These free tours give a unique look at scenes most visitors do not…
If you are looking for something to do that can give you that behind-the-scenes feel at a Queens landmark, the Insiders’ Hour tours run by NYC & Company can be just the thing for you.
These free tours give a unique look at scenes most visitors do not see. The hours of the tours are limited, and reservations are required for many of them, so it is always best to call ahead.
For information on other NYC & Company programs and events, call 800-NYC-VISIT.
American Museum of the Moving Image
35th Avenue at 36th Street, Astoria
784-0077
The Museum tells the story of the innovation, artistry and business acumen that made the moving image the most powerful artistic and cultural influence of the 20th century. The Museum’s permanent exhibition, “Behind the Screen,” displays an engaging collection of artifacts and interactive exhibits that are ideal for the family audience. In addition, the Museum holds public screenings of more than 400 films annually.
Flushing Town Hall
137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing
463-7700
A member of the prestigious Cultural Institutions Group of New York City, this elegant, landmark building has been newly restored to renaissance revival splendor. Flushing Town Hall offers quality programs in opera, classical music, jazz, and theatre. Its beautiful art exhibitions, visitor center and gift shop, and landscaped garden make it a unique destination, while an historic trolley takes visitors on tours of the Queens Jazz Trail and other cultural destinations.
King Manor Museum
150th Street and Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica
206-0545
King Manor, the oldest house in Jamaica, is the focal point of the historic 11-acre Rufus King Park. The house takes its name from a statesman who signed the Constitution, spoke out against the spread of slavery, served as a senator from New York for 19 years, and served as a U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain. At King Manor, interactive exhibits, including a new archaeology program for school children, tell the story of King and the history of the Village of Jamaica. Period rooms provide gracious spaces for public programs and community events.
Louis Armstrong Archives
Queens College, Flushing
997-3670
The Louis Armstrong House & Archives promotes and preserves the cultural legacy of jazz legend and American icon Louis Armstrong. At the Archives on the Queens College campus, Satchmo’s legacy — his music, photos, films, trumpets, awards and much more — are currently on view for fans around the world to see. The Armstrong House in Corona, where Louis lived from 1943 on, will open as an historic house museum in 2003.
MoMA QNS
The Museum of Modern Art, Queens
33rd Street at Queens Boulevard, Long Island City
212-708-9400
The Museum of Modern Art is home to many of the most important and best-known works of art created in the 20th century. Starting June 29, MoMA has a temporary home in Queens to allow for expansion and renovation of its well-known address on 53rd Street in Manhattan. MoMA QNS transforms a former factory building into an inviting and dynamic space for experiencing landmark special exhibitions and the Museum’s world-renown collection of modern and contemporary art, including iconic paintings by Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso. MoMA QNS is located minutes from Midtown via the No. 7 (local) subway or Q32 bus to 33rd Street and is within walking distance of the Museum's affiliate, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center.
Noguchi Museum
36-01 43rd Ave., 2nd floor, Long Island City
204-7088
The latest exhibit on view, “Noguchi: Sculpture & Nature,” is part of a series of exhibitions that explore Noguchi’s lifelong concerns in the transposition of natural form into manmade object or space and its reverse. Please call for information on children, teens and family programming taking place throughout July and August.
P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center
22-25 Jackson Ave., Long Island City
784-2084
P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center is one of the largest and oldest art organizations in the United States solely devoted to contemporary art, and is known for its cutting edge approach to exhibitions and direct involvement of artists within a scholarly framework. P.S.1 acts as an intermediary between the artist and audience. Functioning as a living and active meeting place for the general public, P.S.1 is a catalyst for ideas, discourse and new trends in contemporary art. An affiliate of MoMA, P.S.1 operates two internationally acclaimed spaces for contemporary art: P.S.1 in Long Island City and The Clocktower Gallery in Tribeca.
Queens Botanical Garden
43-50 Main St., Flushing
886-3800
Born as “Gardens on Parade,” an exhibit at the 1939-1940 New York World’s Fair, the Queens Botanical Garden was opened in 1948 and remains the only source of horticultural and botanical information in the nation’s most ethnically diverse county. Its 39 acres include bird, bee, rose, perennial, and backyard gardens, a compost home demonstration site, a Wedding Garden, pinetum, and arboretum with pedestrian access to Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Queens Museum of Art
NYC Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Located next to the Unisphere, Flushing
592-9700
Specializing in exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, often focusing on the interests of Queens’ diverse communities, the Queens Museum of Art also features Tiffany lamps, and the Panorama of the City of New York, from the 1964 New York World’s Fair.
Queens Zoo
53-51 111th St., Flushing
271-4441
Spectacular American wildlife is just minutes away at the Queens Zoo. Visitors will encounter animals such as burly bison, majestic mountain lions, spectacular bears, and graceful sea lions. Be sure to visit the domestic side of the Zoo for some hands on animal experience.
