Category: Small Museums and Galleries in NYC

One World Trade Observatory 285 Fulton Street New York, NY 10007

One World Trade Observatory 285 Fulton Street New York, NY 10007

One World Trade Center Observatory

285 Fulton Street

New York, NY 10007

(844) 696-1776

Plan your Visit

Open: Sunday-Saturday 9:00am-9:00pm (hours change seasonally)

Admission: See the website for prices depending on individual and group prices seasonally

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d8072300-Reviews-One_World_Observatory-New_York_City_New_York.html

Though it is not a museum, it is a view of the world. I had been to the original World Trade Center three times before 9/11 and the views were just amazing. There is nothing like it as the Empire State Building’s are a bit different.

One World Trade-The former Freedom Tower

https://www.officialworldtradecenter.com/en/local/things-to-do/one-world-observatory.html

The building itself is very impressive to visit (quite frankly I would NEVER want to work here) but with its past leery of anything else. Too many people died on this site and I would not want to work in an office here no matter what company. I would want a parachute in my office at all times. Still this was going to be my second trip to the top of the building since 2015 when I visited with my best friend, Kris.

I had won two tickets to the Observatory from a contest at NYU and had set VIP tickets to skip the line to go to the top. At 10:00am in the morning, there was no line to skip. I went right to the top with not that many people there at that time. If you get there early in the morning in the off season, there are no crowds.

The site is still so impressive. This is the Occulus right by the Tower.

One World Observatory is at the top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, One World Trade Center. The Observatory is located on the 100th, 101st, and 102nd floors encompassing over 125,000 square feet. You’ll take an incredible Sky Pod Elevator ride to the top. Once aloft guests can explore three levels of the Observatory filled with innovation and inspiration. One World Observatory offers views of New York City’s iconic sights, surrounding waters, and iconic skyline – amazing 360 views for up to 45 miles in every direction (One World Trade Center website).

The views from the top are so impressive of downtown and Governors Island.

Governors Island in the foreground and lower Manhattan. This is the original colony.

The views of Downtown Jersey City and the Waterfront are so spectacular.

The Statue of Liberty seemed so close.

The views of Downtown Brooklyn were amazing.

Midtown was so impressive on a clear day. You can see all the way up to Central Park.

Even the Battery was so impressive from this vantage point along the Hudson River.

Another shot of the Battery and Jersey City.

The views of New York Harbor are spectacular.

The Oculus and the Memorial Pools of the 9/11 Memorial from the top of the Observatory.

This interesting sculpture, XO World Project, is at the entrance when you leave the building.

https://www.officialworldtradecenter.com/en/local/things-to-do/events/xo-world-project.html#:~:text=The%20XO%20WORLD%20PROJECT%2C%20created,and%20love%20around%20the%20world.

The XO World Project was created by artist Daniel Anderson, features two sculptures, “XO PLAY” and “XO WORLD,” that encourage peace and love around the world. “XO PLAY,” on display in the Oculus, depicts children playing a game of jacks, symbolizing childhood innocence and harmony with the world. “XO WORLD,” on display just outside One World Trade Center at West Plaza, features a 12-foot “Jack” from the game of Jacks with an “X” representing “love” in universal sign language and “O” representing the world (World Trade Center website).

Artist Daniel Anderson

https://www.danielandersonart.com/

Contemporary abstract sculptor and painter Daniel Anderson was born and raised in Pompton Plains, New Jersey. His interest and passion for art began at an early age and led him to be recruited and to receive a scholarship to attend the College of Visual & Performing Arts at Syracuse University in New York. He continued his formal education in Florence, Italy, and was the sole artist from New York City selected to participate in an annual residency program in Melbourne, Australia (Artist’s website).

The sculpture is a visual expression of the powerful message of equality, unity, peace, and love. This use of iconography and symbolism is meant to connect with the hearts and minds of the masses as it is intended to motivate, activate, and further progress humanity (Artist’s website). 

“As our society faces unprecedented challenges stemming from a global pandemic, economic recovery, racial inequity, and territorial conflicts, World Peace Day offers the perfect backdrop to unveil these two inspiring sculptures intended to bring people together,” said Anderson (Business Wire.com)

The view from the bottom when you leave.

The view from the 9/11 Memorial Park.

