MY Museums

on location: northeast ❖

chris p. peters

NewYork Must-See Museums Across the state, world-class repositories showcase a myriad of subjects, from art and history to pop culture and sports

Metropolitan Museum of Art

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hether it’s of scientific, artistic or historical importance, the museums of New York present group travelers with a wide range of collections for all interests. Empire State offerings range from big-time museums in New York City to intimate institutions in small towns. Here are some must-sees: Corning Museum of Glass, Corning. Every aspect of glass, including its science, technology, art and design, is explored in this Finger Lakes Region museum. The “world’s most comprehensive collection of glass” includes more than 45,000 glass objects, across 3,500 years of glassmaking history. A hands-on exhibit allows for daily glassmaking workshops and narrated demonstrations.

The Glass Collection Galleries spotlight glass and glassmaking from ancient times through today, featuring New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the largest museums in the world.

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and inventor of roll film.

Daily demonstrations of trades, crafts, cooking and agriculture are given. The John L. Wehle Gallery of Sporting Art, Genesee Country Nature Center, Carriage Museum, Silver Baseball Park and Heirloom Gardens can also be found on the museum property.

(585-538-6822, gcv.org) Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake. Located on the site of the Blue Mountain House, a historic summer resort hotel, this museum preserves the history of the Adirondack mountain range while informing the public of its

and perpetuates their legacy of laughter.

Located minutes from Lucy’s childhood home and her final resting place, the center features costumes, photos and other memorabilia of the iconic comedians. In the screening area, I Love Lucy video clips refer to her Jamestown roots and characters in the show named after hometown friends. The Desilu Playhouse, a block away, has recreations of the show’s most famous sets. (716484-0800, groupsales@lucy-desi.com, lucy-desi.com) National Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown. Widely known as the

Adirondack Museum

objects from America, the Near East, Asia, and Europe. A history of glass creation is presented, from a full-scale model of an Egyptian furnace to the small-scale furnaces that fueled the Studio Glass movement of 1960s America. (607-974-2000, tours@cmog. org, cmog.org) FDR Presidential Library & Museum, Hyde Park. As the first presidential library built in the United States, this Hudson Valley attraction was constructed under the direction of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and serves as a museum of the life and times of FDR. Exhibits showcase such dramatic events as the Great Depression and World War II. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt has her own gallery, and a special exhibitions gallery hosts changing FDR exhibits. The museum also displays items that depict political and cultural life in the 1930s and ’40s. Included are stamps, books, coins, drawings and other collectibles. (800-337-8474, fdr library.marist.edu) Nearby is the Hudson River estate where FDR was born and lived his entire life. The graves of President and Mrs. Roosevelt are in the rose garden.

Another Hyde Park attraction is ValKill, the main cottage at the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site. Mrs. Roosevelt’s weekend home and holiday retreat became her permanent home after FDR’s death in 1945.

Genesee Country Village & Museum, Mumford. This living history museum preserves architecture from upstate New York to depict 19th century life in New York State. With the third largest collection of historic buildings in America, the 700-acre property’s Historic Village has 15,000 artifacts in its 68 buildings. The village includes the home of Colonel Nathaniel Rochester, a solider of the American Revolution and founder of the Rochester settlement, and the childhood residence of George Eastman, founder of Eastman Kodak

The Adirondack Museum presents a special quilts exhibit May 28-Oct. 10.

past and future well-being. Constructed in 1876, high above Blue Mountain Lake, it includes 22 exhibits and galleries with photographs, artifacts and fine art.

Museum collections include a Pullman railroad car, guide boats, a racing sailboat, steam locomotive, blacksmith shop and one-room schoolhouse. North America’s largest public assortment of rustic furniture is on display. In addition, the site features its original Sunset Cottage and Log Hotel, which are on the National Register of Historic Places.

(518-352-7311, adkmuseum.org) Lucy-Desi Museum, Jamestown.

This museum celebrates the lives and careers of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz

hub for the history of baseball in America, “Cooperstown” presents artifacts and exhibits, and honors players and managers who have excelled in “America’s pastime.” The Hall of Fame’s collection has over 35,000 three-dimensional artifacts.

On the second floor, the Cooperstown Room exhibit examines the history of the Hall of Fame. The Baseball Experience is a 13-minute presentation about baseball’s past in the 191-seat Grandstand Theater. Baseball’s historic moments are shown in 20th Century Baseball Timeline.

On the third floor, Sacred Ground examines past and present ballparks.

NEW YORK CITY MUSEUMS Planning a New York City itinerary?

