The New York Historical will open its new Tang Wing for American Democracy on June 18, 2026. The 71,000-square-foot expansion, designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, completes the institution’s campus on Central Park West.

To mark the opening, the museum will offer extended hours until 8 p.m. on Thursdays through Saturdays from June 18 to July 4. During these dates, admission will be pay-as-you-wish from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The public programming schedule features a temporary exhibition of a rare printing of the Declaration of Independence from June 18 to July 5. Scholars believe this specific document was printed by colonial New York printer Samuel Loudon in July 1776 to share the news of independence at public gatherings.

Live music performances, titled “Songs of America,” will take place in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center. These performances are free with pay-as-you-wish admission during the extended evening hours.

The festivities conclude on July 9 with a public event marking the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence being read aloud in New York in 1776. Attendees can watch the ceremonial pulling down of a life-size replica of the King George III equestrian statue, mirroring the actions of Revolutionary soldiers and colonists.

“This inaugural program invites the public to engage with the ongoing evolution of our democracy through exhibitions, live music, and family friendly activities,” Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of The New York Historical, said.

The new wing will house several permanent galleries and installations, including the Stuart and Jane Weitzman Shoe Museum, which showcases more than 100 pairs of historic shoes. Other displays focus on early American folk art from the Elie and Viola Nadelman collection, the history of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, and an LGBTQ+ civil rights timeline. The wing will also become the future home of the American LGBTQ+ Museum, which is scheduled to open in 2028.

Special public discussions include an appearance by filmmaker Ken Burns on June 25 to discuss his PBS series The American Revolution, followed by an interview with historian Doris Kearns Goodwin on June 28. In-person and livestream tickets are available for these events.

Special exhibitions scheduled for the opening season include House Made of Dawn: Art by Native Americans 1880 to Now, Old Masters, New Amsterdam, Revolutionary Women, and Democracy Matters.

Museum members will receive early access to the new wing during a preview day on Wednesday, June 17, as well as exclusive morning hours on June 20 and June 21. Complete programming details and member registration are available at nyhistory.org.

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