Skyscraper Museum: New York’s skyscraper museum
Love iconic buildings? Visit the Skyscraper Museum to explore New York's architectural heritage, including the story of the World Trade Center's construction.
What to Know About the Skyscraper Museum
- The Skyscraper Museum is a New York museum dedicated entirely to skyscrapers. It’s located in the Financial District, at the southern tip of Manhattan.
- Founded in 1997 by architecture enthusiasts, this small museum operated from four temporary locations before settling into its current home on the first floor of the Ritz-Carlton, steps from Battery Park.
- The Skyscraper Museum is compact—just one floor—and takes about an hour to see. If you’re interested in architecture, buildings, and New York history, it’s worth your time.
What to See at the Skyscraper Museum
- The museum is organized into two main sections: a rotating exhibition on specialized topics and several permanent displays.
- In the permanent collection, you’ll find several scale models of Manhattan created by enthusiast Michael Chesko. To give you a sense of scale, the Empire State Building measures 12 cm (4.7 in) on the model, compared to 381 m (1,250 ft) in reality.
- You’ll also see three photographs of Lower Manhattan taken in 1956, 1976, and 2004. The transformation of New York is striking, showing the rise and fall of the Twin Towers.
- The World Trade Center receives special attention with a complete account of the construction of the twin towers, which opened in 1973. You’ll see photographs and two large-scale models, including the original model used for aerodynamic testing. Don’t miss the full construction video—these are images you rarely see elsewhere.
- The final section of the permanent exhibition compares the world’s tallest buildings side by side. You’ll see a model of the Burj Khalifa, currently the world’s tallest tower. This slender structure in Dubai reaches 828 m (2,717 ft) at its peak—imagine stacking the One World Trade Center and the Eiffel Tower end to end!
Visiting the Skyscraper Museum
- Address: 39 Battery Place.
- Subway: Bowling Green.
- Hours: Open Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 6 pm.
- Admission: $5 for adults, $2.50 for students and seniors.
Map to the Skyscraper Museum
Visitor Reviews
Reviews from our Destination New York Facebook group
- Matthieu C.: “The Skyscraper Museum is interesting. I recommend it!”
- Marie-Josée P.: “I really like this museum—it’s different from the others.”