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![]() Entrance with the original building, constructed for the 1964 New York World's Fair, in the background (2019) | |
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Established | 1964 |
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Location | 47-01 111th Street Corona, New York |
Coordinates | 40°44′50″N73°51′06″W / 40.7472°N 73.8517°W |
Type | Science-technology museum |
Accreditation | ASTC |
Public transit access | Subway: ![]() Bus: Q23, Q58 at 108th Street, Q48 at Roosevelt Avenue |
Nearest car park | On-site ($15 fee) |
Website | nysci |
The New York Hall of Science, also known as NYSCI, is a science museum at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in the Corona neighborhood of Queens in New York City. It occupies one of the few remaining structures from the 1964 New York World's Fair, and is New York City's only hands-on science and technology center. The more than 400 hands-on exhibits focus on biology, chemistry, and physics.
The museum was established in 1964 as part of the 1964 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, [1] [2] and at the time was one of only a few science museums in existence. [3] Unlike many other institutions, which were closed immediately or soon after the Fair, [4] the Hall remained open after the fair, and served as a resource for students. [5] Its exhibits at the time were somewhat limited but included plans for the world's first atomarium open to the public. [6]
The Hall remained open for 15 years, but in 1979 it was closed for major renovations, not to reopen until 1983 at the earliest. By May 1982, according to a New York Daily News article at the time, the condition of the museum had deteriorated to such a state that "paint peels from the Saturn V and Apollo hulls, and graffiti adorn the walls around the space park; chipped cement and scattered stones fill the moat beneath the hall". At the time, even though renovations were completed in 1983, city funding for the museum was severed because only $40,000 out of $8 million of promised funding had been raised. [7]
In 1984, New York City hired physicist Alan J. Friedman to help with the museum's transition [3] from a focus on science fiction-type exhibits that predicted the future, to relevance to everyday lives of ordinary citizens. [8] At the time Friedman was appointed, the museum was basically an empty shell, having "an inch of water on the floor. All the exhibits had been given away. Even the light fixtures had been yanked out of the wall”, but renovations continued. [7] After it reopened in 1986, giving New York City a science museum for the first time since it had closed seven years earlier, [9] plans for the display of an atom were realized with a $40,000 exhibit for a quantum atom that was a part of a $400,000 expansion and renovation at the museum. [10] The museum's growth and ability to draw crowds was unexpected and led to the city's pursuit of further funds and expansion. [11]
At the time of its re-opening, the museum was unique in that it also provided a training program for science majors who could then go on to study under a tuition waiver program at nearby Queens College [12] in exchange for committing to spend at least two years in city schools who needed science educators. [13]
The museum's role in the life of city school children continued, and in 1991 it announced plans for a ten-year, $80 million renovation and expansion to be able to meet the needs of a growing visitorship. [1] Further expansion, which included a new entrance rotunda, driveway, cafe, gift shop and theater, as well as a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) science playground, began in 1996 [3] and reflected the need for constant updates in science museums to keep their displays up to date and relevant. In recognition of its continued upgrading, the Hall was granted the status of a New York City cultural institution, given to a limited number of organizations. [14]
The New York Hall of Science temporarily closed in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. [15] The museum reopened in July 2021 [16] but closed again in September after flooding damage from Hurricane Ida. [17] The museum then reopened in February 2022. [17] [18] [19]
In 2005, the Hall was among 406 New York City arts and social service institutions to receive part of a $20 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation, which had been made possible through a donation by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. [20] [21] The Hall has continued to receive funding from a number of sources essential to its operation and expansion. [22] [23] This represented a welcome change for the museum from the 1990s during which severe cuts in funding threatened its ability to operate successfully. [24]
The Hall mainly focuses on education for children ages 1–17 and its audience consists primarily of city children for whom the exposure to science is something new. [13] The museum includes a large permanent collection [25] as well as a range of travelling exhibitions. Although somewhat more common now, the museum was among the first to have its young visitors assess its exhibits and it welcomed their feedback in preparation for the re-opening in 1986. [26] The Hall's permanent exhibitions include:
Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, often referred to as Flushing Meadows Park, or simply Flushing Meadows, is a public park in the northern part of Queens in New York City, New York, U.S. It is bounded by I-678 on the east, Grand Central Parkway on the west, Flushing Bay on the north, and Union Turnpike on the south. Flushing Meadows–Corona Park is the fourth-largest public park in New York City, with a total area of 897 acres (363 ha).
The 1964–1965 New York World's Fair was a world's fair at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, United States. The fair included exhibitions, activities, performances, films, art, and food presented by 80 nations, 24 U.S. states, and nearly 350 American companies. The 646-acre (261 ha) fairground consisted of five sections: the Federal and State, International, Transportation, Lake Amusement, and Industrial areas. Themed to the concept of "peace through understanding", the fair was centered around a stainless-steel model of the Earth called the Unisphere. On opening day, the fair had 139 pavilions, in addition to 34 concessions and shows.
The Unisphere is a spherical stainless steel representation of the Earth at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, U.S. The globe was designed by Gilmore D. Clarke for the 1964 New York World's Fair. Commissioned to celebrate the beginning of the space age, the Unisphere was conceived and constructed as the theme symbol of the World's Fair. The theme of the World's Fair was "Peace Through Understanding", and the Unisphere represented the theme of global interdependence, being dedicated to "Man's Achievements on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe".
The Flushing–Main Street station is the eastern terminal on the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway, located at Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Downtown Flushing, Queens. It is served by the 7 local train at all times and the <7> express train during rush hours in the peak direction.
