Museum at Eldridge StreetVisitors “pay what they wish” Mondays and Fridays through winter

New York, NY – Museum at Eldridge Street is expanding access to the museum

through its popular “pay what you wish” admission program. Visitors may now set their own admission prices on Friday. This new promotion doubles the number of “pay what you wish” days, formerly offered only on Mondays. The promotion runs through March 2022.

“Offering ‘pay what you wish’ admission is a key way to expand access to the Museum across the city” says Executive Director Bonnie Dimun. “We’re so glad to offer this popular perk on Fridays in addition to the usual Mondays for the remainder of the winter.”

Since re-opening in June 2021, the Museum at Eldridge Street has adapted to new safety policies and procedures. For the first time, visitors can use a digital self-guide to tour the museum. The tool allows visitors to explore the space safely and access a wealth of stories and information using their personal device. Paper version provided upon request. The digital tool mimics the Museum’s signature docent-led tour experience (although guided tours have been reintroduced on a limited schedule). The app is free and accessible using a wifi connection on site. Tour is available in English, Chinese and Spanish.

In accordance with the Key to NYC program, the Museum requires proof of vaccination, with ID, for all eligible visitors. Visit www.eldridgestreet.org/safety-procedures-policies/ for the most up-to-date policies.

###

ABOUT THE MUSEUM AT ELDRIDGE STREET

The Museum at Eldridge Street is housed in the historic Eldridge Street Synagogue, a magnificent National Historic Landmark and New York City landmark. The building is a 21st-century preservation success; it was nearly lost to neglect before a 20-year, $20 million project restored the National Historic Landmark to grandeur. The Eldridge Street Synagogue was our nation’s first great house of worship built by Eastern European Jews, and stood as a proud symbol of immigrant ambition and success. Today it is one of the few remaining markers of the great wave of Jewish migration to the Lower East Side.

Upon restoration, the Museum received nearly every major preservation honor, including the prestigious National Trust for Historic Preservation 2008 Preservation Award and the Metropolitan Chapter of the Victorian Society in America’s Restoration Award. In the words of New Yorker architecture critic Paul Goldberger, the project was conducted with a “combination of rigor and affection.” And in 2010, the stunning modern addition of a stained-glass window by artist Kiki Smith and architect Deborah Gans ushered the historic space into the 21st century. The Museum is reimagining how a historic sacred space can foster community and culture.

Today, the Museum hosts art exhibitions, tours, programs, festivals and educational programs. The historic space has become a one-of-a-kind art gallery, a place of cultural collaboration, and a laboratory for new thought on immigration and cultural preservation. The Museum’s signature event is June’s Egg Rolls, Egg Creams and Empanadas Festival, celebrating the diverse communities of the Lower East Side through food, music, folk art, and cultural customs.

Museum Hours

Sunday              10AM - 5PM

Monday            10AM - 5PM

Tuesday            10AM - 5PM
Wednesday 10AM - 5PM
Thursday 10AM - 5PM

Friday               10AM - 3PM

Museum Admission

Adults: $15

Students and Seniors: $10

Children 5-17: $8

‘Pay What You Wish’ admission is offered Mondays & Fridays.

The Museum at Eldridge Street offers free admission [with valid ID] to:

  • IDNYC cardholders
  • Children under 5
  • Federally disabled visitors, plus attendant
  • Active duty military personnel and their families, as a proud Blue Star Museum
  • SNAP benefits recipients with EBT card or WIC card, via Museums for All  (valid for four visitors)
  • Cool Culture families
  • Culture Pass (reserve ticket first through culturepass.nyc)
  • Members of Museums Council of New York
  • Press

 

Contact:

Chelsea Dowell

cdowell@eldridgestreet.org

347-439-1596