Our Stories Need You
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The Tenement Museum tells the uniquely American stories of immigrants, migrants, and refugees in the ongoing creation of our nation. The Museum explores identity, public policy, urban development, architecture, and other themes, past and present, through the true stories of the ordinary families who lived in two historic tenement buildings at 97 and 103 Orchard and the people of the Lower East Side neighborhood.
While you can’t visit our historic tenement buildings, you can still explore the stories that serve as the foundation of the Tenement Museum. From digital exhibits to behind-the-scenes articles to our award-winning podcast, you will find yourself immersed in the stories that make the Museum so unique.
Digital Exhibits
Visit the Tenement Museum’s interactive, digital exhibits, which provide a fascinating, in-depth historical look at life on the Lower East Side. Current exhibits include Immigrants Mean Business: An Enduring History of Entrepreneurship, Beyond Statistics: Living in a Pandemic, Tenement Women: Agents of Change, and The Census: Reading Between the Lines.
Video Stories
Check out our archive of past virtual and in-person events, including family activities, book talks, teacher workshops, panel discussions, and more.
Tenement Museum Blog
Explore exciting new reads on our blog, covering a range of topics, and written by long-time Tenement Museum Staffers.
Behind the Wallpaper
With the support of our members, we have opened up exclusive behind the scenes content to the public. Browse in-depth articles and explore objects from our collection.
Listen to Featured Podcast Episodes
Hear the American stories not shared in your standard history book on featured episodes of “How To Be American,” a Tenement Museum Podcast.
Burial Grounds
Communities don’t always have all the facts they need to reconstruct past realities, nor do institutions have all the histories to preserve the past. In this episode, we’ll uncover a Pre-Harlem World that’s been buried for more than 156 years.
I Would Cross a Million Borders
Explore how two women, one during the 20s and one just a few years ago, navigated the American immigration system and all its pitfalls.
Our Game
Explore the history of stickball with baseball historians and stickball players and learn about the significance of being able to turn city streets and the sides of buildings into your very own ‘field of dreams’.
Zoom into the Past
As a way to bring elements of the Tenement experience to you, we have made available images from our historic apartments for you to use as a background on your video calls! Impress your friends and family on your next call by placing yourself in the middle of the Italian Baldizzi family kitchen in the 1920s or the Irish Moore family living room in the 1860s! Join us to #zoomintothepast
Immigration in America
Discover the role that immigration has played in shaping our nation.
Your Story, Our Story
Discover and share stories of immigration and migration of the past and present in this digital experience.
Sharing Stories of the Immigrant Experience
The Lower East Side
The Lower East Side has been home to an incredibly diverse set of immigrants and migrants dating back to the 1800s.
97 Orchard Street
97 Orchard Street is a historic tenement that was home to an estimated 7,000 people from over 20 nations between 1863 and 1935.
103 Orchard Street
103 Orchard Street was home to more than 10,000 people who reflected the diverse immigrant and migrant populations of the Lower East Side from 1888 to present day.