The Mets–Willets Point station is a rapid transit station on the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway. Located near the Citi Field baseball stadium, it is served by the 7 train at all times and by the express <7> train rush hours in the peak direction or after sporting events. This station is located near Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Willets Point, Queens, on Roosevelt Avenue between 114th and 126th Streets.
The 111th Street station is a local station on the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of 111th Street and Roosevelt Avenue. It is served by the 7 train at all times.
The Queensboro Plaza station is an elevated New York City Subway station at Queens Plaza in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens. It is near the east end of the Queensboro Bridge, with Queens Boulevard running east from the plaza. The station is served by the 7 and N trains at all times, the W train on weekdays, and the <7> train rush hours in the peak direction.
The 82nd Street–Jackson Heights station is a local station on the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of 82nd Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens. It is served by the 7 train at all times.
The Queens Zoo is an 18-acre (7.3 ha) zoo located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City. The zoo is part of an integrated system of four zoos and one aquarium managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society in partnership with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
The Queens Museum is an art museum and educational center at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, U.S. Established in 1972, the museum has among its permanent exhibitions the Panorama of the City of New York, a room-sized scale model of the five boroughs originally built for the 1964 New York World's Fair. It also has a large archive of artifacts from both the 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs, a selection of which is on display. As of 2018, Queens Museum's director is Sally Tallant.
Queens Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located at 43-50 Main Street in Flushing, Queens, New York City. The 39-acre (16 ha) site features rose, bee, herb, wedding, and perennial gardens; an arboretum; an art gallery; and a LEED-certified Visitor & Administration Building. Queens Botanical Garden is located on property owned by the City of New York, and is funded from several public and private sources. It is operated by Queens Botanical Garden Society, Inc.
Flushing Bay is a tidal embayment in New York City. It is located on the south side of the East River and stretches to the south near the neighborhood of Flushing, Queens. It is bordered on the west by LaGuardia Airport and the Grand Central Parkway, on the south by Northern Boulevard, and on the east by the neighborhood of College Point. The Flushing River empties into the bay at its southeast corner. A 150-foot-wide navigational channel (46 m) dredged at a depth of 14 feet (4.3 m) runs along much of the bay's length.
The Flushing River, also known as Flushing Creek, is a waterway that flows northward through the borough of Queens in New York City, mostly within Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, emptying into the Flushing Bay and the East River. The river runs through a valley that may have been a larger riverbed before the last Ice Age, and it divides Queens into western and eastern halves. Until the 20th century, the Flushing Creek was fed by three tributaries: Mill Creek and Kissena Creek on the eastern bank, and Horse Brook on the western bank.
Terrace on the Park is a banquet hall in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City. The building was constructed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and originally functioned as the Port Authority Pavilion and a heliport for the 1964 New York World's Fair. The building was designed by chief architect Allan Gordon Lorimer, engineers John Kyle and Ray Monte, and planning chief E. Donald Mills.
The New York State Pavilion is a pavilion at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, U.S. It was designed in 1962 for the 1964 New York World's Fair by architects Philip Johnson and Richard Foster, with structural engineer Lev Zetlin. The pavilion consists of three reinforced concrete-and-steel structures: the Tent of Tomorrow, observation towers, and Theaterama. It is owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Queens Theatre, formerly Queens Theatre in the Park and before that Queens Playhouse, is an American professional theatre, located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City, New York. Artistic and Executive Directors have included Joseph S. Kutrzeba, founder and producer; Robert Moss, Sue Lawless, Jeffrey Rosenstock and Ray Cullom, formerly Managing Director of Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, CT, and currently, Taryn Sacramone, former Executive Director of Astoria Performing Arts Center.
The Flushing Meadows Corona Park Aquatics Center and Ice Rink, also known as the Flushing Meadows Corona Park Aquatics Center or Flushing Meadows Natatorium, is a 110,000-square-foot (10,000 m2) facility in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, New York City, with an Olympic-sized pool and an NHL-standard rink. Built in 2008, the $66.3 million project is the first indoor public pool to open in New York City in four decades. Initially, the building was intended to serve as the venue for water polo events during the 2012 Summer Olympics, but when the city's bid was lost to London, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation proceeded to build the pool anyway. The result is an innovative building with 130-foot-high twin masts and a swooping roof form. The masts are an architectural feature extending up into the Queens skyline as well as the structural supports for the cable-stayed roof. This design provides the clear spans necessary to house an Olympic swimming pool along with an ice skating rink.
The Q58 and Q58 Limited are bus routes that constitute a public transit line operating primarily in Queens, New York City, with its southern terminal on the border with Brooklyn. The Q58 is operated by the MTA New York City Transit Authority. Its precursor was a streetcar line that began operation in November 1899. and was known variously as the Flushing–Ridgewood Line, the Corona Avenue Line, and the Fresh Pond Road Line. The route became a bus line in 1949.
The Queens Night Market, also known as the Queens International Night Market, is New York City's first open-air space inspired by the Asian night market phenomenon. The event launched in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens in April 2015, with 40 vendors. Since then, it operates on Saturday nights from April through October. As of 2019, the event averages over 10,000 visitors on Saturday nights.
The 1964 New York World's Fair took place at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York, United States, during 1964 and 1965. The fair included 139 pavilions with exhibits by 80 nations, 24 U.S. states, and 350 corporations. The exhibits were split across five regions—the Federal and State, International, Transportation, Amusement, and Industrial areas—which in turn were centered around the Unisphere.