Marilyn’s Secrets. Sixteen Under-The-Radar Museums.

By Marilyn Machlowitz

I love great museums, and I love the famous ones in my city–The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, The Guggenheim and The Whitney.

But NYC has many less-well-known (and less crowded and less costly) museums unknown even to natives. Just in case you are in our town for Memorial Day, here is a list of my top secret picks, in alpha order. All in Manhattan unless noted:

American Folk Art Museum, 2 Lincoln Square.  Gorgeous quilts and other self-taught art. And it has a lovely shop.*

Bard Graduate Center, 16 West 86th Street. Multiple exhibits each year on decorative arts, design and material culture. Its Sonia Delaunay show won plaudits.

Grey. 18 Cooper Square. The recently relocated and enlarged fine arts museum of New York University hosts intelligent and informative exhibits. I saw a fantastic show about Berthe Weill, the first woman modern art dealer.

Hill Art Foundation, 239 Tenth Avenue. Founded by private collectors, the modern building abuts The High Line, a bit of a museum itself. Its Jordan Casteel exhibit was spectacular. I spotted the artist in attendance.*

The Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW), 15 East 84th Street. ISAW’s gem-like exhibits of ancient artifacts are curated by scholars and set in a beautiful townhouse. Inside, look up at the gorgeous spiral staircase.*

The Jackie Robinson Museum, 76 Varick Street. This modern space offers tremendous insights into the life and legacy of the first African American man to play Major League Baseball and reflects our country’s changing history.

Leslie Lohman Museum of Art, 28 Wooster Street. A home for queer art and artists. I toured an exhibit here in the best way–guided by the museum’s director.

Louis Armstrong House Museum, 34-56 107th Street, Queens.  You don’t have to know or love his music to enjoy a tour of his home. It is so enchanting, I’ve gone twice. The kitchen is my favorite room. Don’t miss it.

Mmmuseumm, 4 Cortlandt Alley. Housed in an elevator, and in NYC’s newest art and design district, this may be the quirkiest and certainly the smallest exhibition space in NY. An exhibit of coffee cup lids captivated me.

The Museum at FIT, 227 West 27th Street. Features exquisitely curated exhibits of fashion by famous designers and others. I prefer it to The Met’s Costume Institute.*

National Museum of the American Indian ,1 Bowling Green. Artifacts housed in an historic building–the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Customs House, at the foot of Manhattan..* 

Noguchi Museum,  9-01 33rd Road, Queens. A spectacular collection of the artist’s work in a peaceful setting and garden. A five minute cab ride from the Upper East Side.

Peter Brant, 421 East 6th Street. Modern and contemporary art.

Poster House, 119 West 23rd Street. A sleek space offering insight into game changing political and commercial uses of the poster. I love it.

School of Visual Arts, 209 East 23rd Street. Often fascinating shows on design by Louise Fili, Milton Glaser and others.*

The Wallach Art Gallery at Columbia University, 615 West 129th Street.   I saw the Posing Modernity exhibit three times before its move to Paris.*

To avoid disappointment, please check museum websites in advance. Days and hours of operation vary and museums may be closed when exhibits are changed. All of these are in Manhattan except the wonderful ones in Queens.

Two bonus treats that aren’t (formal) museums: 

Christie’s, 20 Rockefeller Plaza.  Celebrity collections and other lots go on view before each auction. I have seen museum quality works that may never be displayed in public again. Same at Sotheby’s. *

Socrates Sculpture Park, 32-01 Vernon Boulevard, Queens  Public art outdoors on the East River with a view of Manhattan. Founded by legendary sculptor Mark de Suvero. A short walk from the Noguchi Museum.*

* Denotes free admission.

Marilyn Machlowitz visits museums wherever she goes. She has planned trips to Washington, Philadelphia, Antwerp, and Bilbao—just to see new museums.