Tenement Museum
Tenement Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
The Tenement Museum preserves the history of immigration through the personal accounts of those who built lives in the Lower East Side. Visitors can view restored apartments from the 19th and 20th centuries, walk the historic neighborhood, and interact with residents to learn the stories of generations of immigrants who helped shape the American experience. The museum is available by guided tour only. Each tour focuses on a specific theme and takes visitors to different areas of our two historic tenement buildings or neighborhood.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Downtown Manhattan (Downtown)
How to get there
- Delancey St • 2 min walk
- Essex St • 3 min walk
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See what travellers are saying
- Susan B1 contributionGreat experience at the TMWe took the Day in the Life: 1911 neighborhood walking tour. Our experience at the museum was excellent. Our tour guide was well informed and very friendly and brought so much to life. My own relatives lived in the Lower East Side when they came from Italy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries so I felt a deep connection to all I saw and learned. I also know that the tour was great because my 14 old daughter was fully engaged and expressed how much she enjoyed it. We ended our day by eating at the Essex Street Market to tie things all together historically! If I lived in NYC, I would be volunteering at the TM as much as possible.Visited October 2022Written 12 December 2022
- JenRed2014Buffalo, New York912 contributionsInteresting walking tour with apartment replicaOur tour guide was great. She was very knowledgeable about the history, the neighborhood, and the highlighted families. We did the walking tour that ends in a recreation of a Tenement. It was interesting to see old photos of the current landmarks, and imagine the way they were. Some of the original tour buildings will be reopened in 2023, and that might add to the immersive experience, however, we were not really disappointed by the recreation. This is a slow paced tour, and I would not advise bringing children or teens unless they are very interested in the history. As a parent myself, I was grateful that I didn’t have to hear my kids say “when will we be done”! Of course you know your kids best!Visited October 2022Travelled with friendsWritten 14 December 2022
- Nancy NChicago, Illinois97 contributionsHistory in situWe took a tour on the daily life of 1911 - what a terrific guide. Walking the neighborhood, visiting the park and re-created apartment with photographic history brought the history to life. No matter how much I had read about the history of the Lower East Side or seen in movies, this was a more realistic depiction of what daily life was like. There is also a great bookstore.Visited December 2022Written 29 December 2022
- Banjo1957Fremont, California71 contributionsA step back in NYC historyI love the podcast, The Bowery Boys, (history of New York City and it’s boroughs). Their Episode #246, focuses on the Tenement Museum, located on the lower east side. During a recent trip to Brooklyn to visit my nephew and his wife, I made a point of this visiting this fascinating time capsule. The original building at 97 Orchard St. is currently undergoing preservation, but access to the temporary historic apartments at 103 Orchard St. is well worth the trip. The small group tours provide a time capsule into the lives of tenement residents, as the guides shared poignant stories of the many families who resided in these buildings from the 1860’s to 1980’s. There’s also a very fun and eclectic museum shop where you check in for the tours.Visited November 2022Travelled soloWritten 15 January 2023
- Madison YThornton Cleveleys, United Kingdom89 contributionsStep back in timeReally enjoyed our tour - we did a tour that focused on two families - one that came over fleeing the war and another who came from Puerto Rico for employment. Loved that we sat in the actual apartment with some keepsakes donated by the families. Our guide was lovely and very engaging. The area the museum/shop is in I found to be a little sketchy - we were hassled whilst starting our tour on the street however people moved on when we didn’t engage. Lovely gift shop that was reasonably priced. Would definitely visit again. Yes it’s $30 per person which I see is mentioned often in the reviews but honestly we felt it was absolutely worth it.Visited March 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 20 March 2023
- RachelNew York City, New York9 contributionsGreat Visit!Not so much a "museum" - instead there are numerous guided tours offered. I did the 1933 tour about the Italian family. Jill was a terrific and engaging guide and provided us with lots of information about the time period, the family, and the process of recreating their LES home. I loved being able to see what an actual apartment looked like and was impressed with the attention to detail. Looking forward to returning to do a different tour. Side note - their gift shop is great, too.Visited March 2023Travelled soloWritten 1 April 2023
