The Paley Center for Media in Manhattan

| | |

First opened in 1976 as the Museum of  Broadcasting, the Museum of Television and Radio changed names and moved to the heart of Midtown Manhattan in 1991, followed by another renaming and reopening as the Paley Center for Media in 2007 to honor William S. Paley. The owner of several prominent radio stations in the 1920s, William S. Paley created a larger network that became the CBS Network in the mid 20th century. 

The Paley Center’s collection includes 160,000 television and radio programs and advertisements from over 70 countries- the largest collection of television and audio media in the world. Paley The curated collection includes news, sports, performing arts, children’s shows, documentaries, comedy shows, and even commercials dating back to the 1940s, all of which have been chosen for their “artistic achievement, social impact, or historic significance” according to the Center’s website. The Paley Center also has a center in Los Angeles, California.  Note: The Paley Center collects programming, not artifacts, so there are few physical items on display.

Travel Tips:

  • The Paley Center is open Wednesday through Sunday from 12pm to 6pm; see updated information on hours and admission fees here (kids under age 12 are free). 
  • The entire center is handicap accessible via elevators.
  • Information on parking garages and close subway stops can be found here.
  • Restrooms are located on 4th, 2nd, and concourse floors.
  • No dining facilities on site and food and drinks are not allowed in the Center. If you’re looking for kid friendly dining options in Manhattan, check out this post.
  • The center offers tons of daily programs, screenings, and lectures; see the up to date calendar here. 
  • Plan on 60 minutes to explore the center and add more time for the GX Studio and viewing of films. 

Would you like to save this?

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.

Five Spots to Explore at the Paley Center:

  1. Fifth Floor at the GX Gaming Studio: Have a friendly “virtual” competition. The GX Studio has 20 individual stations that feature XBox Series X, PlayStation 4s, PS5, Nintendo Switch . There’s also the VR room with Oculus beat saver and the ability to try out one of three VR games. After getting hooked into a set of goggles and hand sticks, players can experience a thrilling VR experience, including a Star Wars lightsaber simulation. Note: Additional fee applies
  2. Fourth Floor Library: View one (or several) of the 160,000 programs from over 70 countries from the past 100 years of broadcasting. The Paley Center is home to the largest collection of television and audio media in the world. Guests can search for and watch up to 90 minutes of film at individual computer stations with headphones. Some of the most popular views are comedy specials and comedy shows (I Love Lucy ranks #1). There’s also coloring stations for the younger (or young at heart) visitors. Be sure to take a peek at the display of radios and televisions dating back to 1949. 
  3. Second Floor and Concourse Floor Theaters: Watch a screening in either the 120+ seat Bennack Theater and the 60+ seat, second floor Goodson Theaters about 60 seats. Daily programming includes several family friendly features and can be found here.
  4. Lower Concourse: The Dan Rather Gallery of portraits of famous past guests of the Paley Center.  This space is also used during themed exhibits, which can change monthly or seasonally.
  5. Rotating exhibits: When we visited, the popular holiday exhibit, PaleyLand, was on display. There are numerous photo opts, the Polar Express holiday train display, special holiday themed screening of films, and arts and crafts activities. There’s hot cocoa on the ground floor. Check the calendar for visits with Santa, Rudolph, elves, and even a snow monster! PaleyLand typically runs from mid November through the first week of January. Other popular exhibits include Black Achievements in Television, and Anniversary Celebrations. Exhibits can change as frequently as every month so there is always something new to see at the Paley Center.

Looking for more family friendly adventures in New York City? Check out our index of posts here and follow along on our adventures on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter.

Disclosure: My family was given a media pass to explore the Paley Center. All opinions expressed are my own. 

New England based, part high school English teacher, part non profit founder, part road tripper who LOVES hopping in the family SUV to explore America. Our bucket list includes National Parks, MLB stadiums, presidential libraries, and eating wherever the locals eat!

