The New York City Traveler

New York may not have the television industry that California does, but the Big Apple is quickly gaining on its West Coast competitor.  Just a few months ago, it was announced that ABC’s hit comedy Ugly Betty will move production, joining an impressive list of shows that are taped in New York.

The American Museum of the Moving Image is dedicated to the art of film and television production by collecting and preserving moving image-related artifacts.  The museum is housed on the same block as the legendary Kaufman Astoria Studios.  The studio was home of the Marx Brothers and Cosby Show and currently receives regular visits from Woody Allen and is the home studio of Sesame Street.   

The museum’s core exhibition, Behind the Screen, has been praised as being the most comprehensive exhibit of its kind.  Behind the Screen covers the process involved in making the moving image, from production to marketing.  The exhibition displays artifacts from the museum’s permanent collection and employs the use of interactive exhibits.      

The museum is undergoing a renovation and expansion resulting in the theater being closed, however, all of the galleries will be open from July 8-August 29, 2008.  The museum’s renovation is scheduled to be complete in late 2009.  

Location:  35th Avenue at 36th Street, Astoria, Queens (map)        718-784-0077

Subway:  R, V to Steinway Street; N, W to 36th Avenue

Hours:  Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 10am-4pm; Friday 10am-6:30pm.  Closed Saturday and Sunday. 
Fridays: 10:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. (Free after 4:00 p.m.)
Saturdays and Sundays: Closed

Cost:  Adults $7; seniors and students $5; children (5-18) $5; children under 5 Free.  Admission to galleries is free on Fridays from 4-6:30pm. 

The weekly “Museum Monday” posts celebrate the over 100 museums that are in New York’s five boroughs.  Check out last week’s Museum Monday post on the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art.  Museum Monday continues next week with a post on El Museo del Barrio.

Photo credit: flickr; ___________________________________________________________________

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