- LarsieB1,533 contributionsInteresting TourWe went a did a tour of the Tenement Museum in NYC after it being recommended by a friend. The tickets for the tour we bought online and when we arrived at the museum gift store we went up to one of the people at the counter who then checked us in. The tour left on time and the tour guide we had was friendly and knowledgeable. It was an interesting tour and if you have time and love history I would recommend doing this. The tour we booked was called "Finding Home."Visited March 2023Written 6 April 2023
- John VMaidstone, United Kingdom423 contributionsNot to be missedSuch a fascinating and eye-opening experience. The pre-tour film is essential and set the scene for the whole tour. The tour of the Levine apartment introduced us to just what it meant to arrive in the US and settle in this vibrant, crowded community. This was a family trying to experience family life at the same time as running a business in the same location. There are no words - just visit yourself. Our tour was particularly good because of the excellent tour guide. She was personable, knowledgable and engaging. A great trip all roundVisited April 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 8 April 2023
- Jane S6 contributionsReasonable Tourist AttractionToured the Tenement Museum in NYC. They actually take you into two tenement homes. This was soo interesting. They also talked to you about families, how they lived, their jobs, education, etc. The cost was very reasonable and didn't break the budget. It's amazing how the y lived and got by with so little. I strongly recommend this tour. It showed my childen that they don't have it as bad as they think! Also, for elderly and handicap people, there are stairs you have to climb. I don't know if they have an elevator or lift so check with the museum. Hope you enjoy your tour as much as I did!Visited June 2022Written 13 April 2023
- l0zzab0zzaReading, United Kingdom31 contributionsBrilliant museumAbsolutely fascinating tour of a tenement building throughout the years. We took the 1949 to present tour Our guide was extremely knowledgeable on every aspect of the families that lived in these apartments and the traumas they went through to ensure their families wouldn't live the same lives they had to go through. To think a couple could ensure years of torture in death camps to become parents and live "normal" lives is credit to who they were. The level of detail in each of the rooms, curated by the actual families who lived there and experts in purchasing antiques from the time really set the tone. Id love to work there!Visited April 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 17 April 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
6,714 reviews
Excellent
4,783
Very good
1,304
Average
351
Poor
175
Terrible
101
Patrick G
Newport, RI28 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
Maya was amazing! She was knowledgeable, fun, and friendly. I highly recommend visiting. We will be going on another tour when we visit again.
Written 8 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ed L
Liverpool, UK23 contributions
Dec 2023 • Couples
Fascinating snapshot of the history of real people who lived in New York. We did the After the Famine tour. Our educator, Camilla, was so knowledgeable and helped make the story of the Irish family insightful and relatable. I would highly recommend a tenement museum tour for anyone visiting the city and interested in its history.
Written 6 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Crissy K
Memphis, IN578 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
I love history and found this place very interesting. If I lived in the city I would buy some kind of annual pass and go back and listen to every story. We were in a bit of a time crunch and chose the tour that was next up. It was on a Jewish family and a family from Puerto Rico. The young man that led our tour ( I think David) was very knowledgeable. I loved the fact that they blended stories from the family into the tour. It made an impact. All the items from that period were great. If you like history I highly recommend.
Written 30 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MarkLA73
Aberdeen, UK49 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
We went on the Family Owned tour which told the story of early German settlers living in the tenement in the mid 1800s. Very interesting story and fascinating to see the living conditions. The house has a mock up of the saloon bar which the family ran during their stay. Well worth the visit.
Written 25 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dawn T
Richmond, ME49 contributions
Nov 2023 • Friends
My best friend and I have now visited the Tenement Museum together twice - once in 1995, soon after they opened - which was an AMAZING visit!!!! - and then, again, this 2023 fall, which was a wholly disappointing "tour" of three rooms for 15 minutes with little information, capping off 45 minutes of looking at the privies and being lectured to in a sad classroom with 6-7 digital images that offered nothing to the story.
