New York, New York

Tenement Museum

In two historic apartment buildings on the Lower East Side, guided tours recreate the homes of real immigrant and migrant families who lived there between the 1860s and the 1980s.

Official visitor website

All landmarks

The story

Immigration & Becoming American
Arts, Architecture & Regional Culture

Why it matters

In two historic apartment buildings on the Lower East Side, guided tours recreate the homes of real immigrant and migrant families who lived there between the 1860s and the 1980s.

Why it may matter to you

These stories — finding work, raising children in small spaces, learning a new language — feel familiar to many newcomers today.

The fuller story

The tours discuss crowded and unsafe housing, discrimination, and how families pushed for better conditions and laws.

Plan your visit

Hours, prices, reservations, and closures change. Check the official visitor website.

Time to allow: About 2 hours (our estimate)
Setting: Mostly indoor
Tickets and reservations: Entry is by guided tour, which often sells out. Check the official visitor website.
Getting there: Several subway lines stop nearby; driving and parking in the area are difficult.
With family: Visits are by guided tour in small spaces with stairs; check the museum's accessibility information.
Seasons and weather: Year-round indoor visit.
Accessibility: See the operator's website for accessibility information.

Times are estimates and distances are straight-line. Citizen Navigator is an independent educational resource. Visitor access and conditions change. Confirm current details with the destination's official operator.