The 9/11 Memorial Pools which are the footprint of the original Trade Center Buildings.

https://www.911memorial.org/visit/memorial/about-memorial

This memorial still gets me choked up with what happened here over twenty years ago. I still see flags and flowers of near loved ones names along the edges of the pools. It is nice that family members still remember their family here.

The skyline of the park from the Memorial pools.

The pools are reminder of time when the world went mad. Those feelings are still simmering under the surface of society today.

Museum of Broadway 145 West 45th Street New York, NY 10036

Museum of Broadway 145 West 45th Street New York, NY 10036

Museum of Broadway

145 West 45th Street

New York, NY 10036

https://www.themuseumofbroadway.com/plan-your-visit

Open: Sunday-Tuesday 9:30am-6:30pm/Wednesday 9:30am-2:30pm/Thursday-Friday 9:30am-6:30pm/Saturday 9:30am-8:00pm

Admission: Adults $49.00/Seniors $32.00/Students $29.00

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g60763-d25074776-Museum_of_Broadway-New_York_City_New_York.html

The entrance to the Museum of Broadway at 145 West 45th Street

The front of the Museum of Broadway

I visited the newly opened Museum of Broadway recently and what a nice surprise the museum is with a great depth in the collection. There was the history of the theater in New York City and how it progressed from small theaters downtown to the theater’s progression uptown to it home now in the core of Times Square.

The Make-Up Room on the way up the stairs.

The Call Board display.

The museum is very interesting in that when you enter the back of the museum you feel that you are going backstage at a theater and preparing for a show. You head up the stairs past make up rooms, wardrobe rooms and the star’s rooms. The you head out the door like you are going out on stage. You feel that rush of the stage.

The Stage Door stairs.

The Broadway Playbill Room exhibit

The Playbill Room display

As you head up the stairs to the exhibition the museum makes you feel like an actor on opening night. The sounds of the stage and the noises of the crew in the background make you feel like you are part of the show. The Playbill Room displays some of the popular shows from the past and present.

The Props of the backstage.

Then you open the door, and you enter the main museum with displays on the history of the theater. As you progress through the museum, you will see displays on popular shows through the years from Flo Ziegfield and the Ziegfield Follies to the modern shows on Broadway.

The Ziegfield Room

The Ziegfield Room

Costumes that were found in a box in the attic of the theater.

Ethel Merman in “Anything Goes” when she first started her career. She was so young. I pulled the movie that featured a lot of the Broadway cast. Ethel Merman never lost her touch throughout her career.

“Anything Goes” from the movie.

From there, I explored the museum and many of the most famous shows on Broadway had their own displays with props, scripts, pictures and costumes from the shows. Not just the revivals but the original shows as well. It was interesting to see what the original stars wore in the shows as well as these costumes still existed after all this time. I kept the pictures in order as I toured through the displays of the Broadways most popular productions.

The Oklahoma! exhibit with costumes and scenery from the show.

The Oklahoma set props from the recent revival

The West Side Story set

The West Side Story set from the recent revival

When the original “Hello Dolly” came out in the 1960’s, it made a huge star of Carol Channing, who owned the role until the day she died. I had seen her revival production in the early 1990’s and I will tell you that even in her 80’s, she had more pep and vitality than any one person had. She went on tour with the company after the show closed in New York to China and all over Asia. When you hear her sing “Hello Dolly”, you knew it was her.

“Hello Dolly” with Carol Channing’s original outfit from the show.

The display on the original show “Hello Dolly” with Carol Channing.

The video from London’s West End

The original show “Cabaret”

The costumes from “Cabaret”

The costumes from the show “Hair”

There was a large display to the late and great Stephen Sondheim:

There was a large display of props, scripts, costumes and pictures from all of his show especially the groundbreaking show “Company”. Today it might not seem so unusual for a thirty year old not to be married but in 1970 when the show came out, it was rare. Since the passing of Mr. Sondheim, there has been more interest in his life and his productions that he created. I have seen so many of his show especially his last show “Bounce”, when I was seeing his retrospect at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.

The groundbreaking show “Company”

“Company” is an excellent show.

The original cast of Company in the 1993 revival.

The revival of company with the production that my father and I saw in 2010.

The “A Chorus Line” display

“The Wiz” display

The “Cats” display and costumes

The Broadway Timeline

Phantom of the Opera

Phantom of the Opera

The Costumes for Evita and Phantom of the Opera

Me in the Hallway of Mirrors

“The Producers” display

The “Avenue Q” display

The ‘Making of a Broadway Show’

The costumes of a Broadway show

The “Chicago” display was the last show display before I got to the gift shop.

