Queens Museum of Art
Queens Museum is worth visiting just to see the incredible scale model of all five boroughs of New York City
Founded in 1972, the Queens Museum, formerly called the Queens Museum of Art, is best known for the Panorama of New York City, an amazing scale model covering all five boroughs of New York modelling every single building as of 1992. More new models and updates continue to be added to the map on a regular basis.
The museum is housed in the former New York City Building which was originally built for the 1939 World's Fair. The building was home to the United Nations General Assembly between the year 1946 and 1950. Today the museum has a permanent collection of about 10,000 exhibits, the majority of which pertain to the two World Fairs held in 1939 and in 1964. The museum also houses a large collection of Tiffany Glass including lamps and windows. Tiffany Studios and Furnaces were once located in the same area as the museum.
The crown jewel of the museum is the massive architectural scale map and model of all of New York City known as the Panorama of New York City. This amazing model was commissioned and built for the 1964 World's Fair. It took a team of about 250 modellers a total of three years to complete the 9335 square foot map. From 1970 to 1992 there were no updates, but in 1992 the map was updated with 85,000 new building models. The scale model now represents every building, as of 1992, in all five boroughs for an incredible total of 895,000 buildings. In 2009 a program was started to continue updating the map with more new models. You will never get to see the entire city of New York in person during your vacation, so be sure to see it here at the museum.
In addition to the giant map of New York and the permanent collections, the Queens Museum hosts a wide variety of temporary exhibits and educational programs with a focus on quality and that reflect the diverse and contemporary urban life of New Yorker's and especially residents of Queens.
It is well worth it to take the subway to Queens to visit this enjoyable museum and to also see the world's largest globe, the Unisphere, located right in front of the museum.
Facts For Your Visit
Fee: Yes. Visit the official website for details.Queens Museum of Art Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: Closed
- Wednesday: 12:00 – 5:00 PM
- Thursday: 12:00 – 5:00 PM
- Friday: 12:00 – 5:00 PM
- Saturday: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Sunday: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Address: Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Building, Queens, NY 11368, USA
Phone: (718) 592-9700
Official Website: Queens Museum of Art
Queens Museum of Art Reviews
Rated out of 5
I’d been wanting to visit the Queens Museum for the longest time — particularly to see the Panorama of the City — and today, I finally did. I can happily say my expectations were more than met.
Including the Panorama, there are only a few exhibits currently open, but that’s alright considering that getting in only requires a suggested donation. That’s not to mention that the other two exhibits, a model of New York City’s water supply system and a collection of Tiffany glass / lamp shades, are quite impressive in their own right.
All in all, definitely worth a visit for anybody, but especially if you’re into NYC history.
Peyton Watson - 2 months ago
I took time off to clear my head and get to know my city. The Queen Museum was a perfect choice! I was able to see four noteable exhibits (a)the geoengineered water system for NYC (b) Tiffany lamps (c) the layout model of new york city (d) and our young artists exhibition. I really hope my videos do justice to how much fun it was
Ayodele. Boglo - a month ago
The Queens museum is a wonderful free museum that has one of the best kept secrets in NYC. The panorama of the entire city of New York is absolutely stunning and unbelievably massive. The temporomandibular exhibits were very interesting but we spent more time in the panorama than anywhere. The weather did not cooperate for us to explore the park around the museum much but the Unosphere outside is also FAR larger than I was expecting which makes it far more interesting! Highly recommend checking it out! It is a bit difficult to get to via public transit so I'd recommend using some form of ride-sharing service or driving your personal vehicle.
Spencer Owen - 5 months ago
Was pleasantly surprised that this museum had an art station for my girls (age 3 and 4) to make their own piece of art inspired by the artist on exhibit. Very nice spot to spend a couple hours, with nearby park and surroundings that are also scenic and historical if you want to get your culture on.
Michelle Mascioli - 4 months ago
As a free museum, expectations are low. But Queens Museum goes above and beyond. Their collection is fascinating! I’m so happy I visited this gem in NYC. I’d never heard of this place, and I’ll definitely tell people to check it out!
David Clarke - 5 months ago
Directions
| Subway Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Mets-Willets Point | 12 Minutes |
How to get to Queens Museum of Art by Subway
Take the 7 Train to Mets-Willets Point. Follow the signs, walking through the park to the museum which is located just west of the giant stainless steel globe (Unisphere).
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Photo Gallery
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Panorama of New York City at the Queens Museum of Art cc licensed photo by aveoree
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