Museum of Broadway

Museum of Broadway
(2024)
EstablishedNovember 15, 2022 (2022-11-15)
Location145 West 45th Street
Midtown Manhattan, New York City
Coordinates40°45′27″N 73°59′04″W / 40.75755°N 73.98434°W / 40.75755; -73.98434
FoundersJulie Boardman and Diane Nicoletti[1]
Websitethemuseumofbroadway.com

The Museum of Broadway, on 145 West 45th Street in Times Square,[2] is the first permanent museum dedicated to documenting the history and experience of Broadway theatre and its profound influence upon shaping Midtown Manhattan Times Square, and New York City.[3]

Museum history

The Museum of Broadway was founded by Julie Boardman and Diane Nicoletti in collaboration with Playbill, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Billy Rose Theatre Division at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the Al Hirschfeld Foundation, Goodspeed Musicals, Creative Goods, and Concord Theatricals.[4]

Following a decade of planning for the museum as a means of bringing a new audience to Broadway amid an era of interactive museums, the museum opened on November 15, 2022.[5] It was originally scheduled to open in 2020, but its construction and development were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]

In November 2025, the museum established a philanthropic division called the Broadway Legacy Foundation.[6]

Exhibits

The museum covers more than three hundred years of Broadway history, including costumes and props from more than 500 productions.[7][8]

The 26,000-square-foot (2,400 m2) museum comprises three sections: The Map Room, featuring a short film that outlines the history of theater in New York and the location of the extant theatres; a two-floor Broadway timeline; and the Making of a Broadway Show.[1]

The museum has both permanent and temporary exhibits. Some previous temporary exhibits have included Moulin Rouge! The Musical: Spectacular, Spectacular (2024),[9] The Rockettes 100th Anniversary: A Century of Sisterhood (2025),[10] Stages of Imagination: The Iconic Broadway Designs of David Korins (2025),[11] and Craft of Broadway Puppetry (2026).[12]

In 2026, the museum hosted an event called "Casting the Role of a Lifeline" to find bone marrow donor matches in honor of The Lion King cast member, eleven-year-old Shannon Tavarez, who died from leukemia in 2010 after being unable to find a donor match.[13][14]

References

  1. 1 2 Lunden, Jeff (November 26, 2022). "The Museum of Broadway reveals the show behind the show". NPR. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  2. ↑ Rahmanan, Anna (June 14, 2022). "Exclusive: The Museum of Broadway has an official opening date!". TimeOut. New York. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  3. ↑ Recker, Jane (June 17, 2022). "The First-Ever Broadway Museum Makes Its Debut". Smithsonian. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Zornosa, Laura (August 16, 2021). "Museum of Broadway in Times Square Sets New Opening Date". The New York Times. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  5. ↑ Fierberg, Ruthie (June 22, 2023). "What it took to create the Museum of Broadway". Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  6. ↑ and Michael Abourizk (November 11, 2025). "Museum of Broadway launches nonprofit foundation". Broadway News. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  7. ↑ Bahr, Sarah (November 29, 2022). "The Museum of Broadway Is Open. Here Are 10 Highlights". The New York Times. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  8. ↑ Andrew Gans; Roberto Araujo (November 17, 2022). "Watch: Go Inside the Interactive, Multi-Level Museum of Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  9. ↑ D'Souza, Megan (May 28, 2024). "The Museum of Broadway Presents: Moulin Rouge!". The Knockturnal. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  10. ↑ "The Museum of Broadway highlights 100 years of Rockettes history in new exhibit | amNewYork". www.amny.com. November 19, 2025. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  11. ↑ and Michael Abourizk (June 17, 2025). "Museum of Broadway will host exhibition of scenic designer David Korins". Broadway News. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  12. ↑ and Lee D'Amato (May 7, 2026). "Museum of Broadway announces puppetry exhibit". Broadway News. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Museum of Broadway event honors former 'Lion King' star who could not find bone marrow match". ABC7 New York. January 29, 2026. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Casting: Role of a Lifeline, Bone Marrow and Information Fair, Will Be Held at Museum of Broadway". Playbill. Archived from the original on May 31, 2026. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
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