Museums

Rufus King Manor House

Located on Jamaica Avenue and 150th Street, the King Manor Museum is part of historic Jamaica because it used to be the house of Rufus King, one of the signers of the United States Constitution. King and his family moved to the manor in 1806 after he served as the US Ambassador to England following the Revolutionary War. The Georgian-style house was built in the 1750s and was bought by King from its previous owner, Christopher Smith in 1805.

The King Manor was the home for the family for decades until King’s granddaughter Cornelia King died in 1896. The house then became the property of the City of Jamaica.

The King Manor Association, established in 1900, cared for the manor and collected the historical artifacts of the family, and when the house was restored in 1965 by the City of New York, the Association oversaw the process. The manor was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It has since become a museum open to the public, showcasing the history of the King family and the historical roots of the surrounding Jamaica area.

King Manor Museum is located at 150-03 Jamaica Avenue. 

Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning

Inside the JCAL Museum 

In 1967, a group of local artists, business leaders, and community members came together to revitalize Jamaica. The Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL) was a part of that process, its main focus being to bring cultural opportunities to residents of the area that were otherwise limited.

The Center is housed in the once abandoned Queens Registrar of Titles and Deeds Building, which is a registered landmark, and was turned it into a cultural center that inspires the youth to become more interested in the arts through the implementation of various Youth and Family Programs. JCAL also supports the ventures of artists with residencies in the area year-round. There is always something new happening in the Center, so don’t miss it!

Visit the JCAL at 161-4 Jamaica Avenue.