The Museum of the City of New York

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The Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) houses permanent and special exhibitions exclusively related to the five boroughs, from their Dutch origins to the present day. Gracie Mansion housed the museum from its 1923 founding until 1932, when its current home was completed. Nearly a block long, Joseph H. Freedlander's Georgian-Colonial style brick building lies along serene, picturesque Museum Mile, across from the Conservatory Garden and just south of El Museo del Barrio. Inside, the main floor displays temporary exhibits such as "City as Canvas: Graffiti Art from the Martin Wong Collection" and "Gilded New York." Visitors can pick up a handful of cookbooks from New York dining institutions—Rao's, Balthazar, Le Bernardin—along with subway paraphernalia and above average souvenirs in the museum shop. — Kate Appleton

The walls of the galleries are fortified by large Greek columns, and arched hallways connect the various galleries beset with oil paintings. The first and second floors (as well as the auditorium) are available for rent: $7,000 for the first floor, $5,000 for the second, $10,000 for both. Available only after five o’clock.

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Best of New York Awards

• Best Museum for High-Schoolers (2011)