Situated in a Georgian Colonial Revival–style building at the top of Central Park, this local museum focuses solely on New York City’s past, present and future. If you only do one thing, spare 28 minutes to watch Timescapes, a multiscreen documentary that chronicles NYC’s past 400 years from tiny Dutch trading center to international powerhouse. Other permanent exhibits explore centuries of social activism and feature notable New Yorkers like poet Walt Whitman and urbanist Jane Jacobs. Icing on the cake: admission is pay-what-you-wish.
One of the museum’s star attractions is the 12-room mansion dollhouse fabricated by Carrie Stettheimer over 25 years at the turn of the 20th century – replete with tiny artworks (including miniatures of pieces by Marcel Duchamp and Gaston Lachaise). Excellent temporary pop culture exhibitions highlight both historic and contemporary issues and milestones (cycling in NYC, Stonewall riots, Jackie Robinson). The well-stocked gift shop is a great place to pick up NYC-themed books, gifts and souvenirs, and the free summer block parties – known as Uptown Bounce – are a DJ-fueled good time (check the schedule at www.mcny.org/bounce).
