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, Corona, NY 11368, USA
Phone: (718) 592-9700
Official Website: Queens Museum of Art
Queens Museum of Art Reviews
Rated out of 5
A perfect spot any day of the week! The fresh air and wide paths under the trees make for a great walk. The Globe is iconic, and the museum and playgrounds are top-notch. Whether it's a weekday or weekend, it’s a beautiful place to clear your head.
TomalAshford - 3 months ago
It’s always an amazing experience coming to this museum located in the middle of a beautiful park with so much history and culture behind.
A must that you have to do if you are visiting New York, close to iconic places and entities !!!
How you’re not gonna love New York?
Máxima The Poor Queen. - 3 months ago
Located in Flushing Meadows, the Queens Museum connects the past to the present, letting visitors learn about the history of the borough of Queens. The museum is located on the grounds of the New York World’s Fairs and in a building that once housed the United Nations (from 1946 to 1950).
While some of the exhibitions are permanent, they do change and cycle through several of the exhibitions. I would advise you to look at what exhibitions are currently on display and what will be put on so you can plan accordingly. I would suggest spending some time watching and searching the miniature details on the Panorama of the City of New York exhibition and the Relief Map of the New York City Water Supply System exhibition.
Stephen K - 2 months ago
Beautiful museum, free entrance with IDNYC and pay as you wish for everyone else with a a suggested $8 ticket which is very reasonable.
Exhibitions were interesting and I look forward to coming back soon!
Romy Engel - 2 weeks ago
This is a bust. There is so much wasted space in this place. The collection is small. Other than the big map of New York and the map on how water gets to NY, there is not much to see here. I love Tiffany Lamps, which this place has a collection of, but it is a tiny collection. If you are going to be close for another reason, then it might be worth swinging into. But it is not worth the trip from anywhere more than 30 minutes away to see it.
Jonathan Bradley - 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
