The New York Historical will open a major new expansion dedicated to the nation’s founding principles next summer, unveiling the 71,000-square-foot Tang Wing for American Democracy on June 18, 2026, as the United States begins commemorating its 250th anniversary.
Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of The New York Historical, announced Tuesday that the new wing will significantly expand the institution’s exhibition, education and public programming capacity. The Tang Wing is made possible through a major gift from philanthropists Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar Tang.
“This transformative new wing embodies The Historical’s mission of illuminating the complexities of the American story and inspiring engagement with the ideas and principles that define it,” Mirrer said in a statement. “As we approach the nation’s 250th anniversary, the Tang Wing will serve as both a beacon for civic learning and a space for reflection on the values that continue to shape our democracy.”
Central to the expansion is a dramatic increase in the reach of the institution’s Academy for American Democracy, an award-winning civic education program designed to address gaps in the teaching of American history and civics. New classrooms in the Tang Wing will allow the four-day intensive program to serve up to 30,000 sixth-grade students annually, a tenfold increase in participation.
The Tang Wing will also house the Klingenstein Family Gallery, a new exhibition hall for rotating shows drawn from The New York Historical’s collection; the Stuart and Jane Weitzman Shoe Museum, which explores three centuries of American women’s lives through historical footwear; and expanded on-site storage for the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library. The library contains major archival holdings, including the Robert A. Caro Archive, the Time Inc. Archive and the Billie Jean King Archive.
Additional facilities will include a state-of-the-art conservation lab for paintings and historical objects and, beginning in late 2027, the permanent home of the American LGBTQ+ Museum. The museum will feature two galleries and an entry hall named in honor of the late James C. Hormel, a philanthropist, LGBTQ+ rights advocate and the first openly gay U.S. ambassador.
Dr. Agnes Hsu-Tang, chair of The New York Historical’s board of trustees, said the new wing reflects the institution’s deep ties to the nation’s origins.
“The New York Historical’s origin story began with the American Revolution,” she said. “On the occasion of America’s semiquincentennial, this new wing shall rise as a self-evident embodiment of the American evolution—from its beginning as the world’s first modern democracy to the world’s longest continuing democracy.”
To coincide with the anniversary year, The New York Historical will present a slate of major exhibitions. Highlights include House Made of Dawn: Art by Native Americans, 1880–Now, opening April 12, 2026; Old Masters, New Amsterdam, opening May 1, 2026; and Revolutionary Women, opening May 29, 2026. When the Tang Wing opens, the Klingenstein Family Gallery will debut Democracy Matters, an exhibition examining how the meaning and boundaries of democracy have shifted throughout American history. Additional programming will continue into the fall with You Should Be Dancing: New York, 1976, opening Oct. 2, 2026.
Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, the Tang Wing blends contemporary design with the institution’s historic campus. The exterior will be clad in granite from the same Deer Isle, Maine, quarry used for the original building nearly 120 years ago. Interior features include light-filled classrooms, expansive galleries, a landscaped courtyard and a rooftop terrace overlooking Central Park.
Construction began in fall 2023. The $175 million project is funded through a combination of public and private sources, including $75 million in city, state and federal support and $100 million in private philanthropy. The New York Historical has also raised an additional $10 million to support exhibitions and programming tied to the new wing.
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