Lower East Side Tenement Museum
A museum in a landmark tenement on Manhattan's Lower East Side dedicated to interpreting the immigrant experience
Orchard Street between Delancey and Broome looks like a contemporary city street lined with boutiques and cafes, but a closer examination reveals evidence of this street's vibrant immigrant history. In 1903, this square block was the most crowded section of the most densely-populated city on earth.
Imagine weaving through pushcarts brimming with food and garments as you make your way down Orchard to the Tenement Shop and Visitor Center at No. 108. Here you can either pick up your pre-reserved Tenement Museum tour, book a same-day tour, shop, or sit in the theater and enjoy a 25-minute video produced by The History Channel about immigration to the Lower East Side from the 19th Century to the present.
The four guided tours of the Tenement Museum take visitors within the walls of the landmark tenement building at 97 Orchard. Constructed by German immigrant Lukas Glockner in 1863, the tenement was home to an estimated 7,000 people from more than 20 nations between 1863 and 1935. The museum recreates apartments of real-life tenants including the Gumpertz, Rogarshevsky, Confino Baldizzi, Levine, and Moore families. The Tenement Museum's official website offers helpful tools in deciding which of the four tours best suit your interests. However, each is an evocative interpretative experience that engages visitors in the lives of real people and connects their stories to present-day immigration debates and issues.
