List of Museums in New York City

Fun Museums NYC

Who says all museums must be boring? If you're not inclined to the lofty Fine Arts, think about paying a visit to one of these fun museums in New York City:

Madame Tussauds in NYC

• Madame Tussauds Wax Museum: If you're looking for a surreal NYC experience, look no further than Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Here at this fun NYC museum you'll find the expertly crafted, disarmingly lifelike wax statues of celebrities and public figures such as Robert Pattinson, President Obama, and Lady Gaga. You can even get your picture taken with Leonardo DiCaprio or strike a pose with Taylor Swift!
• Lower East Side Tenement Museum: The Lower East Side Tenement Museum is housed in a five-story brick tenement house on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Between 1863 and 1935, this landmark structure was home to over 7,000 working-class immigrants from over 20 nations. Tours of this fascinating NYC museum are highly interactive, with some featuring live music and dancing. Reservations must be made in advance.

African-American Art Museums in NYC

The Studio Museum

As one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world, New York City has a lot to offer in the way of arts and culture. You'll find museums dedicated to American folk art, Ukrainian folk art, and Asian art, along with museums dedicated to the art of New York. You'll also find several cool NYC museums devoted exclusively to African art, such as the ones below:

• The Studio Museum: Widely regarded as one of the best cultural institutions in Harlem, The Studio Museum NYC specializes in 19th- and 20th-century art by people of African descent. Founded in 1968, this Harlem museum was the first American contemporary art museum dedicated to the art of African-Americans. The museum's permanent collection features over 1,700 works of art.
• The Museum for African Art: Founded in 1984, the Museum for African Art strives to increase public understanding of African art and culture with excellence in exhibitions. Among its most acclaimed exhibitions are Africa Explores: 20th-Century African Art, Liberated Voices: Contemporary Art from South Africa, and Material Differences: Art and Identity in Africa. This popular NYC museum will be joining the other famous NY museums on Museum Mile in 2011.

Science Museums in NYC

The NY Hall of Science

If you've already been to all the famous fine arts museums like the Met and the Guggenheim, consider visiting one of these cool science museums in New York City:

• New York Hall of Science: Originally built as a pavilion for the 1964 World's Fair, the New York Hall of Science is now a fun and educational escape for children and their parents. This cool NY museum stands in Flushing Meadows Corona Park and features 450 exhibits, including a mechanical surfboard, real NASA rockets, and a massive spider web.
• Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum: Located on Pier 86 in Midtown Manhattan, the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum features historical and highly interactive exhibits that both educate and entertain. At this fun New York City museum, you'll learn all about the history of the U.S. Military and NASA, with memorable, hands-on experiences.

Children's Museums in NYC

Children's Museum of the Arts

Of course, adults aren't the only ones who enjoy museums. Here are a few excellent children's museums in NYC:

• Children's Museum of the Arts: Located in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, the Childrens Museum of the Arts is one of only a few NYC museums specifically geared towards young children. This kid-friendly NYC museum allows kids to create their own art and view works by other children from around the world.
• Brooklyn Children's Museum: Perhaps the most stimulating of all the children's museums in New York, the Brooklyn Children's Museum was the first museum in the United States to cater specifically to children. This popular children's museum features a permanent collection of nearly 30,000 cultural objects and natural history specimens, including toy cars, kites, mechanical banks, and fossils.