On Fifth Avenue’s Museum Mile, the Jewish Museum brings Jewish art and culture into a former mansion built in 1908. Its collection spans ceremonial objects, paintings, photographs, sculpture and media, with works connected to more than 4,000 years of Jewish history. Rotating exhibitions add modern and contemporary art, so check the museum’s website to see what will be on view during your visit. The building itself is part of the stop, and the museum also has a gift shop and a restaurant with an outpost of Russ & Daughters.
The former Warburg mansion
The museum is housed in the former Felix M. Warburg House at Fifth Avenue and East 92nd Street. Built in 1908 as a residence, the stone mansion has a carved exterior and a grand presence on Museum Mile. Its rooms give the collection a setting distinct from a purpose-built gallery, and the building is a reason to look beyond the exhibits as you move through the museum.
The institution was founded in 1904 and opened to the public in 1947. It is the oldest continuously operating Jewish museum in the world and the first Jewish museum established in the United States.
Art and Jewish culture across the collection
The collection holds nearly 30,000 works, including paintings, sculpture, photographs, installations, archaeological objects, ceremonial items and media. Together, they trace Jewish art and culture across more than 4,000 years and around the world. The displays bring religious objects into conversation with works of modern and contemporary art.
Artists represented include Marc Chagall and Andy Warhol. The collection also includes ceremonial objects such as menorahs, as well as paintings and silverware. A permanent presentation, Scenes from the Collection, sits alongside temporary exhibitions, so the experience can change from one visit to another.
Planning your gallery visit
Exhibitions have included presentations on artists such as Paul Klee, Ben Shahn and Anish Kapoor. A Klee exhibition connected his work with ideas about photography and history through writing by Walter Benjamin, who owned Klee’s Angelus Novus. In that exhibition, the painting on view was a copy, not the original. Check current exhibition details before travelling if you have a particular artist or work in mind.
The museum also has a permanent exhibition for children, a restaurant and a gift shop. Guided tours are available, and the museum provides assistive listening devices, a hearing loop and tours for visitors with visual impairments. The entrance and restrooms are wheelchair accessible. On Saturdays, admission is free during regular hours; this can mean waiting to enter, so allow extra time if you choose that day.
FAQ
Is admission to the Jewish Museum free?
Admission is free on Saturdays during regular hours. Free-entry days can be busier, and queues may form.
What can you see at the Jewish Museum?
The collection includes Jewish ceremonial objects, paintings, photographs, sculpture, installations and media. The museum also presents temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary art.
Where is the Jewish Museum in New York City?
It is at Fifth Avenue and East 92nd Street, on Museum Mile.
Is the Jewish Museum accessible?
The entrance and restrooms are wheelchair accessible. Assistive listening devices, a hearing loop and tours for visitors with visual impairments are available.
