FAQs

We look forward to welcoming you to the Tenement Museum! Below are our visitors’ most frequently asked questions.

Planning A Visit

The Tenement Museum is a National Historic Landmark. Unlike many museums, our exhibits are not contained within glass vitrines or surrounded by velvet ropes. Please help us preserve this landmark and offer a positive experience for all visitors by adhering to the following rules for the duration of your visit:

  • Children under 5 are not permitted on most tenement apartment tours, but are welcome to join a Meet Victoria tour, neighborhood walking tours, or our virtual programs and events.
  • Large bags, backpacks, or luggage are not permitted on apartment tours. Storage lockers are available in the Visitor Center.
  • Eating, gum-chewing, and drinking (other than water) are not permitted inside exhibit spaces.
  • The Tenement Museum is a smoke-free zone. Smoking/vaping is not permitted.
  • Service dogs are welcome on all tours. Pets and emotional support animals are not permitted inside our tenement buildings.
  • Please stay with your guide at all times. In case of an emergency, your guide will call for a staff member to escort you out of the building.
  • Please do not touch walls, objects, or other areas of the building unless invited to do so by our educators.
  • Cellphones and other electronic devices should be turned to silent before the start of your tour.
  • Photography is permitted on tours (with the exception of our Meet Victoria program), but we ask that visitors do so in a way that does not distract fellow visitors or the educator giving the tour. Recording of audio or video is not permitted.

*Members of the press should contact Nate Goehring ([email protected]) for press tickets.

  • Online | We highly recommend reserving tickets in advance online through our tour calendar.
  • Phone or Email | Alternatively, we’re available Monday–Saturday by phone and email, 10:30am–5pm ET. Contact us at [email protected] or +1 (877) 975-3786
  • In-Person | Tickets are also sold onsite at the Museum Shop and Visitor Center on a first-come, first-served basis.

*Online and phone orders are subject to a $2.50 per ticket service fee.

All tickets are $30 per person, per tour.

The Museum offers discounts for teachers, military, neighborhood residents (10002 zip code), visitors with disabilities, and members of AAM, MANY, and National Trust.

The Museum also offers one free ticket to New York museum employees, Tour Guides, Travel Agents/Advisors, and AAM card holders. Due to limited capacity, these discounts are not available in advance. The discount will be applied at the desk and the ticket fee reimbursed upon presentation of a membership card, work ID, or credentials along with a photo ID. Discounted tickets purchased online or through phone orders are still subject to service fees.

If you have questions, please email [email protected] to learn more about these discounts.

Yes. Online and phone orders are subject to a $2.50 per ticket service fee. Tickets purchased in person are not subject to service fees.

Many of our tours sell out due to a majority of our tickets being sold in advance. By purchasing tickets in advance, visitors are offered the best opportunity to secure the date, time, and tour of their choice.

Many of our tours sell out, so advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended – especially during weekends, holidays, or if you are visiting with a group of 5 or more.

  1. After adding your desired tickets to your order, press the shopping bag icon (🛍️) next to the Checkout button on the lower left side of the screen. A summary of your cart will appear.
  2. Choose “Apply a promo code” and enter the discount code. Then, click “Apply“.
  3. The discount will then be subtracted automatically from your total!

Yes. The website lists the number of tickets available for each tour and will state “Sold Out” when all available tickets for a session are reserved.

A limited version of our upcoming tour schedule is posted 2-3 months in advance. Additional tickets are made available every week on Thursdays.

Groups (parties of 8+) and private tours can be booked further in advance. Please see our Group Reservations page for details.

We recognize the diverse needs of our audience and are committed to enabling all visitors to explore the stories we interpret at the Museum. View a complete list of our accessible programs and services on our accessibility page.

The Museum has been newly equipped with a passive climate control system to preserve our historic buildings and provide visitor comfort. Unlike traditional air conditioning, this means that our spaces are kept at a comfortable temperature, but not chilled. We still encourage visitors to bring water on hot days or use one of our hand fans, provided at our Visitor Services desk.

The Museum Shop, Visitor Center, and theater are fully air-conditioned.

Tickets are non-refundable or exchangeable. Visitor Center staff can catch up visitors to their tours up to 30 minutes after the start time.

