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It’s easy to mistake the New York City Police Museum for an actual precinct. The neo-Italian Renaissance architectural style with tall arches is characteristic of old police stations and two globe lights still flank the doorway, holdovers from when the building was the First Precinct stationhouse. These days, the museum houses three floors of NYPD artifacts, memorabilia, interactive media stations and Harley Davidson motorcycles. Highlights include the Communications exhibit, complete with antiquated instruments, like telegraph signal boxes and old-fashioned telephones. Scan the timeline to find out how the NYPD has updated its technology over the years. The first floor also features some of the museum’s traveling exhibits; past exhibitions have included “Women on Patrol,” “A Photographic Look into the NYPD,” and “On the Job with Lieutenant Samuel Jesse Battle: The First African-American Hired by the NYPD.” Up the stairs is a behind-the-scenes look into the different NYPD units, including the Transit Division, the Detective Bureau, the Patrol Services Bureaus and the Organized Crime Control Unit. Each display has interactive TV stations that educate visitors about officers’ duties. Stop by the gift shop on the way out for official NYPD souvenirs. — Sara Sargent

Part of the museum’s permanent collection, this exhibit has intriguing artifacts and historical tidbits. Examine the displays of old revolvers, rifles, machine guns, burglary tools, and hand grenades. Wander the room’s perimeter to learn about organized crime and infamous gangsters: the walls are lined with pictures and short biographies of notorious mobsters like Al “Scarface” Capone and Frank Galluccio, as well as convicted criminals like Ruth Brown Snyder, the first woman to die in the electric chair, and Winston Moseley, who murdered Kitty Genovese in the 1960s. Step inside a 10x10 mock jail cell and imagine living behind bars with only a toilet, sink and bed. And don’t leave without snapping a mug shot: The curators have set up a display to mimic the characteristic white background of prison photos, complete with height markers and identification numbers.

9/11 Remembered
A memorial to the New York Police Department officers lost on Sept. 11, 2001. The display includes recovered artifacts like a singed American flag, parts from NYPD squad cars, and some caps, car radios, and revolvers that belonged to the policemen who were on duty that day, as well as a mini-documentary featuring interviews with police officers and 911 operators. The Hall of Heroes, which also serves as a memorial to all NYPD officers lost in the line of duty, features the shields and names of the fallen officers.