Citi Field, the New York Hall of Science, and the Queens Zoo are all conveniently situated in Corona Park in Flushing Meadows, Queens. There is nothing quite like taking a walk around the property on a pleasant day; one can admire the breathtaking Meadow and Willow lakes framed by lush greenery, and listen to the dull hum of cars constantly zooming past on the neighboring Grand Central Parkway. Families often host barbeques at picnic benches scattered around the area, and runners and bikers are a frequent sight.
From the 1910s up until the mid 1930s, the park’s territory was used to store the city’s ash byproducts made from incinerating garbage. The land became known by the unflattering nickname of ‘The Corona Dump,’ due to its unsanitary conditions and the foul odor emitted by the ash.
Finally, the unsightly ash dump was given a chance for a new beginning, when it was chosen as the venue for 1939-40 New York World’s Fair, and the later 1964-65 fair. The expositions were two massive festivals that celebrated the cultures of eighty nations and 24 U.S. states. They were also used as a means of advertising by almost 350 iconic American companies, including Pepsi-Cola, DuPont, Ford Motor Company, and General Motors.
100 years later, a crowd of over a million eager fans went to the 2024 U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows’ Corona Park. The annual summer event attracts massive crowds with lavish world-class dining, branded t-shirts, and a rare opportunity to see global tennis stars up close in action. Unbeknownst to the swarms of people who visit the Billie Jean King tennis center every year, a hidden gem lies merely a few steps away: the Queens Museum.
Prior to the museum’s establishment in 1972, the site was used as the headquarters for the United Nations up until the opening of their Midtown Manhattan facility. Later, the premises were converted into a popular ice and roller skating rink, until its doors shut and renovations for the museum began.
Today, the museum has several permanent installations: a topographic map visualizing the flow of the city’s water supply, a diorama of all five boroughs, elaborate lamps made by Tiffany & Co. in the late 1800s, and a collection of memorabilia from the New York World’s Fairs. Aside from those, several art exhibits are featured and periodically replaced. Overall, the Queens Museum showcases the past, present, and future of New York City in a seamless blend of modern art and fascinating antiques.
When searching up ‘the Queens Museum’ online, the first picture that appears is of their iconic diorama of all five boroughs. It is probably the most well-known exhibit in the museum. Taking nearly three years and costing almost 700,000 U.S. dollars (in 1964) to complete, the diorama is quite stirring; it boasts nearly 900,000 buildings, and includes over 3,000 colored lights. To enhance the realism, miniature airplanes land routinely every few minutes at the model of LaGuardia Airport in Queens, and the room’s lighting rapidly changes to reflect different times in a day.
Overlooking the diorama gives one an opportunity to appreciate the intricacies of all five boroughs. Every miniscule building represents a New Yorkers’ home, business, school, favorite restaurant, their entire livelihood. Rest assured knowing that you will walk away from the diorama with a newfound perspective and admiration for the smaller details in life.
With their map of the New York City water supply system, the museum pays homage to essential yet underappreciated public works. At first glance, it can be difficult to recognize what the exhibit even represents. A 3D model of crumpled up yellowed paper that is adorned with paths of blinking lights? Not quite. The map actually shows how water flows from reservoirs in Delaware and Upstate New York to the homes of New York City residents. Indicating the direction of the flowing water, the lights blinking rhythmically is a mesmerizing sight.
Perhaps the museum’s most extensive installation is one on the 1939 and 1964 New York World’s Fairs. The museum has an impressive collection of over 10,000 knick-knacks related to the expositions, and around nine-hundred have been on display since 2013. The trinkets on the shelves range from figurines, to cups, signs, plates, silverware, pins, and jewelry; all of them are branded with the vivid blue and orange logo of the World’s Fair.
An exhibit focusing on the historical context, construction, and impacts of the latter festival is newly on display in commemoration of its 60th anniversary. The supplemental showcase, ‘A Billion Dollar Dream,’ delves deeply into the political climate at the time, as well as the fair’s relation to the civil and women’s rights movements. The collection offers a uniquely immersive experience where visitors can watch tapes of the diverse music, dance, and food showcased at the festival.
The museum boasts an extensive collection of antique stained glass lamps made by Tiffany & Co., previously owned by the Nuestadt family. Not only do the lamps emit an enchanting yellow glow, but the history behind their production is fascinating. Skilled artisans completed the labor-intensive task of making the lamps; the bronze lamp bases were sculpted by hand and the lampshades were made by soldering hundreds of glass pieces together. The materials used to create the elaborate works of art were produced in Louis C. Tiffany’s factory in Corona, Queens. Today, the former site of the factory is a public elementary school not far from the museum itself.
It is only fitting that a museum dedicated to “The World’s Borough” represents a diverse selection of cultures through its art exhibits. In Queens, almost 48% of the population are immigrants, and more than 130 languages are spoken within its borders. Appropriately, the museum has featured artists from an impressive range of backgrounds; in the past, they have had exhibitions celebrating African, Hispanic, Korean, Romanian, Native American, Caribbean, and South Asian cultures.
The Queens Museum is only adding to its representation of diverse voices with each new collection. On March 16th, 2025, a new exhibit opened, ‘Makibaka,’ dedicated to Filipino culture. The project focuses on the struggles that Filipino-Americans have overcome since the 1960s, and the unique architectural style of the Philippines pavilion at the 1964 fair. Another exhibit also opened on the same day. The exhibition, called ‘JOY TECH’, uses augmented reality to represent Pakistani culture and shed light on Islamophobia that Pakistani-Americans faced during the War on Terror.
In spite of its name, the Queens Museum is much more than a museum alone. Behind the scenes, the museum board has run several programs to benefit New Yorkers – youth art lessons, food pantries, infrastructure fundraising, and cultural shows only scratch the surface of the work the museum has done for city residents. The community service and outreach programs organized by the museum have helped immeasurably with fostering flourishing communities in Queens.
Despite the variety of unique exhibitions on display at the Queens Museum, the contents within its walls are often unknown to those outside of the borough. When asked to name as many New York City museums as possible from memory, Humaira Hia ’27 mentioned, “The MET, the Museum of Natural History, and the Museum of Ice Cream,” all museums in Manhattan. This discrepancy should not be attributed to ignorance, but rather the lack of publicity for museums in the outer boroughs of New York City.
You may not hear about it on blogs or social media sites, but there is truly something for everyone in the Queens Museum. Whether you are an art enthusiast, history fanatic, or anything in-between, there is an exhibit that will speak to you. So hop on a Flushing-bound 7 train, and take a pleasant stroll through the Corona Park until you see the museums’ glass façade.
You may not hear about it on blogs or social media sites, but there is truly something for everyone in the Queens Museum. Whether you are an art enthusiast, history fanatic, or anything in-between, there is an exhibit that will speak to you. So hop on a Flushing-bound 7 train, and take a pleasant stroll through the Corona Park until you see the museums’ glass façade.