The museum progresses room by room and display by display showing the costumes and props of some of the most popular shows on Broadway and shows from the past. The collection has an extensive selection of memorabilia from productions of the past through today and showcases them in such an interesting way.

The Museum of Broadway is such an engaging museum from start to finish and I can see more shows of the future will be displayed here as well. The staff is available to answer any questions you might have and they also have an extensive gift shop in the front of the museum.

Museum of Illusions 77 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10014

Museum of Illusions 77 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10014

Museum of Illusions

77 Eighth Avenue

New York, NY 10014

(212) 645-3230

https://www.facebook.com/moi.newyork/

Admission: Adults $24.00/Students-Seniors-Essential Workers $22.00/Children Under Six Free/Family Fee (Two Adults and Two Children $75.00)

Open: Sunday 10:00am-12:00am/Monday-Thursday 10:00am-11:00pm/Friday-Saturday 10:00am-12:00am

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d14203837-Reviews-Museum_of_Illusions-New_York_City_New_York.html

Video on the “Museum of Illusions”

The Museum of Illusions is a interesting museum in that it is a small museum packed with various exhibitions and hands on displays that are interactive for the visitor. Each one is an experience in itself. The visitor participates in what the display has to offer and it plays with both your mind and with your personality and how you react to it.

The main gallery at the Museum of Illusions

There are a lot of brain teasers and mirrors to throw you off or add to the display to entertain you. The optical illusions will test your mind and your senses. There are titled rooms to test your balance and your sense of sight, mirrored rooms to show location and reaction and small displays to show size and distance.

Admittingly it is a very small museum of the steep price of admission ($24.00 for an adult) and you will only be in the museum for about an hour. The problem with this museum is that once you experience it and if they do not change the displays, there is no reason to go back. The small displays can be experienced on two floors.

The Tilted Room display

The afternoon I was here, the museum was packed with summer campers and school aged kids who dominated the place and it is so small that it was hard to maneuver around the museum. Still it was a very interesting museum to experience once as it will test the power of and exercise your brain.

The Clone Table

Me in the Vertical Room

The Illusions Gallery

History of the Museum of Illusions:

(From the Museum Website)

Enter the fascinating world of illusions which will test your confidence in your senses yet amaze you by doing it. It is world that will confuse you completely, educating you in the process. Visit us and you will be thrilled because nothing is what it seems-especially in the Museum of Illusions!

The Infinity Tunnel

Are you ready for a fascinating adventure? We offer an intriguing visual, sensory and educational experience with a handful of new, unexplored illusions.

The Reverse Room

New York, place to experience illusions!

The Museum of Illusions in New York brings you a space that offers wonderous and entertaining insights into the world of illusions which will delight all generations. The museum is a unique place for new experiences and fun with family and friends. Not only is it an exciting place for children, who adore coming, but it’s also a great place for parents, couples and grandparents!

The Optical Illusions of the museum

Enjoy our collection of holograms, look closely at every optical illusion and observe each installation thoroughly. Our exhibits are a brilliant, playful reminder that our assumptions about the world we perceive are often nothing but a shadow of illusions. Our genuine collection of showpieces will most certainly make your jaw drop!

The Museum of Illusions Master of Numbers

The Museum of Illusions amusing, and awesome features will teach you about how the human brain perceives reality. You will come to understand why your eyes see things which your mind cannot initially comprehend. Make sure you visit our playroom with its intriguing and educational games and puzzles. These brain mashers are great fun but also delightfully tricky!

The Magic Prism

Day Two Hundred and Sixty-Two: Traveling to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to see the Crocuses on the Hill, Snowdrops, Ironweed flowers and other flowering plants, Daffodil Hill, the Magnolia Plaza, the Cherry Blossoms, the Cranford Rose Garden and the Lotus Pools March 30th, 2023 (again in March 12th & 22nd, May 29th, August 6th, 2024 and May 10th, 2025)

Day Two Hundred and Sixty-Two: Traveling to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to see the Crocuses on the Hill, Snowdrops, Ironweed flowers and other flowering plants, Daffodil Hill, the Magnolia Plaza, the Cherry Blossoms, the Cranford Rose Garden and the Lotus Pools March 30th, 2023 (again in March 12th & 22nd, May 29th, August 6th, 2024 and May 10th, 2025)

The entrance to the gardens in the Summer of 2022

If you want to see some of the most beautiful sites in New York City during the Spring months when Mother Nature truly works her magic then I would suggest going to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to see Daffodil Hill and Magnolia Plaza.