The only exception is our Meet Victoria tour. Staff can catch up visitors only up to 15 minutes after the start time due to the program’s format and structure.

Per Museum policy, tours with less than 2 visitors may be canceled. In the event of a tour cancellation, a visitor will be offered the next available tour or refunded in full.

Service dogs are welcome on all museum tours. Pets and emotional support animals are not allowed inside our tenement buildings, but can be brought on outdoor neighborhood walking tours.

We ask for visitors to leash and clean up after their pets. During your visit, pets cannot be left unattended or placed in the care of our staff.

Your tour will be led by an Educator, an employee of the Tenement Museum. Tips are not solicited or expected. If you would like to show your appreciation, you are welcome to leave feedback online, through our post-visit survey, or in the Visitor Center. You are also welcome to leave a donation in the Visitor Center or through our website.

The Museum does not have any eating facilities. Water and select soft drinks are available for sale in our Museum Shop located at 103 Orchard Street. The Lower East Side is also home to a number of excellent restaurants. Feel free to ask Visitor Center staff for suggestions when you come for your tour.

The Tenement Museum does not offer onsite parking. Metered street parking is available, but extremely limited. Please allow plenty of additional time to find parking if you require it. The nearest parking lot is Essex Street Municipal Parking, located at 109 Essex St, New York, NY 10002.

We recommend visitors travel using public transit over driving.

By Subway — B/D/F/M/J/Z
The closest subway lines are the B and D at Grand Street, the F at Delancey Street, and the J, M, and Z at Essex Street. For detailed directions, see our Plan a Visit page and visit the MTA’s website for service updates.

By Bus — M15
The M15 and Sightseeing buses stop at the corner of Grand and Allen Streets, one block east of Orchard Street.

Choosing A Tour

Yes, the Tenement Museum is accessible by guided tours and experiences only. Advanced reservations are recommended for all tours.

Tours begin and end at the Museum Shop and Visitor Center, located at 103 Orchard Street, on the corner of Delancey Street.

Most tours are between 60-90 minutes. If you’d like to take more than one tour in a day, we recommend combining a building tour with a neighborhood walking tour and leaving 15 minutes between scheduled tours. All tickets are $30 per person, per tour.

If you need assistance planning your visit, contact us in advance at [email protected] or +1 (877) 975-3786.

The best tour is the one you go on! There’s no perfect “starter” or general tour. That’s why we recommend reading the tour descriptions and choosing based on your interests.

The Museum offers simultaneous translation aid on our tenement apartment tours using the Forum app. Please note that translation will be limited during parts of our A Union of Hope: 1869, Family Owned, and 100 Years Apart tours due to interactive technical components.

If you are interested in participating by using a translation program during your visit, please email [email protected].


We also offer Visitando a Victoria, a Spanish-language version of our Meet Victoria costumed interpreter tour! Learn more by emailing [email protected].

Tambien ofrecemos el programa ‘Visitando a Victoria’, una experiencia familiar de historia viviente en Español! Para más información, comuníquese con nosotros por correo electrónico a [email protected].

The Lower East Side is a historically diverse neighborhood, so none of our tours focus on any one single culture. Rather, we focus on the individual experiences of actual families who lived and worked on the Lower East Side within the cultural makeup of the era by offering historical context and information.

The Tenement Museum tells over 100 years of New York City history. We recommend taking more than 1 tour to learn about different time periods through our family stories. To enhance your experience, combine a building tour with a neighborhood walking tour (or purchase a membership to keep coming back!). Visitors are also welcome to enjoy our films available to view in our theater and browse our gift shop.

Our friendly Visitor Center staff are always happy to offer neighborhood restaurant recommendations and “things to do” ideas – while you’re here or ahead of time over email at [email protected]!

For Families

Recommended ages are listed for every program. While children under the age of 5 are welcome inside our Shop, Visitor Center, and Theater, they are not permitted on most apartment tours.

For children ages 5 and under, our Meet Victoria apartment tour is a fun, interactive program ideal for families with younger children. For children ages 5+, we recommend 100 Years Apart.

Alternatively, our outdoor walking tours and virtual events are open to all ages!

All children 14 years and younger need to be accompanied on their visit by an adult. If you have any questions, please contact Visitor Services at [email protected].