Once upon a time, in 1995, we visited and left the Museum wholly inspired and in awe, eager to visit again and travel back in history! It took us longer than we'd imagined to make it back and we finally did! We excitedly booked a tour, made it back - and were sorely disappointed.
It should be said that the space itself is amazing and (perhaps) we just booked the wrong tour... but, frankly, it sucked and I need to say so. At $30/person, I was SO disappointed!!!! I started out elated that the Tenement Museum had come SO far that now they had strict scheduling and book shop (which looks pretty cool and I wish them well - we had limited time, but it was impressive and they had an amazing selection of books and other items) - but we were herded like cattle for our tour, heeding alerts and shouts, following rangers to ensure we had the right tickets. Once first verified, we wound up outside on a loud, busy sidewalk for an "intro" offering little helpful or audible information as our "guide" shouted over the traffic.
Finally, off to the privies, which were, frankly, among the best parts of the "tour." We lingered here for a strange amount of time - and, thankfully, I and my friend had a few great questions that kept things interesting and informative! Eventually, we climbed 4 stories for the "tour".... but, instead, were immediately corralled into a small "classroom" for 30 minutes to witness 6-7 slides (with uninformed understanding) and that dragged on (forEVER!) while the guide compared Irish immigrants of the 1800s to the Palestinians of today (at length) - it was a lot (and I'm quite liberal and open minded - and I worried more than a little bit about how my fellow visitors would receive this angle....) When we finally escaped the classroom, we had about 15 minutes to witness and explore the 3 small rooms of an Irish family, along with some brief and stilted commentary. I was wholly jealous of anyone below us, visiting other floors and really missed exploring what I remembered from years ago, witnessing much more of what was available to see. I can't say that I'm a fan of only choosing a tiny portion to witness for a substantial fee. I enjoyed about 25% of our "tour", which could have been SO much better!
And, I must say that, before complaining so bitterly in public, I tried to leave most of these comments directly with the museum , but the website was not helpful for doing so. Long story, short: I WANT to LOVE this museum!! It was AMAZING in 1995. Today, they may have grown too big for their britches. Now, we pay a fortune to see a tiny portion of what they could offer, and what we did experience was oddly politicized (which I can handle, but worry much more about others who might take it horribly the wrong way....). Perhaps the Museum could include showing more in their tours while paring down the political commentary AS WELL as the didactic portion of the tour (just some thoughts..... ) And, hopefully, our experience was out-of-the-norm and unusual!
We were SO looking forward to finally returning to the museum after all this time - but, frankly, it was a bust. I hope you'll consider bringing things back to more inclusion and more enticing features. I want it to be amazing!
Once upon a time, in 1995, we visited and left the Museum wholly inspired and in awe, eager to visit again and travel back in history! It took us longer than we'd imagined to make it back and we finally did! We excitedly booked a tour, made it back - and were sorely disappointed.
It should be said that the space itself is amazing and (perhaps) we just booked the wrong tour... but, frankly, it sucked and I need to say so. At $30/person, I was SO disappointed!!!! I started out elated that the Tenement Museum had come SO far that now they had strict scheduling and book shop (which looks pretty cool and I wish them well - we had limited time, but it was impressive and they had an amazing selection of books and other items) - but we were herded like cattle for our tour, heeding alerts and shouts, following rangers to ensure we had the right tickets. Once first verified, we wound up outside on a loud, busy sidewalk for an "intro" offering little helpful or audible information as our "guide" shouted over the traffic.
Finally, off to the privies, which were, frankly, among the best parts of the "tour." We lingered here for a strange amount of time - and, thankfully, I and my friend had a few great questions that kept things interesting and informative! Eventually, we climbed 4 stories for the "tour".... but, instead, were immediately corralled into a small "classroom" for 30 minutes to witness 6-7 slides (with uninformed understanding) and that dragged on (forEVER!) while the guide compared Irish immigrants of the 1800s to the Palestinians of today (at length) - it was a lot (and I'm quite liberal and open minded - and I worried more than a little bit about how my fellow visitors would receive this angle....) When we finally escaped the classroom, we had about 15 minutes to witness and explore the 3 small rooms of an Irish family, along with some brief and stilted commentary. I was wholly jealous of anyone below us, visiting other floors and really missed exploring what I remembered from years ago, witnessing much more of what was available to see. I can't say that I'm a fan of only choosing a tiny portion to witness for a substantial fee. I enjoyed about 25% of our "tour", which could have been SO much better!
