maintained as the Gross family had it during their residency--the kitchen, living room, dining room. Full of Chaim and Renee's favorite personal pieces, including an expansive African art collection. Brittany did a great job of painting a vivid picture of their life as social, well connected artists in the east village. Tours are 15 dollars per person and given on limited days and times. You can visit their website for specifics. Worth a visit, with some amazing art--some better and more interesting than the pieces found in the MET, the Whitney, or MoMa.

I/24/26 I checked the website and currently there are no tours available until further notice. On…read more1/19/26 there were some information that is no longer there . Hopefully this house is open soon to explore. Wonderful experience.

Our docent brought the history of the house to life with stories of the family that built the house…read more(Tories who fled as the Colonists approached), subsequent families who owned and lost the house, its fall into disrepair, its use as an ice cream stand and then the Museum of the City of New York, and finally the role Robert Moses played to convince Mayor LaGuardia to convert the Mansion into the official residence of the Mayor of New York. What followed were antidotes about each of the Mayors who lived in the Mansion, starting with LaGuardia's reluctance to live in the house due to his fear of ghosts, stories of restorations initiated by Mayors, and a chance to view the current Mayors decorative choices. Much more interesting when heard live, in the residence, when presented by a truly outstanding docent. (You will also learn why all eagles in the house have a ball & chain wrapped around their necks) A very good, very enjoyable, very worthwhile visit. Highly recommended.

I was excited to visit this museum when I first heard about it opening in NYC, but it ended up…read morebeing underwhelming. I went on a weekday around 2 PM and was the only person touring the space. There were more employees outside on break than visitors inside. The museum is much smaller than expected three floors and a small library area and I was able to see everything in about 30-40 minutes, even taking my time. While it looks interesting at first, it didn't hold my attention. I love dogs and all fluffy animals, so I thought I'd enjoy it, but it just wasn't for me. Honestly, if you want to "visit" for free, what you see in photos from other reviews is basically the entire museum. If you're in the area and have time to kill, it's fine to stop by, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. I probably would have been better off going to MoMA. I went with a Groupon deal for $9.20 if that helps.

Super cool and cute dog museum!…read more I went with my sister a couple of weeks ago. The entry was $10 per person--for New Yorkers/students I believe.