View the restored apartments of past residents from different time periods.
In the decades after World War II, the Lower East Side became one of New York’s most diverse neighborhoods. Visit the homes of Bella Epstein, whose parents survived the Holocaust, Jose and Andy Velez, whose mother left Puerto Rico for garment work, and the Wong siblings, whose stories of their mother and other garment workers are highlighted in an interactive, recreated Chinatown garment shop.
Explore the Lower East Side and the American Immigrant Experience.
History didn’t make the Lower East Side; people did. This tour tells the story of how neighborhood residents for the past 100 years have fought to preserve their community and improve their neighborhood in the face of profound economic and political change. [Note: This tour does not enter any buildings.]
Limited Wheelchair Capacity
Call 1-877-97LESTM in advance for wheelchair tickets.
Visit a costumed interpreter playing a past resident of 97 Orchard Street.
Drop in on 14-year-old Victoria Confino, who lived in 97 Orchard Street in 1916, to hear about the immigrant experience in a more intimate setting. Tour her apartment, ask her questions about her life, and get a unique perspective on adjusting to life on the Lower East Side.
Made possible by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation
Recommended for visitors with low vision.
Made possible by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation
Recommended for visitors with low vision.
Taste the immigrant foods that helped shape American cuisine.
LEARN MORE >>Share your own family history and join us in telling the story of American immigration.
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