Chartered in 1988, the Tenement Museum's mission is "to promote tolerance and historical perspective through the presentation and interpretation of a variety of immigrant and migrant experiences on Manhattan's Lower East Side, a gateway to America". The heart of the Tenement Museum is its tenement building that was home to an estimated 7,000 people, from over 20 nations, between 1863 and 1935.

Visitors tour the tenement's cramped living spaces and learn about the lives of past residents and the history of the neighborhood. The Museum also offers various programs such as walking tours, plays, art exhibits, and readings that represent the immigrant experience, throughout the year.

The Museum's tenement building is an affiliated site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and a National Historic Landmark. In November of 1998, President Clinton and the United States Congress declared the Tenement Museum a National Historic Area affiliated with the National Park Service.

 Directions 

Car - Enjoy four hours free parking at a lot on Broome Street between Norfolk and Suffolk Streets, courtesy of the Historic Orchard Street Shopping District. Open 8AM - 10 PM

Bus - M15 bus to the corner of Delancey and Allen Streets

Public Transportation - F Train to Delancey Street; B,D or Q train to Grand Street; J,M or Z train to Essex Street.