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CHINATOWN, MANHATTAN

The Museum at Eldridge Street

The Museum at Eldridge Street, in a restored 1887 synagogue: the first grand house of worship built by Eastern European Jewish immigrants in North America.

The restored sanctuary of the Museum at Eldridge Street, its great round window glowing above the ark
Courtesy of the Museum at Eldridge Street

More photos

  • The ark and the rose window of the 1887 sanctuary at the Museum at Eldridge Street
    Courtesy of the Museum at Eldridge Street
  • The blue rose window at the Museum at Eldridge Street, close up
    Courtesy of the Museum at Eldridge Street
  • Stained-glass detail in the sanctuary at the Museum at Eldridge Street
    Courtesy of the Museum at Eldridge Street
  • Brass chandeliers and painted walls in the sanctuary at the Museum at Eldridge Street
    Courtesy of the Museum at Eldridge Street
  • The Moorish Revival facade of the Eldridge Street Synagogue on the Lower East Side
    Courtesy of the Museum at Eldridge Street

The Museum at Eldridge Street is housed in the meticulously restored Eldridge Street Synagogue. Opened in 1887, it was the first grand house of worship built by Eastern European Jewish immigrants in North America, a symbol of what the crowded Jewish Lower East Side hoped to become. Decades of decline followed as the neighborhood changed, and the building was nearly lost to neglect before a 20-year, $20 million restoration returned it to public use. Today it is a National Historic Landmark and the Museum at Eldridge Street, in present-day Chinatown, and its sanctuary, lit by a great round stained-glass window, is one of the most moving interiors in the city.

Docent-led tours run Sunday through Friday (the museum is closed Saturdays), and a self-guide is available on the Bloomberg Connects app; advance registration is strongly encouraged. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors and $8 for children 5 to 17 as of October 2026, and Mondays and Fridays are pay-what-you-wish. Backpacks must be checked, luggage isn't allowed, and food and drink stay outside. Photos without flash are welcome. Afterward, the dumpling shops of Chinatown are steps away.

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Editorial draft — core details last reviewed October 19, 2026. Confirm practical details with the official site before you go.