The renovation of the Queens Museum is a welcome addition to the borough, which is rapidly honing its reputation as an important cultural destination for the city.
After an eight-year project that cost close to $70 million, the former site of the New York Pavilion for two World’s Fairs invites visitors into a soaring main gallery filled with natural light. And new glass panels have opened up the museum to the park outside and provided unobstructed views of the Unisphere, the symbol of Queens.
The word “art” has been dropped from the name of the museum, but the biggest attraction — the Panorama of New York City — is still the centerpiece, enhanced by a multimedia program.
Another mainstay, the Tiffany glass exhibit — a salute to the legendary designer’s works of art produced in studios in western Queens — has moved to one of the six new galleries. New light shows, rotating murals and many other ambitious creations in other mediums are planned.
Tom Finkelpearl, executive director of the museum, wants visitors to spend at least two hours taking in all the wonders of the redesigned building. Less time would spell failure, he says.
But getting the visitors to the Queens Museum can be a challenge. Many people from Queens have cars, but for other residents and city dwellers from Manhattan, public transportation is the only option.
To make it easier for the general public to discover the offerings at the museum, the signage should be improved starting from the Willets Point stop on the No. 7 train through the park to the entrance. It’s a 10-minute walk from the subway to the museum, which could be more enjoyable if there were markers describing the World’s Fair exhibit inside or the Panorama, for example.
Queens lawmakers should pressure the city DOT to consider adding a free shuttle bus between downtown Flushing or the Willets Point stop to the museum.
Trolleys are another option. Flushing Town Hall has a trolley and Flushing Meadows Corona Park has two, which means there are three vehicles that could transport visitors to the Queens Museum as well as other far-flung venues in the park, such as the New York Hall of Science.
If the county is serious about supporting the revamped Queens Museum, then it’s time for some creative thinking on the government’s part to streamline the trip for New Yorkers and tourists alike who want to visit the borough’s latest cultural experiment.
