Bonus: The Future City Lab

Not to miss in New York At its Core is the Future City Lab, which brings the first two historical galleries into the unknown future. The main attraction is a curved digital display that contains the “largest collection of digital data of the city anywhere,” says Henry. For those that want to go under the hood, there’s a separate room where visitors can look into the data data sets, which will be kept up to date. More than a museum, this is a tool to help plan and predict the future.

Side tables enable visitors to look into specific subjects: “Making a Living, “Housing a Growing City,” “Living Together,” “Living with Nature,” and “Getting Around” with built in design programs so you can redesign streets or built your own housing complex. Your final design project is saved and displayed on another screen in the lab, where you can actually insert yourself into the scene.

There’s so much to see at New York At its Core and among other highlights we didn’t have space to include: a circumcision kit, historical currency, medallion from the Erie Canal, a medical cabinet, objects from the lost Seneca Village in Central Park, a ticker tape machine and tools used to build the Brooklyn Bridge. Leave yourself enough time to really take in the themes of the exhibition – money, density, diversity, and creativity.

Read more from our curator walkthrough of New York At its Core. Learn more about the exhibit and see upcoming special events on the MCNY website. While you’re at the museum, check out Mastering the Metropolis: New York and Zoning, Gay Gotham, In the South Bronx with photography by Mel Rosenthal, and Timescapes.