The new Italian American Museum (IAM) will serve as a cultural hub and community nexus for Italian Americans and the Little Italy neighborhood. Through permanent and temporary exhibits, robust educational and cultural programming, and collaborations with the community, the IAM will become the preeminent center for learning about and engaging with Italian as a platform for sharing Italian American voices and celebrating Italian American achievements, the IAM will be interesting to both Italian Americans and non-Italian Americans, bringing Italian American culture and heritage to younger generations and a wide range of new audiences.

The Italian American Museum preserves, promotes, and celebrates the culture and history of Italian Americans, serving as living record of their contributions to America and a bridge between the remarkable past and the evolving future of the community.

By allowing Italian Americans to share their story in their voice, the Italian American Museum will encourage a full appreciation of what it means to be Italian American.

Progress Photos

Museum Hours

Monday: No public hours

Tuesday: No public hours

Wednesday: By appointment only

Thursday: 12:00 – 5:00 pm

Friday: 12:00 – 5:00 pm

Saturday: 12:00 – 5:00 pm

Sunday: By appointment only

Featured Exhibits

Sicilian Theater in Little Italy:

The Return of the Manteo Puppets

Verrazzano’s Voyage to America:

The Quincentennial Year

Goodnight, Maria

A tribute to all the women who worked tirelessly in the

garment industry to live the American dream

Events

Italian Emigration Between the 19th and 20th Centuries

The Carovilli Case

Power Point Presentation by

Italian Historian

Pina Mafodda

Q&A to follow

Thursday, December 26th, 6:00 pm

Click here for tickets

Italian historian Pina Mafodda has done extensive research on Italian emigration to America between the end of the 19th century and the middle of the 20th century. Her book is a collection of several interviews conducted with third and fourth generation descendants who have preserved documents and letters from their ancestors. The descendants have also preserved the memory of their stories passed down orally from parents to children.

Her power point presentation will combine reliable data with intimate family stories to provide a unique analysis of the Italian emigration to America between the 19th and 20th Centuries. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.

Thursday, December 26th, 6:00 pm

Suggested donation of $15 per person

Italian American Museum

151 Mulberry Street

New York, NY 10013

Click here for tickets

Annual Appeal 2024

Dear Friends:

We are pleased to announce that on October 1, 2024 at the beginning of Italian American Heritage and Culture Month we cut the ribbon opening our new facility for the Italian American Museum.

The New Italian American Museum: Architectural renderings and model for the forthcoming newly designed museum.

The IAM is located on Mulberry Street in the heart of what was once the largest Italian community in the United States in the first quarter of the 20th century.

We became aware of the need for our own Museum in 1999, with the launch of the first major exhibition on Italians in America at the New York Historical Society, “The Italians of New York: Five Centuries of Struggle and Achievement”. The exhibit was a great success and we realized that in order to be part of the cultural dialogue in America, we needed our own Museum. So in 2001, we were chartered in New York State as the first Italian Museum in America. In our Museum, we seek to tell our whole story from Columbus to Cuomo and everything in between, our struggles and our accomplishments through hard work, ingenuity and perseverance. It has not always been easy but we have much to be proud of, for our contributions to American society are enormous. Now we will have a secular cathedral for all to see, experience and appreciate where we came from and what we have achieved.

Dr. Joseph V. Scelsa
Founder and President
Italian American Museum

Support the Italian American Museum and choose to make a difference by sustaining a rich visual arts and cultural heritage for future generations. Donors impact the museum in different ways either through immediate or planned gifts. The Italian American Museum is grateful for all levels of support — big or small. The future holds many opportunities for the Italian American Museum to provide enhanced programming, increased access, deeper understanding and broader community engagement. Through our ongoing commitment to create new experiences that challenge and inspire, we are pleased to offer a variety of ways donors and members can be involved.

Donors to the Italian American Museum are more than just supporters. They are a community of believers in the power of art and cultural heritage to help interpret and shape the world. While there are many ways to say thank you to such visionaries, the most meaningful is often a reflection of the donors themselves. That’s why the Italian American Museum’s gift recognition is highly personalized and tailored to the individual wishes of donors.

Members receive a 10% discount on all in-house Italian American Museum events.

• Individual Membership $100
• Family Membership $150
• Senior Membership $50

Click here for more information on
Naming Opportunities

Send your contact information and email to
info@ItalianAmericanMuseum.org to receive
Museum news and announcements.