Studio Museum in Harlem.

Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images


This small cultural gem has been exhibiting the works of African American artists for more than four decades. While its rotating exhibition program is always fascinating, the museum is not just another art display center. It is an important point of connection for Harlem cultural figures of all stripes, who arrive to check out exhibitions as well as film screenings and gallery talks. The museum closed in January 2018 for extensive renovations and is expected to reopen in 2021.

The museum's temporary programming space, Studio Museum 127, is located at 429 W 127th St between Amsterdam and Convent Aves. Hours are Thursday through Sunday from noon to 6pm.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Apollo Theater

0.17 MILES

The Apollo is an intrinsic part of Harlem history and culture. A leading space for concerts and political rallies since 1914, its venerable stage hosted…

2. National Jazz Museum

0.25 MILES

This small, Smithsonian-affiliated museum is a passionate love letter to the golden era of jazz in Harlem. From the 1930s to 1960s, the neighborhood was a…

3. Canaan Baptist Church

0.45 MILES

A modern Harlem church, founded in 1932, that welcomes visitors to Sunday services.

4. Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Market

0.49 MILES

This semi-enclosed market is a little slice of West Africa in Harlem. You'll find leather goods, wood carvings, textiles, woven baskets, oils, drums,…

6. Abyssinian Baptist Church

0.65 MILES

A raucous, soulful affair, the superb Sunday gospel services here are the city’s most famous. You’ll need to arrive at least an hour before the service to…

7. Strivers’ Row

0.7 MILES

Also known as the St Nicholas Historic District, these streets were the darling of Harlem’s elite in the 1920s. The graceful row houses and apartments,…

8. Columbia University

0.75 MILES

Founded in Lower Manhattan in 1754 as King’s College, the oldest university in New York is now one of the world’s premier research institutions. In 1897…