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It’s official: the New York State Museum is making a comeback following a $150 million investment
A $150 million upgrade brings back the beloved museum café.
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Photograph: Shutterstock
After years of feeling a little frozen in time, the New York State Museum is officially turning the lights back on. New York State has launched phase one of a major, multi-year transformation of the Albany institution, backed by a $150 million investment to make the museum feel more lively, welcoming and family-friendly.
The first wave of changes is already rolling out—and it’s a big one. Visitors can expect a rotating slate of new exhibitions, a dedicated kids zone, the long-awaited return of the museum café and gift shop an…
News
It’s official: the New York State Museum is making a comeback following a $150 million investment
A $150 million upgrade brings back the beloved museum café.
Share
Photograph: Shutterstock
After years of feeling a little frozen in time, the New York State Museum is officially turning the lights back on. New York State has launched phase one of a major, multi-year transformation of the Albany institution, backed by a $150 million investment to make the museum feel more lively, welcoming and family-friendly.
The first wave of changes is already rolling out—and it’s a big one. Visitors can expect a rotating slate of new exhibitions, a dedicated kids zone, the long-awaited return of the museum café and gift shop and the creation of a Visioning Task Force to help shape what comes next.
Leading the charge are Governor Kathy Hochul and State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa, who framed the investment as a reset for one of the state’s most visited cultural spaces. The end goal is to turn the museum into a place people want to linger, not just breeze through.
“The transformation of the New York State Museum marks the beginning of a groundbreaking new era for our state,” Governor Hochul said in a press release. “Finally, families across New York can enjoy a dedicated space for learning and engaging with our state history. I am grateful for Commissioner Rosa’s partnership in realizing this initiative, and like all New Yorkers, I look forward to visiting the new exhibits and experiencing everything the Museum’s revitalization has to offer.”
Exhibitions are the biggest immediate change. Under Museum Director Jennifer M. Saunders, the museum plans to host four to six major exhibitions every year, mixing in-house projects with nationally touring shows. The first arrived in December with “Barbie: A Cultural Icon Exhibition,” which features more than 300 artifacts, including the original 1959 doll and a vintage Dreamhouse, plus plenty of photo-op moments.
More big-picture shows are on deck, including exhibitions tied to the 200th anniversary of abolition in New York, the history of vice in the state, the 25th anniversary of September 11 and a major 250th-anniversary exhibition on the American Revolution that will debut in June 2026. That show will put New York front and center in the nation’s founding and in the social movements that followed.
Families, meanwhile, get their own reason to plan a visit. A new Kids Zone is coming to the museum’s fourth floor, next to the beloved carousel, with rotating hands-on exhibits designed for play-based learning. Snacks are finally back as well. The museum café is set to reopen with Albany favorite Stacks as its new partner, while the gift shop, which recently reopened after a multi-year hiatus, once again offers New York-made books, toys and keepsakes.
Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.
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