Hours of Operation

The Center for Jewish History is located at 15 West 16th St. in Manhattan's Union Square neighborhood.

• Exhibition Spaces
• Reading Room & Genealogy Institute

Make sure to check our holiday closures prior to visiting. Guests who require special accommodation should call Visitor Services at (212) 294-8301, to schedule an appointment in advance.

Free guided tours of the Center are available on Thursdays at 2 pm. Advance tickets required here.

Coat check is available to guests, but we ask that you leave suitcases, large bags, and items such as bicycles, scooters, and skateboards at home. All bags, briefcases, purses, and strollers are subject to search. Any person who causes a disturbance will be asked to leave. The following items are not permitted in the Center for Jewish History

• guns
• knives
• pen knives
• scissors
• aerosol cans, including pepper spray and mace
• tools

Wheelchairs are available to those who need them. Please ask the Front Desk when you arrive. If you need additional assistance call (212) 294-8301. The Center for Jewish History has a designated family room for nursing mothers and caregivers who need a private space to feed infants and young children.

Photography in Public Areas

Photography and videography in the public areas of the Center for Jewish History (the Center), without the use of flash or other supplemental lighting, is permitted for non-commercial, personal, or educational use only, subject to the following conditions:

• Certain works and images displayed at the Center may be protected by copyrights, trademark or related interests not governed by the Center. It is your responsibility to ascertain whether any such third-party rights exist, and for obtaining all necessary copyright or other permissions in connection with the use of such images. 
• Subject to the restrictions stated herein, you may use images obtained in the public areas of the Center for non-commercial, personal, or educational use only, including the posting of such images on social media, provided that any such posting shall credit the Center as the site where such image was obtained. 

Any use of images obtained in the public areas of the Center for commercial purposes or distribution, or in any publication intended for sale, is strictly prohibited without permission granted in writing by the Center; any permission granted will require that any such posting shall credit the Center for Jewish History as the site where such image was obtained.  Please address permission request to media@cjh.org .

For Media Outlets

• A visitor notification with the name of your outlet, crew members, and person you are visiting must be sent to security@cjh.org in advance of your shoot.
• A small camera is permitted through the 15 West 16th Street entrance.
• Large equipment must go through loading dock at 17 West 18th Street.
• Production staff must be accompanied by a member of staff throughout the duration of your shoot. You may not go unescorted. 
• Video and photography shot in public spaces must credit the Center for Jewish History. This must appear as a lower third, credit line, verbally in the context of the piece, or in closing credits.

Public Tours

The Center offers specially designed in-person tours on Thursdays at 2 pm that allow the visitor to view the exhibitions of four of our distinguished partners, American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. The tour lasts 1 to 1 ½ hours and includes a tour of the facilities and exhibitions, the Collection Management and Conservation Wing, the Lillian Goldman Reading Room and the Ackman & Ziff Family Genealogy Institute. Tours are led by trained, experienced docents. Advance registration required here.

Getting to the Center by Subway

4,5,6, L, N, Q, and R trains to the 14th Street and Union Square station.
F, M, L, and PATH trains to the 14th Street and 6th Avenue (Avenue of the Americas) station.
1, 2, and 3 trains to the 14th Street and 7th Avenue station.

Click here for a subway map.

Getting to the Center by Bus

Fifth Avenue
M1, M2, and M3 to 17th Street

Sixth Avenue (Avenue of the Americas)
M7 and M55 to 15th Street

14th Street
M14 bus to 5th Avenue

Click here for bus schedules.

Parking

The Center is able to offer visitors discounted parking at the following location:

SP+ Parking
20 East 16th Street between 5th Ave. and Union Square West
$30.00 (Maximum of 8 Hours)
Coupon required, more info can be found here

Overnight free parking is available on 16th and 17th Streets subject to parking regulations between 6 pm and 7 am but not allowed during the day. Metered parking can be found on 5th Avenue and on 6th Avenue (Avenue of the Americas). Parking is free on Sundays.

All coats and bags must be checked for the Reading Room and Genealogy Institute. Backpacks and larger bags are not permitted in the gallery spaces. Unless otherwise noted, non-flash photography is permitted for noncommercial use only.

The Center for Jewish History is closed on Saturdays and all major Jewish and national holidays.

Please feel free to contact us at (212) 294-8301 for more information.