Wow. The Museum of the City of New York is fun to visit, no matter what you’reinterested in. From paintings of New York City people and places (old and recent), to a miniature scene of South Street in 1855, to entire rooms from different eras, to “the Americas Six” fire engine from 1851. You name it, you’ll find it here. This place has all sorts of interesting artifacts from all eras of New York City history.

Though the museum concentrates on New York City history, almost everything you find here can be applied to a broader, national historical context. The costumes and textiles, decorative arts, paintings and sculpture, prints and photographs, theater, and toys will astound you. To get an idea of the many different artifacts the museum owns, go online and check out the information on the collections.

Seek and you never know what sort of interesting ideas you shall find. For example, by reading about the history of theater in New York, you learn about the city’s first folk hero, “Mose,” a character from the popular play “A Glance at New York.” He was based on a real New Yorker, a volunteer fireman and local tough guy from the Bowery named Moses. Legend surrounds this man, who is said to have been able to leap the East River and uproot a lamppost with one hand. It seems that Johnny Appleseed had a little competition.

Of particular note is the museum’s assortment of furniture. The second and fifth floors display rooms that are typical of the middle and upper classes of almost every period. A series of drawing rooms, bedrooms, and other restored interiors dating from 1740 to 1880 can be found intact, and John D. Rockefeller’s bedroom and drawing room are exactly as they looked when he used them. You almost feel as if, by walking into the room, you are stepping into his life.

If you’re interested in New York as a seaport, you should check out Trade exhibit on the second floor. There is a miniature model of South Street and a full-size representation of Robert Fulton leaning on the Nassau, a boat he designed that was the first steamboat on the Fulton Street Ferry Line.

A mural, “Growing Up in NYC” by Robert Burghard, follows an East Side man’s life between 1926 and 1944 and includes his impressions of the historical events of the period. It is a clever and touching work of art, one of the best that the museum displays.

One thing you should definitely do is check out the museum’s listing of past, current, and online exhibitions [http://www.mcny.org] calendar for information on

work shops, lectures, films and performances. Usually the programs are related to the current exhibits. If you have any questions, contact Museum’s Learning Department, at ext. 3390.

Whether you are a history buff or you just want to get some help with your project, you might consider participating in New York City History Day. You can do this project in a small group or individually. You can write a historical paper, create your own museum exhibit, do a documentary, or put on an original performance. If you decide to do a traditional historical paper, you need to do the project by yourself. Otherwise, you can work in a group of up to five people. Contact Franny Kent at ext. 3389 for information. You will need a teacher to advise you.

Research opportunities may be available to you, depending on what you are studying. To find out if the Collections Access Department can help you, call at least a week ahead of when you would like to do your research, and have a pretty specific topic in mind. The amount of time it takes you to get an appointment will depend on which curatorial department you’re looking into.