Unique Museums in NYC

The Museum of the Dog (formerly known as the American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog), was founded in 1982 by the American Kennel Club (AKC) as a celebration of all things canine related. This unique NYC museum is located a stone’s throw away from Grand Central Terminal and houses a massive collection of dog art, from paintings to sculptures.

Special exhibits delve into topics like dogs in movies and different dog breeds, and rotate seasonally ensuring something new on every visit. While your pup can’t join you for a regular visit, they do have special after hours dog-friendly “Furry Fridays” twice a month! Check their calendar for upcoming events.

Dia Art Foundation is a collection of spaces across the world that showcase large-scale, unconventional art. Founded by art enthusiasts in 1974, Dia prioritizes spacious installations.

In NYC they have the New York Earth Room, a loft at 141 Wooster Street in SoHo filled with 250 cubic yards of dirt. That’s it, that’s the sculpture! The art piece was created by Walter de Maria in 1977 and is one of the most unusual museums in NYC.

After admiring the Dirt Museum, take a 5-minute walk to another unique art piece titled the Broken Kilometer. It consists of 500 polished brass rods scattered across the floor, slowly oxidizing since 1979. Like the Earth Room, the artist doesn’t provide a specific meaning and leaves it up to the viewer to interpret the work for themselves.

The Catacombs at The Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral offer a unique journey into the underground burial chambers of three dozen families. To visit, you’ll need to purchase a guided tour ticket because access is restricted. The tour lasts 80 minutes and meets in the basilica’s graveyard.

To enter the catacombs you’ll pass through a passageway inside the church, which you might recognize from the baptism scene in The Godfather (1972). Then you’ll descend underground into one of the most unusual museums in NYC, where you will follow a knowledgeable guide who’ll explain the historical significance of the catacombs.

The catacombs aren’t lined with skulls and bones like the ones in Rome or in Paris, rather they’re vaults that hold some of the city’s most prominent early Catholic families. Among those interred are the first Bishop of New York, John Connolly, Abraham Lincoln’s advisor, Thomas Eckert, and members of the Delmonico family.

The Museum of Food and Drink, or MOFAD for short, is a fun and unusual museum in Brooklyn that focuses on what we eat. Founded in 2008, it aims to spark curiosity about the cultural, historical, and scientific aspects of food.

MOFAD is located at the Empire Stores in DUMBO, the same building as the Time Out Market. The unique NYC museum frequently hosts tasting events, workshops, and lectures featuring chefs, food scientists, and historians, providing visitors with hands-on culinary experiences.

Currently, their big exhibit is called “Flavor. The World to Your Brain.” This exhibit dives into how we experience flavor through our senses and explores the creation of flavors, both natural and artificial.

Opened in 2018, Spyscape aims to help you unleash your inner secret agent. The unique museum in NYC allows you to test your spy skills like code-breaking and disguise through a series of challenges. You’ll learn about real-world spy gadgets and famous espionage operations throughout history.

Located in Midtown Manhattan, admission is around $40 for adults which is steep compared to the other museums on this list, however, it includes a personalized spy mission which is similar to an escape room. Budget some time; Spyscape recommends a minimum of 2 hours to fully explore all the interactive exhibits.

The Museum of Sex, or MoSex was founded in 2002 and is an adults-only museum (18+) located on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The unique NYC museum delves into the history and cultural significance of human sexuality through exhibits, installations, and interactive elements.

Expect a wide range of content including historical artifacts, provocative artwork, and explorations of sexuality across cultures and time periods at the unique museum in New York City. Admission is around $36 and includes admission into “Super Funland” which uses carnival-inspired installations to playfully explore erotic themes.

Mmuseumm is a tiny museum (36 square feet!) in Tribeca housed in a converted elevator shaft, offering exhibits on random modern artifacts. The museum is open from Thursday to Sunday during the spring and summer, but you can peek through a window 24/7 to glimpse the changing displays at the unusual New York City museum.

Exhibits rotate, showcasing everything from personal possessions to homemade weapons, all designed to spark conversation about the curious world around us (the museum makes no effort to tell you what to think). They call it “object journalism,” and a quirky, quick pit-stop while visiting all the weird museums in NYC.

Founded by locals, The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) celebrates how residents transformed abandoned buildings into homes and vacant lots into gardens. The unique museum in NYC is volunteer-run and operates on pay-what-you-wish donations ($5 recommended).

Visitors can explore exhibits, photos, and quirky artifacts that tell the story of this community’s fight for green space and livable neighborhoods. To put it plainly, the museum explains how New Yorkers were able to make homes where there were none open to them. They also offer tours of the East Village’s community gardens.

The City Reliquary is a treasure trove of NYC history tucked away in Williamsburg. Founded in 2002 by a passionate collector, the artifacts make up one of the most unique museums in NYC. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated!

Inside, you’ll find a fascinating jumble of everyday artifacts that tell the stories of New York’s five boroughs. Think subway tokens, vintage toys, remnants of the World’s Fairs, and even a rope from City Hall after 9/11. I like to think of the unique NYC museum as the city’s garage.

Special exhibits showcase local collections and community events keep things lively, providing an intimate look into the heart and soul of NYC. The City Reliquary is not a huge museum, so allocate around 30/60 minutes for the experience.

The Museum of the Moving Image in Queens is non-negotiable for movie buffs. At the unique museum in NYC you can explore the history of film and TV through exhibits that take you behind the scenes, learning how movies are made from concept to credits.

They also have screenings of everything from classics to indie films, plus special exhibits on your favorite movies or TV shows. Feeling creative? Try your hand at animation or filmmaking in their interactive labs! The museum is also home to an impressive selection of video games, explaining how they’re brought to life on a screen.

The Robotic Church is housed inside a former Norwegian Seaman’s Church and is the workspace of artist Chico MacMurtrie. This is his workshop where he creates robots out of spare parts and recycled treasures.

The studio isn’t open to the public daily, but they occasionally hold special events where you can see these amazing creations come to life in a dazzling performance with music and movement! As one of the most unique museums in NYC, it offers a chance to witness art and engineering collide.

Keep an eye on their website for event announcements, and if you snag a ticket, you’re in for a truly unforgettable experience! I have found it best to sign up for their newsletter so I get an email whenever there’s an event.

The Met Cloisters, a branch of the the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Fort Tryon Park, offer a trip back in time to Medieval Europe. More than 5,000 pieces of art (from the collections of Rockefeller Jr and J.P. Morgan) showcase work from the 8th to the 16th centuries. Think stunning paintings, sculptures, and tapestries at the unique NYC museum.

The coolest part? The museum itself is built like a medieval monastery, complete with cloisters and gardens (that are especially stunning in the spring!). Furthermore, The Met Cloisters are perched on a hill overlooking the Hudson River with gorgeous views, meaning the exhibits aren’t the only pretty things to look at.

Local’s tip Your ticket to the Met gives you access to both The Met on Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park. It allows you to explore both locations without needing separate admissions, but only on the same-day.