Rendering of the 76th Street Faรงade of the Tang Wing for American Democracy at The New York Historical, designed by RAMSA (Robert A.M. Stern Architects). Credit: RAMSA / Alden
Dedicated to the Nationโs Founding Principles, New Facility Will Open as the United States Celebrates Its 250th Anniversary
Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of The New York Historical, announced that the institution will open its new Tang Wing for American Democracy on June 18, 2026, greatly expanding both the landmark building and The Historicalโs wide-ranging schedule of exhibitions, educational initiatives, and public programs. Dedicated to the history and future of the nationโs founding principles, the 71,000-square-foot Tang Wing will open as the United States launches the celebration of its 250th anniversary.
The Tang Wing will enable a tenfold increase in participation in The Historicalโs award-winning Academy for American Democracy. Developed to address critical gaps in the teaching of American history and civics, the Academyโs four-day intensive program will now serve 30,000 sixth-grade students each year in new classrooms in the wing. Other facilities housed in the Tang Wing will include:
- a new exhibition hall, the Klingenstein Family Gallery,ย showcasing The Historicalโs renowned collection of American art and exciting new exhibitions
- the Stuart and Jane Weitzman Shoe Museum, documenting three centuries of American womenโs lives through an extraordinary collection of historical footwear
- crucial new on-site storage for The Historicalโs invaluable Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, which holds the Robert A. Caro Archive,ย Timeย Inc. Archive, and Billie Jean King Archive as well as millions of manuscripts, maps, photographs, and prints documenting American history
- a state-of-the-art facility for conserving The Historicalโs renowned collection of paintings and historical objects
- and (opening in late 2027) the new home of the American LGBTQ+ Museum.
โThis transformative new wing embodies The Historicalโs mission of illuminating the complexities of the American story and inspiring engagement with the ideas and principles that define it,โ said Dr. Louise Mirrer. โAs we approach the nationโs 250th anniversary, the Tang Wing will serve as both a beacon for civic learning and a space for reflection on the values that continue to shape our democracy. We are deeply grateful to Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar Tang for their extraordinary vision and generosity in making the Tang Wing for American Democracy possible.โ
โThe New York Historicalโs origin story began with the American Revolution, and after 221 years we have achieved an institutional legacy as a steadfast witness to the history that shaped this nation. On the occasion of Americaโs semiquincentennial, this new wing shall rise as a self-evident embodiment of the American evolutionโfrom its beginning as the worldโs first modern democracy to the worldโs longest continuing democracy,โ said Dr. Agnes Hsu-Tang, chair of the Board of Trustees of The Historical.
250th US Anniversary Exhibitions
In addition to exhibitions already on viewโDeclaring the Revolution: Americaโs Printed Path to Independence and Stirring the Melting Pot: Photographs from The New York Historical CollectionsโThe New York Historical will present a slate of special exhibitions throughout the anniversary year:
- House Made of Dawn: Art by Native Americans, 1880-Now, opening April 12, 2026
Drawing from a collection of more than 100 promised gifts of art, artifacts, and rare books created by Native American artists to The New York Historical by Board Chair Dr. Agnes Hsu-Tang and her husband Oscar Tang in celebration of the nationโs semiquincentennial, this exhibition presents distinct artistic expressions and practices of modernism by more than 85 artists of diverse Indigenous heritage. - Old Masters, New Amsterdam,ย opening May 1, 2026
Who were the people of the Dutch Golden Age who founded the colony that would become New York? What drove them to set sail and colonize? A dazzling array of Old Master paintings from the Leiden Collection, featuring works by such artists as Rembrandt and Hals, provides viewers with clues into Dutch society, its attraction to faraway places, and the colonization and exploitation that resulted. Scenes depicting streetscapes, taverns, people at work and play, and other portraits help connect the world of Amsterdam with that of New Amsterdam. - Revolutionary Women,ย openingย May 29, 2026
The Center for Womenโs History foregrounds the women of New York City whose contributions to the Revolutionary War effort have been little recognizedโbut whose experiences highlight the material realities of living in the war-torn city as well as the divergent, contested meanings of revolutionary liberty itself and its unfinished promise. - Democracy Matters, opening June 19, 2026
When the Tang Wing opens, its Klingenstein Family Gallery will present the major exhibitionย Democracy Matters. Bringing together objects from The New York Historicalโs collections, the exhibition explores how the concept of democracy has stretched, contracted, and shifted through key moments in the history of the nation; how competing understandings of it have come into conflict; and how those conflicts have reshaped its boundaries - You Should be Dancing: New York, 1976, opening October 2, 2026ย
You Should Be Dancingย transports the visitor to a year of contradictions, when New York City was the main stage for Americaโs 200th birthday celebration with days of parades, festivals, and performances but also faced near-bankruptcy, a soaring crime rate, and housing and drug crises. Out of this moment emerged musical genres driven by the cityโs youthโincluding disco, punk, and hip hopโthat changed the culture of America and the world.

The Architecture of the Tang Wing
Designed by RAMSA (Robert A.M. Stern Architects), the Tang Wing introduces a striking new architectural presence that seamlessly integrates contemporary design with The New York Historicalโs historic campus. Courtesy of a generous gift from Dr. Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar L. Tang, the wing will feature light-filled classrooms, expansive exhibition galleries, a state-of-the-art conservation lab, a landscaped courtyard, and a rooftop garden terrace with panoramic views of Central Park. The facade of the new wing will be constructed of granite from Deer Isle, Maineโexcavated from the same quarry that provided the stone for The New York Historicalโs landmark building nearly 120 years agoโcreating an integrated and expanded campus that encompasses the existing landmarked building.
โDesigning the new Tang Wing and related renovations for The New York Historical has been an extraordinary opportunity to engage with one of New Yorkโs most important cultural institutions and historic landmarks,โ said Graham Wyatt, partner, RAMSA (Robert A.M. Stern Architects). โOur design completes a plan first contemplated almost a century ago and enters into dialogue with The New York Historicalโs existing building and with the craftsmanship and materials of the original structure, while introducing new interior spaces that meet the Museumโs evolving mission and programs.
At its summit, the Tang Wing will provide the first permanent home for the American LGBTQ+ Museumโa collaborative institution that will join The New York Historicalโs Center for Womenโs History in advancing the narrative of civil rights for all Americans, opening in late 2027. A collaboration between New Yorkโs newest museum of history and its first, the facility will include two galleries. The entry hall opening onto the American LGBTQ+ Museum space will be named in honor of trustee Michael Hormelโs late spouseโLGBTQ+ rights advocate, philanthropist, and the first openly gay US Ambassador, the Honorable James C. Hormel.
Construction for The New York Historicalโs new Democracy Wing began in Fall 2023, with The Historical raising $10 million to support exhibitions and programming for the Tang Wing, with additional fundraising for the $175 million wing coming from a partnership between government and private sources: $75 million in city, state, and federal support; and $100 million in private philanthropy.
About The New York Historical
New Yorkโs first museum, The New York Historical is a leading cultural institution covering over 400 years of American history. Our offerings span groundbreaking exhibitions; peerless collections of art, documents, and artifacts; acclaimed educational programs for teachers and students nationwide; and thought-provoking conversations among leading scholars, journalists, and thinkers about the past, present, and future of the American experiment. The New York Historical is a museum of museums and a collection of collections. We are home to the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, the Center for Womenโs History, the DiMenna Childrenโs History Museum, and the future American LGBTQ+ Museum. We elevate the perspectives and scholarship that define the United Statesโ democratic heritage and challenge us all to shape our ongoing history for the better. Connect with us at nyhistory.org or at @nyhistory on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Tumblr.
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