The sign when entering Daffodil Hill in the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

https://www.bbg.org/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60827-d103900-r884200309-Brooklyn_Botanic_Garden-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/2785

This is when everything is in full bloom during the early Spring. There is nothing like it and it is so breathtaking with a quiet elegance. On this clear and sunny Thursday afternoon, the gardens were quiet so I had plenty of time to take pictures and enjoy the beautiful views.

I finally got the gardens in the early Spring to see the crocuses, the Snowdrops and the Ironweed flowers that come in the early Spring just as the Daffodils were just coming out. These sensitive flowers are only in bloom a short time and I wanted to see them. They are just beautiful when you see them up close.

The Garden was ablaze with the colors of almost a thousand purple crocuses that lined the hills on the Prospect Park side of the lawns in 2024. Beautiful purple and while colors were in full bloom and Mother Nature shined in the COVID era with all of us socially distanced but still enjoying the park.

Crocus Hills ablaze in purple in 2024

The purple crocuses in full bloom in 2024.

The beautiful purple crocuses in full bloom.

While I was taking pictures of the crocuses, I walked around the gardens and came across the Snowdrops and the Ironweed flowers were also in bloom. These sensitive flowers are only in bloom for just about two weeks. To see them in the gardens in the late Winter is a real treat. They sometimes are in bloom in early and you have to see them quickly before they disappear in the ground.

The Snowdrops in full bloom in the gardens in 2024.

The Snowdrops up close.

The Ironweed just as beautiful. To see these graceful flowers in bloom are a real treat.

The Ironweed flowers in bloom right by the stream.

The Ironweed flowers in full bloom.

An Azalea that was early blooming in the garden in 2024.

Daffodil Hill at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Hundreds of Trumpet Daffodils are in bloom on a hill just off the Japanese Gardens flanked by hundred-year-old trees and it just plays into the backdrop of the greens and browns of the trees and lawns. I can’t tell you on a beautiful sunny day how breathtaking it is just to sit and admire these elegant flowers. It really is a site to see.

Daffodil Hill in full bloom

I love the way these hundreds of flowers make such a beautiful statement and there is such a burst of colors between the yellows and oranges of the daffodil flowers. This only lasts for about two weeks and then the flowers hibernate again.

The side view of Daffodil Hill from the walkway

Daffodil Hill just off the Japanese Gardens

Daffodil Hill is right next to the Magnolia Plaza that was also in peak bloom when I was at the gardens. The trees of the Magnolia Plaza bloom the last week of March and these delicate trees petals do not last more than a week. When I got close enough to them to take pictures, I noticed that some of them were starting to curl already.

The area between Magnolia Plaza and Daffodil Hill

Not all the trees were in bloom yet but these delicate trees are very sensitive to the weather and I have noticed that the petals don’t last as long. Most of the trees were in full bloom but there was not much a smell to the trees. Still everyone was taking pictures in every direction between the Magnolia trees and Daffodil flowers.

The Magnolia Plaza in full bloom

The sign in the Magnolia Plaza

The edge of the Magnolia Plaza

The pathways in the afternoon

The Magnolia trees make such a bold and colorful statement

The array of colors in the Magnolia Plaza

The Magnolia Plaza facing Daffodil Hill in the distance

The Sundial in the middle of the Magnolia Plaza

After taking dozens of pictures of the Magnolia Plaza and Daffodil Hill, I walked over to the Rock Garden. There were not many flowers in bloom there yet as they come out later in the month. There was still an array of daffodils and a few crocuses still in bloom. The Rock Garden was quiet and perfect to walk around in as I had this part of the garden to myself.

The Rock Garden in the early Spring

The Rock Garden in the early afternoon

I headed to the northern part of the garden and visited the Japanese Gardens, where the cherry blooms started to bloom. These graciously landscaped gardens were created in the traditional Japanese form with a combination of trees and shrubs to balance the garden.

Entering the Japanese gardens from the path

The Japanese Gardens pool with traditional buildings

The Japanese Gardens in the early Spring

Returning at the height of the Cherry Blooms was just breathtaking. This view only rivals the beauty of Newark, NJ and Washington DC.

