Places for Families to Visit
in New York City

Eldridge Street Synagogue

The Eldridge Street Synagogue is the first great house of worship built on the Lower East Side by Eastern European Jews. From its opening in 1887, the building has been a symbol of the religious freedom and economic opportunity sought by so many immigrants to America. It is the most significant remaining marker of the huge Jewish community that flourished on New York's Lower East Side from the 1850's to the 1940's. Today, it is an inspiration to visitors of all cultural backgrounds from around the city, nation and globe. In recognition of the building's architectural magnificence and its role in the American immigrant experience, Eldridge Street was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1996.

Established in 1986, the not-for-profit Eldridge Street Project is restoring the landmark Eldridge Street Synagogue as a dynamic cultural and educational center on the Lower East Side. Tours, exhibits and discovery programs tell the story of Jewish immigrant life at the turn of the last century, explore architecture and historic preservation, inspire reflection on cultural continuity, and foster inter-group exchange.

Location: 12 Eldridge Street, NY 10022

Ellis Island

Ellis Island was the gateway through which more than 12 million immigrants passed between 1892 and 1954 in their search for freedom of speech and religion, and for economic opportunity in the United States. Because of its unique historical importance, it was declared part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument in 1965. After a six-year, $162 million renovation, it reopened to the public as a museum in 1990. The museum contains three floors of self guided exhibits and audio/visual displays detailing the history of immigration processing station between 1892 and 1954. You can tour the Great Hall where immigrant legal and medical inspections took place. Be sure to view the artifacts on display: baggage, immigrant clothing and costumes, passports, steamer and railroad tickets, ship passenger manifests, etc. Generally, you should allow 3 hours to tour the museum. The entire museum is accessible for those who are physically challenged.

Hours: Both Liberty Island and Ellis Island are open every day of the year except December 25 from 9:30am until 5:00pm (with extended hours in the summer).

Jewish Museum in Brooklyn

The Jewish Children’s Museum provides exhibitions and programs for all children in an educational and entertaining format. Through contemporary technology and a hands-on approach to learning, visitors experience Jewish history, values and traditions in a manner that inspires an increased interest in Jewish culture. Primarily, the Museum serves elementary school-age children and their families, and is a resource and model, nationally and internationally, for interactive education on Jewish themes.

The Museum is a setting for children of all faiths and backgrounds to gain a positive perspective and awareness of the Jewish heritage, fostering tolerance and understanding.

Location: 792 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn
Hours: Monday – Thursday: 10:00am – 4:00pm Friday – Saturday: closed
Sunday: 10:00am – 6:00pm; holiday (both secular and Jewish) hours vary.

Museum of Jewish Heritage

The Museum is at once a museum devoted to the exploration of Jewish heritage and a living memorial to the Holocaust. It depicts in detail the lives and communities that shaped Jewish culture in the early part of the century, for it is only through an understanding of life before the Holocaust that one may truly begin to comprehend the magnitude of its destruction - and the sense of determination and courage that shaped the renewal of Jewish life after the war. The Museum differs from other institutions of memory by telling the story of the Holocaust from the perspective of those who experienced it.

Location: 36 Battery Place, Battery Park City, New York, NY 10280
General Museum Info call 1.646.437.4200 | Ticket Info call 1.646.437.4202
Hours: Sunday-Tuesday, Thursday: 10am to 5:45pm; Wednesday: 10am to 8pm, Friday and the eve of Jewish Holidays: 10am to 5pm

The Center for Jewish History

The Center for Jewish History is comprised of five leading educational, cultural and historical institutions that share a common vision to both preserve and present the richness of Jewish heritage: American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. Tours allow the visitor to view the exhibitions of these distinguished partners as well as enjoy the exhibitions of one of the leading Jewish museums in New York City. Free tours to the general public are on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at 2:00 pm and last approximately 2 ½ hours. Yeshiva University Museum offers admission tours on most Sundays at 1:30 pm and 3:00 pm. To schedule a tour of the Yeshiva University Museum or the Center for Jewish History only, please call Julie Kaplan at (917) 606-8226, or e-mail jkaplan@cjh.org. For a tour of the Yeshiva University Museum only, please call the Museum directly at (212) 294-8330.

Location: 15 West 16th Street, New York 10021

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum's mission is: to promote tolerance and historical perspective through the presentation and interpretation of the variety of immigrant and migrant experiences on Manhattan's Lower East Side, a gateway to America. Located in our country's most renowned immigrant neighborhood, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum interprets historic immigrant experience to illuminate the present.

Location: 108 Orchard Street (near Delancey St.)
Hours: Mon: 11am - 5:30pm; Tue-Fri: 11am - 6pm; Sat & Sun: 10:45am - 6pm

The Lower East Side: Walking Tours

The following web link recommends a number of places to see in the Lower East Side and provides information on available tours of the area.