New York State Museum

History

Notable staff

• Frederick James Hamilton Merrill – museum director
• John Mason Clarke – museum director
• William Martin Beauchamp – archaeologist

  Layout and organization

Research

• The Biodiversity Research Initiative – A partnership among conservation and environmental groups in New York State, the Biodiversity Research Initiative seeks to advance information and research for the conservation of New York State's biodiversity by funding research projects, sponsoring conferences and seminar series, and directing other initiatives. BRI hosts a biennial scientific conference at the New York State Museum. Partner groups include the American Museum of Natural History, Audubon New York, the New York Natural Heritage Program, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, the State Education Department, the State University of New York, and The Nature Conservancy.
• The Center for Stratigraphy and Paleontology – In addition to conducting basic research on the stratigraphy and fossil history of the State and adjoining regions, and disseminating subsurface geological data to the public, the CSP also works to conserve and make accessible the extensive subsurface and fossil collections of the New York State Museum.
• Cultural Resource Survey Program – A cultural resources management program that conducts historical and archaeological research for the State of New York. The program's work assists other State agencies, such as the New York State Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Office of General Services, in meeting and adhering to their state and federal preservation mandates. This specifically refers to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, a federal law enacted in 1966 to preserve the cultural and historic resources in the United States. In doing so, CRSP works closely with New York State's Historic Preservation Officer and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
• The Laboratory for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics – The LCEG is a molecular phylogenetics laboratory designed for use by researchers studying animal and plant evolution. The facility provides technology that allows Museum researchers to analyze genetic variability among organisms by DNA nucleotide sequencing. The laboratory also houses the Museum's Genome Bank, a frozen tissue collection that complements the traditional dried-specimen collections by preserving plant and animal DNA for future study.
• The Wildlife Science and Conservation Initiative – This program works to address the impact, both broad and fine, that human disturbances and habitat fragmentation have had on the behavior, ecology, and evolution of carnivores. While their work has primarily focused on carnivores in New York State, the Initiative has also worked to develop an automated telemetry system in Panama and investigates behavioral changes among male lions in Tsavo, Kenya.

  Collections

Permanent exhibits

• The Adirondack Wilderness – This exhibit explores the geology and prehistoric flora and fauna of the Adirondacks, the impact historic activities such as logging, mining, and recreational use had on regional environment and ecology, and the area's contemporary state, including conservation efforts, resource exploitation, and artistic interpretations.
• The American Stoneware Collection – In 2014, a collection of 19th-century American stoneware was donated to the museum by Adam Weitsman. The exhibit includes stoneware jugs, crocks, pitchers, jars, and water containers.
• Ancient Life of New York – A Billion Years of Earth History – A paleontological collection of fossils over a billion years old. The exhibit includes blue-green bacteria, fossilized tree stumps and spiders from Gilboa, New York, trilobites, and armored fish.
• Birds of New York – Includes a display of over 170 native New York bird species in their natural settings.
• Black Capital: Harlem in the 20s – An exhibit of the art and culture of the Harlem Renaissance during the 1920s, including a history of its development and the impact and influence it had on later cultural and artistic trends.
• Carousel – Located on the museum's fourth floor, this full-sized carousel was made between 1912 and 1916 by the Herschell-Spillman Company of North Tonawanda, New York. It remained in use until the early 1970s in Cuba, New York, after which it was dismantled and obtained by the NYSM. The carousel is fully operational, and free rides are offered to visitors throughout the day.
• Cohoes Mastodon – The skeletal remains of a mastodon excavated in Cohoes, New York in 1866. The skeleton was previously located in the Museum's front lobby, complete with an interactive station. Returned from repair and restoration, it is available for viewing in the South Hall of the museum with a new display stand and interactive learning tools.
• Fire Engine Hall – An exhibit of historic fire fighting vehicles from the 19th and 20th centuries.
• The Governor's Collection of Contemporary Native American Crafts
• Metropolis Hall – An exhibit on the history of New York City, including a complete R9 New York City Subway car, and recreations of a Chinatown herbalist, Little Italy barbershop, and other storefronts.
• Minerals of New York – Geological displays from the New York State Museum's mineral collection.
• Native Peoples of New York – An exhibit focusing on the prehistoric and historic cultural development of New York State, spanning the chronological spectrum from the Paleoindian period up to and including the ethnology of Native groups in New York today. Included in the exhibit are numerous prehistoric artifacts, lifelike dioramas, scale models, and a full-sized replica of an Iroquoian longhouse.
• Research Gallery – Highlights current work being conducted by staff members of the NYSM's Division of Research and Collections.
• Windows on New York – Located on the fourth floor, the Windows on New York display highlights the history and characteristics of many of New York State's different regions.
• The World Trade Center: Rescue, Recovery, Response – Tells the history of the World Trade Center and the September 11, 2001, attacks, including the rescue efforts, the evidence recovery operation at the Fresh Kills Landfill, and public response to the attacks. Has numerous artifacts from the site including the remains of an Engine 6 ladder truck, and the flag that was flown from next to the North Tower.