The magnificent Cherry Blossom lawn in April 2024.

People relaxing and enjoying the beautiful afternoon under the Cherry trees.

The beauty of the trees.

The Cherry Blossom at peak form.

I came back after the Cherry Blossoms had fully bloomed and were now gone and the Bluebells were in full bloom. It had been a cold and rainy Spring and it had been miserable to be outside. Not on the May weekend in 2025. The weather was spectacular and sunny. The Gardens were packed on Mother’s Day weekend and these beautiful blue flowers were the star of the day.

The sign welcoming you to the gardens

The flowers were just amazing

The seas of purple and green

They have really expanded their space over the years

The flowers put on quite a show that day

There is a real beauty to the gardens

The flowers were at the peak of bloom

The Cranford Rose Garden was in full bloom two and a weeks before the Annual “Rose Night” that celebrates the blooms of the roses in the gardens. By the time the event would happen, most of the blossoms would be gone. So I visited the gardens again in late May after college had ended and I was in between classes. The roses were glorious to say the least and the colors, smells and the way they grew all over the trellises and fences made quite the effect. I was lucky that I went during a week day and the gardens were quiet.

There is nothing like the Cranford Rose Garden when it is in full bloom. The smells and colors are fantastic and the beauty is something timed by Mother Nature. The roses grow at different stages and it looks so gorgeous during the late Spring.

Entering the Rose Gardens in the Spring of 2024

The front of the gardens in bloom

The front beds of the Rose Garden

The front of the Cranford Rose Garden in full bloom

The trellises in full bloom

The trellis in full bloom

Walking along the paths to the back part of the gardens.

The back part of the gardens

Roses along the trellises

Exiting the back of the gardens into the Cherry Blossom Lawn

The back entrance to the Cranford Rose Garden.

If you can get to the gardens in early June, I would suggest a special trip to see the roses. This special time of the year only lasts about three weeks and then like the rest of the flower displays in the gardens are gone until the next year. The gardens are now maturing for the summer months with lots of greenery and are still a nice place to relax and walk around or just sit and enjoy the views.

The Cherry Blossom Lawn after the cherry blooms are gone.

The flowers of the garden’s Marsh area.

I came to the gardens in late July to see the Lotuses in the Lotus Pools when they were in bloom and when they are at their peak, they are so colorful and elegant. I now know why the Egyptians worshipped them.

The Lion Fountain greets you as you enter the pools

The video on the fountain:

IMG_7815Download

The Lotus Pools

The Lotus Pools

The Lotus Pools

The Yellow Lotus in the pools

The Pink Lotus in the pools

The Cherry Blossom Fountain in bloom

The Cherry Blossom Fountain in bloom

Before I left the gardens for the afternoon, I stopped in the gift shop and looked around. They have some wonderful things to buy including a section of Brooklyn made products. There is also an array of plants, books and decorative products to buy.

The Gift Shop at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

The Brooklyn made products and book selection at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

After my visit to the gardens, I stopped at Bahn Mi Place at 824 Washington Avenue for lunch. I had one of their classic Bahn Mi sandwiches with ham and pate on a chewy hard roll. The food here is consistently good and their sandwiches are excellent.

Bahn Mi Place at 824 Washington Avenue

https://banhmiplacebklyn.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60827-d8530850-Reviews-Banh_Mi_Place-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/2187

The Classic Banh Mi sandwich at Banh Mi Place

You have to order the sandwich with a Medium spicy sauce. It adds to the complexity

The sandwiches are excellent. The flavors of the fresh vegetables and meats with the spicy sauce makes complex flavor. The bread is fresh and chewy and don’t be fooled by the size of the sandwich. It is larger than I thought and very filling. See my review on both TripAdvisor and DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com.

I took my lunch and ate on the steps near the Brooklyn Museum and just enjoyed the afternoon. I people watched and enjoyed the cool, sunny weather. It was nice to escape from classes for a couple of hours and just relax and not think about school or work. It has again become a bit stressful between the two but I will handle everything.

I look forward to this time in the gardens and is one of the reasons why I keep my membership. I love to look at the hundreds of daffodils in bloom and watching as they sway in the wind and just want to look beautiful. It is the most amazing site every Spring.

You do have to time your visits so that you see all these beautiful flowers at each time.

Happy Easter!