Fascinating NYC Museums to Visit

By Abraham Sanieoff

One of the many things people love to do while in New York City is visiting the Big Apple’s many museums. From the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the American Museum of Natural History, there’s something for people of various interests to visit.

The city is also ready to welcome art explorers who want to go off the beaten path. The Big Apple is home to some of the world’s unique museums. From pieces of art that don’t usually get shown at MoMA to exhibits dedicated to math, pieces at these museums are definitely out of the ordinary.

This article lists 10 of NYC’s most fascinating yet underrated museums that you should visit when you get here.

Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art

Located in the city’s art-driven SoHo neighborhood, the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art is the premier destination for LGBTQ+ art and has become a haven for the artists who create it. Its significance increased at the height of the AIDS pandemic as they became the home for the work of dying artists that were shunned by their families.

Museum of Sex

The focus of this museum is in its name. This Flatiron District museum breaks down and exhibits sexuality in all of its forms. It even has a section dedicated to animal sex. Going to MoSex after checking out MoMA is not a bad itinerary.

Morbid Anatomy Museum

Death comes for all, and what better way to prepare for it than visiting the Morbid Anatomy Museum. First starting life as a blog by creative director Joanna Ebenstein, this museum has exhibits dissecting death and life while serving you some of the city’s better cups of coffee.

The City Reliquary

If you’re interested in following the history of New York City and how it blossomed from a small trading post to the megalopolis it is now, the City Reliquary is worth a look. This not-for-profit community museum displays permanent artifacts and rotating exhibits to showcase how the Big Apple used to be, define what it is, and clue you into what it will become.

Museum of Food and Drink

Foodies love going to New York, so it only makes sense that one of the world’s top destinations for dining experiences houses the Museum of Food and Drink. Its exhibits are meant to educate people about the science of food and how critical it is to our culture.

Houdini Museum

Are you fascinated by magic tricks? Then a visit to the Houdini Museum should be on your to-do list. It houses artifacts and rare footage of Harry Houdini, the most popular illusionist and escape artist at the turn of the 20th century.

Mmuseumm

If you want a museum experience that perfectly encapsulates the personality of the City That Never Sleeps, head down to Cortlandt Street and visit the Mmuseumm. This small (60 square feet) space features a rotating selection of pieces on modern living and current events.

Museum of the American Gangster

The mafia is an undeniable part of New York that has been immortalized in various forms of media. The Museum of the American Gangster, quite fittingly, operates out of a speakeasy. It houses memorabilia of the country’s mob roots.

Museum of American Finance

New York is the home of Wall Street, so it’s only fitting that it also houses the Museum of American Finance. The museum presents often-confusing finance concepts in a way that even laypeople will understand and take away something from it.

National Museum of Mathematics

If you ever got frustrated by math in high school, you can try to understand it better by visiting the National Museum of Mathematics. You will learn about the intricacies of math through hands-on activities that will challenge your brain.

Learn About Interesting Stuff in NYC

These are only a few of the fascinating museums the Big Apple has to offer. If you’re looking to learn about something specific, it’s very likely that you will find a museum about it in New York. All you have to do is do a little research. After that, it’s all about having an open mind and a willingness to get to as many of these museums as possible.

Interested in learning more about New York? Read more of Abraham Sanieoff’s work. He is a writer with a passion for the Big Apple.

Get in touch with him if you have any questions.