And, I must say that, before complaining so bitterly in public, I tried to leave most of these comments directly with the museum , but the website was not helpful for doing so. Long story, short: I WANT to LOVE this museum!! It was AMAZING in 1995. Today, they may have grown too big for their britches. Now, we pay a fortune to see a tiny portion of what they could offer, and what we did experience was oddly politicized (which I can handle, but worry much more about others who might take it horribly the wrong way....). Perhaps the Museum could include showing more in their tours while paring down the political commentary AS WELL as the didactic portion of the tour (just some thoughts..... ) And, hopefully, our experience was out-of-the-norm and unusual!
We were SO looking forward to finally returning to the museum after all this time - but, frankly, it was a bust. I hope you'll consider bringing things back to more inclusion and more enticing features. I want it to be amazing!
Written 21 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert T
Aberaeron, United Kingdom19 contributions
Nov 2023 • Friends
Simplistic, expensive and very un informative visit. We were coralled like a group of primary school children to two small rooms with a wholly uninformed guide. The talk lacked any imagination and had no reference whatsoever to the impact of WW1 or the Volstead Act in this area of high German immigrants and dense lager saloons.
Written 9 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NormandInLondon
London, UK800 contributions
Mar 2023 • Family
Very interesting museum, good tours. Not too short, not too long in length. Good gift shop too!
Written 9 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
beantay
Burnley, UK21 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
We came on a short holiday from the UK. Visited the Tenement museum in New York on 28/10/23-it was FANTASTIC !! There are several experiences you can book on- we chose the one about the German family who lived in the tenement block in the early 1900s. Our guide was Silas ( Si) who was BRILLIANT-so easy to listen to , so informative and answered all questions really well !! It takes you on a trip back to the German family who ran a bar there. They provided a meeting place for all the people who lived in the Tenement and their story was brought to life SO well by Si. It is well worth a visit -you won’t be disappointed !! Oh and the gift shop is well stocked with loads of things you’ll want to take home from the quirky to the beautiful !! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!❤️
Written 7 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sulkinggirl
Greater Manchester, UK13 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
We booked the Jewish Women’s tour of two different women who lived in the block in the early 1900s. Brilliant tour guide and so inspiring.
Written 7 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tim L
Picton, New Zealand139 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Outstanding!
I HATE museums - going along and looking a "stuff" - no matter how historic or famous is boring to me but I LOVED this. They call themselves a story telling museum and that is an excellent description except that you don't just listen. You are allowed, nay- encourged to ask questions and you seem to blend into the story. It truly becomes "alive" because you connect the story to where/who/when it has meaning to your own interests, past, future. This was exceptional. Make reservations ahead. We saw "After the Famine"
We are out of towners and old and so worried about taking the subway - so we took a cab ($40) from Penn Station. We took the F train (subway) back and it was comfortable, safe, on time and clean. We were too slow to wrangle a seat but a young woman hopped up immediately and offered her place. A gracious, beautiful (inside and out) young lady. I know the subways get crowded and crazy during rush hours especially but the young lady made our experience lovely.
We stopped and got lunch from a street vendor and sat outside on benches on a beautiful fall day after a visit to the past at the museum.
I see why "I Love New York"slogan works. It's true.
Confession: We have been going to NY for the fall for 40 years because of family in NJ and have been to lots of NY places - It took so long for us to go here because, I hate museums, but I wish we had gone long ago! You will love this!
