02/24/09

Slice of history!

by VDB

The LES Tenement Museum is a fantastic step back into time, and a wonderful way to gain a true history lesson on New York. The tour guides are wonderful and so informative, this museum is a MUST!

02/09/09

Amazing and Powerful!

by hubriis

It took us a few years in New York before we made it to the tenement museum...I wish we'd gone sooner! But the great news is that now they offer several tours so you don't get bored, and you also get to see and almost experience what life was like for several diverse types of families that might have lived (and in some cases, did live) in the tenement apartments.

We loved our experience and came away with so much knowledge and a really true and intimate feel for what the family had gone through when living in the tenement. And don't get me started on the gift shop - DON'T miss it! We'll be back soon.

Orchard Street's museum documents both everyday family lives and the broader history of immigration.

by Contributor

In Short
The Lower East Side Tenement Museum was founded in 1988. The building that houses the museum, a preserved tenement at 97 Orchard Street, was called home by some 7,000 people from more than 20 nations--from Turkish and German Jews to Sicilian Catholics--over the course of 72 years (between 1863 and 1935). In 1998, the museum became a protected building under the aegis of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

06/07/05

Compelling historic slice of New York city life

by sharopooks

Spent a fulfilling family afternoon here recently. As soon as you enter this building, rich with history, you taste what it was like for families living in NYC's tenements and stay immersed for the next few hours. Very knowledgable guide. The museum's scheduled walking tours center around different themes (eg garment industry of early NY) and we saw 3 units preserved and explained in relation to that theme. The heart of the museum is stories of families just trying to survive. Our amazing guide said at the end (paraphrasing) "we must preserve how these families lived because it is just as much a part of our history as Gettysburg." 3 of the mothers in our group got a little misty. We did waitvover an hour for a tour but that could've been because we had a group of 10.

• Pros: Historic, Great guides, Good neighborhood
• Cons: Long wait for groups

11/20/03

LIKE GOING BACK IN TIME

by erzsi

This museum is like going back in time. There's so much information. Worthwhile!

• Pros: Great neighborhood, personable, Rosario's Pizza
• Cons: no parking

02/26/03

Interesting

by jakubowicz

Very interesting place, but still a work in progress. Tour was made extra special by our guide Rose who pointed out an interesting walk of the neigbourhood. A large group would dilute the experience.

10/13/02

Manhattan real estate

by Domanda

I wasn't as impressed as I'd hoped to be. Maybe because I share a two-bedroom apartment with 3 other people here in NY, I thought that with some paint, light fixtures, and a bathroom, those apartments wouldn't be so bad. Granted, I don't have ancestors who came through NY so I don't have an emotional connection to immigrants of that time, though the two apartments decorated like period homes did help give a face to those who had lived there. However, the most intriguing feature for me was where someone had scribbled on the walls of one of the apartments and I wish our guide had talked about this sign of human presence. I think that for visitors to NY, or someone who had immigrant ancestors, or someone who has never lived in tight quarters, the museum will likely be much more powerful than it was for me.

08/27/02

A Different Museum Experience

by ClaytonV

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum is a unique New York institution. They have preserved a tenement building on Orchard Street in its early 20th century state (the walls are crumbling and you can see all the layers of wallpaper over the years). My family had a great experience with the excellent tour guide, Rose Tennenbaum (I may have misspelled her last name). The building is unairconditioned and small so be prepared. Rose provided paper fans for each person on the tour which was key to enjoying the tour. Rose told us about each room in the building. I'll never forget the image of my kids fanning Rose as she spoke to us about the history of the families who lived in the tenement. The video in the bookshop is worth watching although the TV is small. A unique New York City experience!

• Pros: Tour Guide, Tenement Building, Handheld Fan
• Cons: Small Video TV

07/29/02

Time Travel

by NJvisitor

I've had a lot of expectations based on the reviews that I got but they were all exceeded immensely.

It's pretty much like going back in time and being able to relive some aspects of your ancestors life.

You can learn about life in its purest form here.

Very intellectually stimulating!

07/24/02

Great City Perspective - Cheap Price

by visitor

If you love history, and enjoy learning about the city than you MUST go here. You will get a great perspective on what it was like for yesterday's immigrants to come to NYC and how they lived and worked once here. Arrive early so you can watch some great oral history videos prior to your tour, or browse the store full of interesting books to read. The tour will take you into a tenement which has been untouched since the tenants moved out in the first half of the century - so you really get a feel for what it was like. The tour guides are knowledgeable and you will learn a lot, and have fun at the same time. The prices are so cheap! You can have fun, and learn something at the same time for under $10. Can't beat that!

• Pros: Knowledgeable Staff, Authentic Museum, Cheap Prices