New Children’s Museum of Manhattan project transforms century-old church
An adaptive reuse project will transform a century-old church overlooking Central Park into the new home of the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. The historic structure will become an interactive, seven-story learning lab for the children and families of New York City.
The $2.3 billion project will restore and revitalize the building, honoring its historic form while adding contemporary elements to improve functionality, circulation, and accessibility. Shawmut Design and Construction has completed the demolition of the interior to make way for new floors and programmatic space.
The technical structural work has begun to delicately thread seven floors within the cavernous building while preserving the overall structure and key spatial features. The church’s massing and distinctive steeple will be preserved, including a careful restoration of the exterior signature white granite façade.
Designed by architect FXCollaborative and exhibit designers THG Creative, the facility will feature hands-on experiences and immersive exhibits. The building will also include a café, museum store, performance space, and a rooftop terrace with a view of Central Park. The building’s distinctive barrel vault will be a key highlight of the new space, and the tall, arched windows will maximize natural light.
The renovation of the building, located at the corner of 96th Street and Central Park West, marks the first expansion for Children’s Museum of Manhattan in more than 40 years. When completed in 2028, the project will not only double the museum’s physical capacity, but also enable it to expand its age range of visitors to birth to 10 years old.
Children’s Museum of Manhattan was founded in 1973 on West 83rd Street and remains open while the new space is built.
On the project team:
Owner and/or developer: Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Owner’s representative: Gardiner & Theobald
Architect: FXCollaborative
MEP engineer: Kohler Ronan
Structural engineer: DeSimone
General contractor/construction manager: Shawmut Design and Construction
