Lower East Side Tenement Museum

108 Orchard Street

New York NY 10002

212-982-8420

The influx of European immigrants in the late 1800s and the early years of the 20th century are part of the fabric of America. The Lower East Side Tenement Museum is a unique place where visitors can learn how thousands of immigrants found their way in America through New York's Lower East Side. The Lower East Side Tenement Museum is an actual tenement apartment building that has been restored to illustrate how tough, working-class immigrants built a new life in a new country. The building was home to immigrants from 1863, the Civil War years, to 1935. The Tenement Museum staff has restored apartments to the way actual tenants lived in them.

History of Immigration in New York City

In 1874, Nathalie Gumpertz, a German-Jewish dressmaker, became the sole supporter of her four young children after the disappearance of her husband. In 1918 the Rogarshevskys, an Orthodox Jewish family from Lithuania, suffered the loss of their patriarch to tuberculosis. During the 1930s, Adolpho and Rosaria Baldizzi, Catholic immigrants from Sicily, endured hardships wrought by the Great Depression. Each of these families story is told at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Of special interest is the Confino family apartment, immigrants from Turkey who lived in the Lower East Side Tenement circa 1916. A museum staffer plays the part of Victoria Confino. Visitors can try on period clothing and touch any of the furniture or examine the Confino's possessions. The Confino Program last about 45 minutes and ticket prices are: adults, $8, seniors and students, $6. The Confino apartment tours are held on Saturday and Sunday at noon, 1, 2, and 3 p.m.

Walking Tours

The Tenement Museum also offers a walking tour of the neighborhood surrounding the museum. Visitors can see the old buildings and areas where immigrants lived, socialized and played. The Neighborhood Heritage Tour takes one hour and ticket prices are: adults, $9; seniors and students, $7. The walking tour is held on Saturday and Sunday at 1 and 2:30 p.m.

Hours of Operation and Location

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum is located at 90 Orchard Street on the corner Broome Street. The Tenement Tour is: adults, $9; seniors and students, $7. For group tours of 10 people or larger, the museum requires a reservation for each of its tours or programs. The regular one-hour tour of the Tenement Museum is offered every half hour from 1 to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. The tour is offered Thursday night at 6 and 7 p.m., during the summer months until October. Weekend tours start every half an hour from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information about the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, call 212-431-0233.