I HATE museums - going along and looking a "stuff" - no matter how historic or famous is boring to me but I LOVED this. They call themselves a story telling museum and that is an excellent description except that you don't just listen. You are allowed, nay- encourged to ask questions and you seem to blend into the story. It truly becomes "alive" because you connect the story to where/who/when it has meaning to your own interests, past, future. This was exceptional. Make reservations ahead. We saw "After the Famine"
We are out of towners and old and so worried about taking the subway - so we took a cab ($40) from Penn Station. We took the F train (subway) back and it was comfortable, safe, on time and clean. We were too slow to wrangle a seat but a young woman hopped up immediately and offered her place. A gracious, beautiful (inside and out) young lady. I know the subways get crowded and crazy during rush hours especially but the young lady made our experience lovely.
We stopped and got lunch from a street vendor and sat outside on benches on a beautiful fall day after a visit to the past at the museum.
I see why "I Love New York"slogan works. It's true.
Confession: We have been going to NY for the fall for 40 years because of family in NJ and have been to lots of NY places - It took so long for us to go here because, I hate museums, but I wish we had gone long ago! You will love this!
Written 31 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is there a tour in which you would be able to view all of the apartments during one visit?
UnbreakableSara
Somerville, MA135 contributions
Unfortunately not; each tour revolves around a specialized theme and takes you through 1 or 2 of the different apartments. The tour I did was so good though, it makes me want to go back and see something new next time!
Gillianwats
Dublin, Ireland23 contributions
Do you need to pre book if so how long in advance please?
Stella
Hautes-Pyrenees, France165 contributions
We just turned up and booked for the tour we wanted - there are different tours going every 15 minutes or so so we chose the next but one as it seemed (and was) interesting. This was early October on a Monday.
ParisCarol
Michigan289 contributions
I thought I saw there was a movie that you could also see before the tour if you came earlier. I can't find anything about that now. Does anyone know if there is a movie available? Thanks
Cavu123
New York City, NY11 contributions
Yes there is a movie. You can really see it before and after. It is pretty good. Also - they mention the Puerto Rican migration in the 40s-50s if you are interested. It is not on the tour.
matthew
1 contribution
I’m hoping to visit on my last day in the city, do you have somewhere to leave luggage if I brought it with me?
WallaceRoger
Orland Park, IL36 contributions
They have lockers down near the restrooms, but I'm not sure if they're large enough to accommodate a full suitcase. You might want to call them and ask.
Rperi
Netanya, Central District, Israel168 contributions
is this attraction recommended for adults?
which tour is considered the most popular / recomended?
Brad K
Yulee, FL46 contributions
More adults, but 12 years old and up might find it interesting. I wouldn’t say good for toddlers or elementary only b/c there is a lot of standing in a small room listening to an educator. Have not done any of the walking tours, so no comment. Hard times tour I think is the most popular and one of the 1st ones created.
I've been to the Tenement Museum. Loved it. Is it possible to purchase items from the gift shop online?
elenarf
British Columbia62 contributions
Yes, various things are for sale in the shop, i.e. the usual souvenirs but also other more educational things, books, etc. but I haven't personally checked online. I bought a book on the history of the tenement museum, "A Tenement Story", partly because it included pictures, (you can't take pictures in the museum), and partly because it included various stories. I'm sure some of these things would be online and worth buying.
SwissAir100
Washington DC, DC52 contributions
Interested in doing 2 apartment tours in one day (& fairly close together in time). Does one schedule an apartment tour for eg. 12 pm. Then do another one for 12:45 pm or 1 pm?
Joly
Boardman, OH413 contributions
I'ts probably too late for this answer, but you will need more time in between tours. They run at least and hour and you exit the back of the building so you would have to walk around the block to get to the next one in time.
db1366
Edinburgh, UK136 contributions
I know it’s a while away, but does anyone know if The Tenement Museum will be open on Labor Day this year, September 2? Thanks
christopherbO9687MP
Acton, MA668 contributions
The Tenement Museum is open nearly every day, except for major holidays. Labor Day usually doesn't count as a major holiday, so their web site will likely list open slots available that holiday weekend. Note that this museum is very busy on any holiday weekend they are open, so I'd make reservations early.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Tenement Museum
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