Self-Guided Tour of the Museum at Eldridge Street

On this Self-Guided Museum Tour, step back in time as you explore the Eldridge Street Synagogue, a magnificent National Historic Landmark, and learn about immigration at the turn of the 20th century, Jewish immigrant life, Moorish Revival architecture, and historic preservation. The Museum at Eldridge Street is housed in the historic Eldridge Street Synagogue. Built in 1887, it is an architectural marvel and a symbol of immigrant aspirations realized. The building is the first grand synagogue purpose-built by Eastern European Jewish immigrants in the United States; a landmark of the great age of immigration that would see one third of Europe’s Jewish population cross the Atlantic at the turn of the 20th century. Standing amongst the overcrowded tenements and packed city streets, the synagogue served multiple purposes. It was built as a house of worship but was also a place to build community, and a symbol that these new Lower East Side residents were laying down permanent roots in their new home. Impacted by strict 1920s immigration quotas, the building was nearly lost to neglect before the Museum’s 20-year, $20 million restoration project returned the space to glory and public use. In this Self-Guided Museum Tour, visitors will explore the building at their own pace and learn about the rise, decline, and restoration of this historic landmark; the lives, traditions, and customs of the Lower East Side’s Jewish community; and the ways in which we are preserving this history and these stories for future generations.