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The Museum
Sixty years of collecting, conserving and sharing the art of ancient Egypt — in the heart of New York.
A Townhouse of Wonders Since 1962
Pennywhistle Lane Museum began with a bequest: two rooms of Egyptian antiquities, a librarian with a vision, and a belief that great art should be free to stand before. Today five floors hold more than 48,000 objects, from colossal temple sculpture to beads smaller than a grain of rice.
Collect with Care
Every acquisition is researched, documented and published — provenance you can read on the label, not hidden in a file.
Welcome Everyone
Pay-what-you-wish Fridays, free under-12s, step-free galleries and tours in six languages — the doors are genuinely open.
Conserve for Centuries
Our glass-walled conservation studio lets you watch specialists stabilise papyrus, gilding and painted plaster live.
Chapters of the Museum
The Bequest Opens
Collector Edith Pennywhistle leaves her townhouse and 1,200 Egyptian objects to the city; the museum opens its doors.
The Grand Hall Rises
A new atrium joins three townhouses, making room for colossal sculpture and the museum’s first blockbuster loan.
The Learning Lab
Weekend workshops, school partnerships and the hieroglyph club turn one floor into the city’s loudest classroom.
The Sixtieth Year
Three new galleries, a published catalogue of the whole collection, and a festival summer for our anniversary.
Come and stand before history
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 am – 7:30 pm. Plan your route, book a tour, bring a friend.