Welcome Families!
Experience one of New York City’s most fascinating American-Jewish landmarks, the 1887 Eldridge Street Synagogue. 
- A hands-on experience. The Museum is not a traditional gallery — we want our visitors to physically experience this magnificent space.
- Award-winning interactive exhibits. Games and activities make history fun and accessible.
- Discover your family stories as you learn about the immigrants who settled here.
- Create art inspired by the history and architecture of the synagogue.
The Museum at Eldridge Street is accessible by guided tour only.
Our Preservation Detectives Family Program is perfect for families with children ages 5-10.
Families with children ages 10 and older will enjoy our standard guided tour.
Explore The Lower East Side
A visit to the Museum would not be complete without a walk through our dynamic Lower East Side-Chinatown neighborhood. Download our Neighborhood Activity Guide(.pdf) with food, parks and other neighborhood attractions, as well as fun facts and suggested activities.See a Google Map of the Lower East Side's family attractions. »
Preservation Detectives
Hunt for history in the 1887 Eldridge Street Synagogue in a fun-filled family program. Become a Preservation Detective and use a magnifying glass, binoculars and notepad, along with your ingenuity and imagination. Families will sleuth their way through our historic landmark and discover the past through interactive activities and art making. Each month features a different theme and reveals the mysteries of architecture, history, and Jewish culture.
Admissions
Every Sunday at 1:00 pm.Recommended for ages 5-10
$15 per family.
Tickets
Purchase tickets at the Museum's gift shop on the day of your visit.
Advance reservations required for groups of 10+.
Monthly Themes
Preservation Detectives focuses on a different theme each month.
February: Patterns & Paint
Investigate the exuberant paint patterns that coat Eldridge Street’s surfaces. From the 70ft vaulted starred ceiling to the faux marble walls, this architectural landmark is covered in decoration. Look closely to uncover the techniques used by the artisans and then create your own stenciled wall paper design.
Sundays, February 7, 14, 21 & 28 at 1 PM
March: Heroes & Villains
What makes a hero? Hear the tales of legendary Jewish heroes and villains. Honorable, horrible, fabulous, and fierce - from David and Goliath to Esther and Haman. Choose what role you want to play and craft a mask.
Sundays, March 7, 14, 21 & 28 at 1 PM
April: Passover Spectacular
Celebrate freedom. Find out why so many immigrants came to America in a fun-filled scavenger hunt. Clues throughout our great house of worship will lead our detectives to a special Passover Freedom party complete with holiday food, music, and art making.
Sundays, April 4, 11, 18 & 25 at 1 PM
Great Reads
Each of these great books is available at the Museum's gift shop. To order, please call 212.219.0327.
All-of-a-Kind Family series
by Sydney Taylor
Share the adventures a of a lively, Jewish immigrant family living in the Lower East Side on the eve of WWI in this time-honored classic.
If You Lived 100 Years Ago
by Ann McGovern
Enjoy this illustrated guide to how both the rich and poor dressed, traveled, dined and entertained in New York City at the turn of last century.
The Castle on Hester Street
by Linda Heller
Hear the tale of a grandpa’s journey from Russia to New York , including his widely imaginative encounter with a flying goat, buttons the size of sleds, and even a castle on Hester Street.
When Mindy Saved Hanukkah
by Eric Kimmel
Meet the Klein family- little miniature people living behind the walls of the famous Eldridge Street Synagogue at the turn of the century- in this spirited and beautifully illustrated story.
©2009, Museum at Eldridge Street