New York City’s SoHo neighborhood has long been a hotbed for artists and creatives of all stripes, so it tracks that the area is also home to some of the city’s best artistic and cultural attractions. Whether you’re into history, fine art, emerging art, or something much more colorful and poppy, you’ll find an institution worth visiting in our guide to the best museums in SoHo, NYC.
Explore the History of Chinese Culture in America
Located in Lower Manhattan, where SoHo meets Chinatown, the Museum of Chinese in America celebrates the history and culture of American communities of Chinese descent. The museum was founded in 1980, and its exhibits, educational initiatives, and large research collection provide nuanced and unexpected stories of Chinese American and immigrant experiences. When you visit, you can explore the latest exhibits including the long-running With a Single Step: Stories in the Making of America, which you can also experience via a public tour. While rich in history, the Museum of Chinese in America also strives to connect the past with the present and future. Explore the collection to discover these connections, and more.
215 Centre St, New York, NY 10013
Visit This Home Of LGBTQIA+ Art
The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, located on Wooster Street in SoHo, is the only art museum in the world that’s dedicated to showcasing LGBTQIA+ artists and artwork. The museum grew out of the personal art collection of Charles Leslie and Fritz Lohman, who used to display their acquisitions of queer art in their SoHo loft in the 1970s. When the AIDS epidemic hit New York City, the collectors doubled down and purchased the work of dying artists to preserve their legacies. In 1987, they created a foundation, which transformed into the current-day museum in 2016. In an area of NYC rich in gay history, the Leslie-Lohman Museum is a standout for its commitment to showcasing a diverse lineup of artists and for putting queer perspectives front and center. This fall, the featured exhibitions include work by South African artist Athi-Patra Ruga.
26 Wooster St, New York, NY 10013
A Space Curated By a Master of Minimialism
American artist Donald Judd is said to be one of the foremost exponents of “minimalism,” and visitors to SoHo can experience his work, and the philosophies that formed it, firsthand at the Judd Foundation. Conceived by Judd as a permanent exhibition—an alternative to the more common temporary art exhibitions—this New York location comprises five stories of a distinctively SoHo cast iron building on Spring Street, which Judd purchased in 1968. Taking his cues from the architecture, Judd assigned each floor for a specific purpose and installed furniture, textiles, his own art and the work of others including John Chamberlain and Claes Oldenburg, throughout the structure. While Judd died in 1994, fans of his work have this wonderful opportunity to experience his art exactly as he intended.
101 Spring St, New York, NY 10012
Immerse Yourself in a World of Color
Sometimes you want to be inspired by something fresh and bright—and take a few signature shots for your social feeds. If that sounds right, you won’t want to miss a visit to Color Factory New York, a lighthearted yet fully immersive collection of 14 colorful art exhibits. Designed in collaboration with a lineup of local and international artists, this rainbow-hued sensory experience celebrates quintessential New York City experiences via the world of color. Step into the confetti room for a taste of the city through the seasons. Take a spin on the dancefloor. Lose yourself in a ball pit in the ice-blue shades of the city’s iconic skyscrapers. Photo opportunities abound, and sweet treats are available along the way. This is one museum sure to brighten anyone’s day.
251 Spring St, New York, NY 10013
Step Into History at the Tenement Museum
Rather than reading a textbook or history tome, the Tenement Museum invites you to experience New York City’s history by immersing yourself in kitchens and parlors like those of the families who once lived on the Lower East Side. A popular destination for visitors, New Yorkers, and schoolchildren alike, the Tenement Museum is housed in two historic tenements that represent how people lived in this neighborhood between the 1860s and the 1980s. Guided tours of the buildings and the surrounding area of the Lower East Side provide a rich, layered experience of this history, a pivotal piece of New York City’s story of immigration and survival. By elevating the stories of everyday New Yorkers, the museum challenges staid modes of accessing history, and provides the space for detail, nuance, and empathy.
103 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002
Savoring SoHo’s Artistic Soul
As you stroll the streets of SoHo, it’s easy to absorb a sense of history and the neighborhood’s longstanding role in New York City’s art world. Even better—when you stay at Arlo SoHo, you’re just a short walk away from a slew of cultural landmarks, including these top museums in SoHo. Get set to be inspired.
