NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — New York City’s oldest museum is planning to expand for the creation of the new American LGBTQ+ Museum.
The New-York Historical Society on Thursday announced it will be expanding its home on Central Park West by more than 70,000-square feet.
In the expansion, which will include space for new galleries and classrooms, the historical center will create a dedicated space for the United State’s first museum dedicated to LGBTQ history and culture.
“With great foresight, our Trustees acted in 1937 to purchase the lot adjacent to New-York Historical’s building, knowing that our growing collections and evolving programs for scholars, students, educators, and the public would someday need room to expand,” said Dr. Louise Mirrer president and CEO of the New-York Historical Society. “Now that day has arrived—and how gratifying it is to realize the dream of telling the American story in all its complexity in state-of-the-art educational spaces and a brand-new gallery dedicated to the struggle for civil rights of the American LGBTQ+ community.”
According to a press release, while the new building in under construction, the American LGBTQ+ Museum develop programming and exhibits to go up in the New-York Historical Society’s existing building and outdoor spaces for hundreds of thousands of annual visitors and schoolchildren to enjoy.
The American LGBTQ+ Museum is expected to open in 2024 and will occupy the expanded building’s fourth floor, encompassing two galleries with access to the roof garden.
“We’re delighted to partner with New York’s foremost museum of history to build a new museum dedicated to an exploration and celebration of the richness and diversity of LGBTQ+ history and culture in America,” said Richard Burns, the chairman of the American LGBTQ+ Museum’s board of directors.
“The respect and rigor with which New-York Historical has approached this process, including their consultation with local communities, mirrors our own commitment to building a thoughtful, welcoming, queer, and inclusive experience for our visitors and partners. We look forward to bringing a dynamic new museum to life within this cherished, deeply-respected, and growing New York City landmark.”
To learn more about the American LGBTQ+ Museum, visit thelgbtqplusmuseum.org.