Best Kept Secrets of MoMA PS1 in Queens

Your guide to visiting MoMA PS1 in Long Island City, Queens, with your kids. Get the most out of a trip to this modern art museum, which presents a different experience every time you visit.

Manhattan may be home to some of the world’s most famous museums, but parallel to Times Square, just across the East River, lies Long Island City: a mecca for art. There are many museum options in the area but MoMA PS1 is the most popular, likely because it’s viewed as an extension of the Museum of Modern Art (the two became formally affiliated in 2000). Though very different from its Manhattan counterpart, this modern art museum is well worth a visit. Here, a guide to visiting with kids in tow.

The Museum

Located in a century-old Romanesque Revival schoolhouse, MoMA PS1 showcases work by contemporary artists. Unlike Manhattan’s MoMA, which collects famous modern art pieces, MoMA PS1 focuses on new and innovative ideas by artists. With exhibits constantly changing, MoMA PS1 presents a different experience with every visit.

Some Standby Faves for Kids

Because MoMA PS1 used to be a schoolhouse, the site itself is a memorable walk-through experience. The brick exterior, creaky floorboards, long hallways, and dim lighting make it seem like it is a dreary day at school.

The museum’s main exhibits are always changing, but there are many hidden long-term exhibits scattered throughout the museum. Most of these staples are in the Basement Boiler Room or on the staircases. Saul Melman’s Central Governor, for example, was a six-month project in which Melman covered the boiler with gold leaf and chiseled a 5,000-pound salt block to symbolize the mixing of salt and gold in alchemy. There are also murals in the staircases, such as Ernesto Caivano’s In the Woods of tree branches in Stairwell A, and William Kentridge’s Stair Procession of people walking in Staircase B.

Though the menu might not be very kid-friendly, M. Wells Dinette is a dining experience like no other because of the unusual food and classroom-style seating. Long tables are arranged along both sides of the room with desk supplies in each of them. Chalkboards hang on the walls, noting the menu for the day. Even if you don’t eat there, it’s worth bringing the kids by to take a look.

Best-Kept Secrets You’ll Want to Discover with Your Kids

The exhibits are constantly rotating, so do research online before you visit to see what is on display.

The first thing kids gravitate toward when they enter the museum is Samora Golden’s The Flat Side of the Knife. Located on the first floor, immediately to the left of the lobby, this reflective exhibit extends twice the height of the Duplex Gallery and captures the attention of kids by displaying familiar objects. Metal wheelchairs roll up and down stairs to rooms with plants and guitars, leading down to the ground floor with couches, with a backdrop of a stone crescent moon. Museum visitor George Chudley, 11, says he thinks it’s cool how the rooms are all connected and the stairs lead to the instruments, couches, and beds.

Be sure to visit all floors of the museum. The third floor has an exhibit by Wael Shawky called Cabaret Crusades, where visitors can watch a video trilogy depicting The Crusades from an Arab perspective. The film contains some violence and may not be appropriate for young children, but they won’t want to miss the display of glass and ceramic marionettes at the entrance to the exhibit.

Before leaving MoMA PS1, don’t miss out on the bookstore called ARTBOOK on the first floor by the Visitor Entrance. There are many great books about art, such as Yoshimoto Nara’s book Drawings, to spark creativity in young minds.

Parents: Know Before You Go!

Most of the museum is stroller accessible, except for areas with fragile sculptural elements. Under that circumstance, you may have to check in your stroller at the exhibit entrance. There is a ramp that leads into the museum through the bookstore and an elevator on the first through third floors. There are bathrooms on each floor, but there are no changing rooms. The bathrooms are co-ed, with two fully enclosed stalls.

Kids are allowed to sketch in the galleries using pencil only, with sketchbooks no larger than 8½ x 11 inches. Photography is permitted using small cameras or cell phones without flash. Certain galleries might not allow photography, and flash photography, videography, tripods, and photography for professional purposes are not allowed.

From June through September, MoMA PS1 has an outdoor installation called the Young Architects Program that features architecture selected from a pool of international finalists. Take advantage of a great photo opportunity with the installation. Or, pose in front of the igloo-like Volkswagen Dome in the courtyard, where events are held every Sunday.

Snacks are not allowed inside. Unless your child is curious enough to try blood pudding and bone marrow & escargot at the museum restaurant, make sure to eat before your visit. Some restaurants nearby include Court Square Diner for standard diner offerings plus a children’s menu; Breadbox Café for healthy breakfasts and lunches like organic yogurt parfaits and salads; or Pink Canary Desserts for cupcakes and mini desserts.

Make the most of your outing by visiting one of the nearby parks. The John F. Murray Playground has a swing set and slides plus lots of benches, and Hunters Point Park has a playground, bike paths, athletic courts, and lots of open space with waterfront views. Besides parks, there is a rock climbing gym called The Cliffs at LIC, where kids can take the Climbing 101: Intro to Climbing class (with a parent/guardian if younger than 14) and learn the basics in a 1.5 hour class for $49. If you are planning your museum visit and would like to see a show in Long Island City, Secret Theatre has children’s plays every Saturday; tickets are $10 for children and $15 for adults.

Details

Location: 22-25 Jackson Ave. near 46th Avenue, Long Island City

Prices: $10; $5 students; free for NYC public school students

Hours: Thursday-Monday 12-6pm

For more information: momaps1.org