Group tour organizers will want to consider the following museums: American Folk Art Museum 212-265-1040 grouptours@folkartmuseum.org folkartmuseum.org American Museum of Natural History 212-769-5100, amnh.org Brooklyn Museum 718-638-5000, brooklynmuseum.org

Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum 212-849-8351, chtours2@si.edu cooperhewitt.org Federal Hall National Memorial 212-825-6990, nps.gov/feha Fraunces Tavern Museum 212-425-1778 2education@frauncestavernmuseum.org frauncestavernmuseum.org Frick Collection 212-288-0700, groupvisits@frick.org frick.org Guggenheim Museum 212-423-3774 groupsales@guggenheim.org guggenheim.org International Center of Photography 212-857-0005 grouptours@icp.org, icp.org Jewish Museum 212-423-3225, info@thejm.org thejewishmuseum.org Lower East Side Tenement Museum 212-431-0233, groups@tenement.org tenement.org MOMA (Modern Art) 212-708-9685 groupservices@moma.org, moma.org Museum of American Finance 212-908-4110, moaf.org Museum of Jewish Heritage Christopher Lopez 646-437-4304 clopez@mjhnyc.org, mjhnyc.org

Metropolitan Museum of Art/Brooks Walter

China Institute 212-744-8181, info@chinainstitute.org chinainstitute.org

Museum of the City of New York 212-534-1672, info@mcny.org, mcny.org National Jazz Museum in Harlem 212-348-8300, jazzmuseuminharlem.org National Museum of the American Indian 212-514-3705, nmai.si.edu New York Hall of Science 718-699-0301, nysci.org New York Historical Society 212-873-3400, nyhistory.org South Street Seaport Museum 212-748-8600 southstreetseaportmuseum.org Sports Museum of America 212-837-7970 groups@thesportsmuseum.com thesportsmuseum.com The Cloister 212-570-3711 mettours@metmuseum.org metmuseum.org Whitney Museum of American Art 212-671-8350 grouptours@whitney.org, whitney.org

on location: northeast ❖ The Records Room presents active and alltime statistical leaders in numerous categories that are updated throughout the season. Baseball Cards is a sampling of the museum’s 135,000-card collection. (607547-0312, community.baseballhall.org) Madame Tussauds New York, New York City. Meet celebrities up close in this 85,000square-foot, five-story wax museum. It showcases about 200 lifelike wax figures in six interactive environments. Figures range from New York’s most notable personalities to world-renowned stars and political leaders.

In an elaborate Italian garden setting, The Opening Night Party features such celebrities as Oprah Winfrey, Woody Allen, Nicolas Cage and Donald Trump. Madame Tussaud’s Story displays figures throughout 200 years of history, including Napoleon’s lover Josephine and Marie Antoinette.

Visitors see the process of creating the wax figures in Behind the Scenes, a multimedia exhibit. The Gallery, set as a meeting of the United Nations, shows John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., the Dalai Lama and Albert Einstein among others. Celebrities of the 20th century, including Babe Ruth, The Beatles, John Wayne and Bill Gates, are on display in Popular Culture.

The city’s history is celebrated in the form of a “midnight ride” in It Happened in New York. (888-923-0334, groupsales@ madametussaudsny.com, madametussauds. com/newyork) Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, New York City. This military museum features a collection of floating and flying craft at the Hudson River berth of the decommissioned aircraft carrier Intrepid. Among items on display are the USS Growler submarine, an F-16 Fighting Falcon, A-12 Blackbird supersonic jet and helicopters.

The Exploreum is an interactive hall that educates visitors about life on an aircraft carrier. Other exhibits feature multimedia displays and historical recreations such as Kamikaze: Day of Darkness, Day of Light.

see the city from THE TOP. Every building, bridge and borough is waiting for you.

THIS IS YOUR NEW YORK™

TOP OF THE ROCK OBSERVATION DECK 50th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues Open daily from 8am to midnight For tickets call 212-698-2000 | topoftherocknyc.com

on location: northeast ❖ Take a tour of the supersonic Concorde, the world’s fastest commercial airplane, ride in the A-6 Cockpit Simulator and visit the Virtual Flight Zone.

(646-381-5010, groupsales@intrepidmuseum.org, intrepidmuseum.org) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. “The Met” is the largest museum in the Western Hemisphere, containing more than two million works of art separated into 19 departments. The collection features works from classical antiquity, ancient Egypt, paintings and sculptures from Europe, and American and modern art.

Art from Africa, Asia, the Near East and Oceania are showcased as well. Because the museum is so vast, it’s best to concentrate on a limited number of areas. (212-570-3711, mettours@metmuseum.org, metmuseum.org) LGT

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