Similar Posts

  • | | |

    10 Ways to Explore the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum on Cape Cod

    Built from 1907-1910 to commemorate the first landing of the pilgrims on board the Mayflower on November 21, 1620, the 252 foot Pilgrim Monument is the tallest all granite structure in the United States. Visitors can climb all 170 steps and 60 ramps to the top and be rewarded with views as far away as Boston (42 miles north). Today, the monument and adjacent museum are open to the public from early April through early November.

  • | | | | | |

    Crown Center in Kansas City, MO

    My favorite, major family trip (to date) was the first one we took in the summer of 2012. We logged 5700 miles in our trusty Chevy Equinox, driving from Connecticut to Phoenix, Arizona and back to Connecticut. On the back end of the trip, we spent a few days in Kansas City, Missouri. And we.loved.it. Love the people. Loved the food. Loved the family friendly places to explore. I blogged about our stay for Kidventurous here, but I thought I would revisit some of these suggestions and elaborate on them. Note: I did fact check as of June 2017.

    Today I want to focus on the Crown Center & Union Station area of the city. My suggestion for parking is to go to Crown Center.  There are two parking garages; I would park in the one labeled “Seal Life and Lego Land” which is on the East side of Grand Avenue. You can park on all day and walk to some of our favorite spots:

  • | | | | | | | |

    Take the Kids to the Ballgame

    Growing up in Boston, it was literally in my DNA to root for the Red Sox. When I first met my husband, and found out that he was also a Sox fan, I knew we were meant for each other. We’ve been going to Fenway Park for years, and when we made it our mission to see each and every ballpark in the country, the idea for summer road trips (and this blog) was born. Bringing our children along for the games has certainly given us a new perspective… But in many ways, the experience has become even more enjoyable.

    I wrote about kid-friendly aspects of ballparks for Kidventurous a couple of years ago. But since then, we’ve discovered several new perks to bringing the kids along to watch America’s Pastime.

  • Our Top Social Media Posts of 2024

    Somehow the year 2024 is quickly coming to a close. Our family had a wonderful year with many adventures- we’ll be sharing an annual Highlights post next week on the blog (check out 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017). This week, we spent some time delving into the interwebs of our analytics for our top social media posts. We thought it would be fun to take a look back in a separate post. Here are our posts with the most engagement throughout 2024:

  • | | | |

    My New 2018 Chevy Equinox

    Over ten years. Almost 193,00 miles. All around the country. My 2007 Chevy Equinox served me well. I loved that car. I regret not taking more pictures with it at stops along our road trips. That car saw a lot of the American landscape.  I wouldn’t go so far as to say the car was a member of the family, but it did protect and serve my family for a long time.

    So, after lots of saving, planning for our largest (to date!) summer road trip for 2018, and seeing great incentives from Chevrolet, my husband and I decided to purchase a new car.

  • Mystic Seaport in Connecticut

    My family has recently been on a nautical kick, with a weekend in New Bedford, Massachusetts and the New Bedford Whaling Museum. During a visit to Mystic, Connecticut a couple of weeks ago, Connecticut we thought we would continue to broaden our sealife knowledge with a visit to the Mystic Seaport.

    Mystic Seaport, the largest maritime museum in the United States, was founded in 1929 and now welcomes almost 300,000 visitors and hundreds of school groups each year. It’s conveniently located one mile off Interstate 95, right on the water, in the picturesque town of Mystic, Connecticut. Mystic offers tons of family fun, such as the Mystic Aquarium (check out my post here). Spread out over 19 acres, the Seaport recreates 19th century life in a seafaring village with over 60 different exhibits, buildings, boats and areas to explore.

7 Comments

  1. WOW! what an amazing collection of film, , facts and fun information on TV and especially CBS , especially for people old enough to appreciate the history of television. I was amazed on the prompts to explore places to eat and see in New York. Great job!

    Reply

  5. Had no idea this was something in NYC although not surprised since it is one of the entertainment capitals of the world! Love the way you featured the must spots especially the library and theaters.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *