Museum of Chinese in America
Museum of Chinese in America
4.5
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Founded in 1980, the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) is dedicated to preserving and presenting the history, heritage, culture and diverse experiences of people of Chinese descent in the United States. The greatly expanded MOCA at 215 Centre Street is a national home for the precious narratives of diverse Chinese American communities, and strives to be a model among interactive museums.
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Downtown Manhattan (Downtown)
How to get there
- Canal St • 2 min walk
- Canal St • 3 min walk
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4.5
132 reviews
Excellent
68
Very good
48
Average
13
Poor
2
Terrible
1
Ed T
Brooklyn, NY57 contributions
Jan 2020
Visited MOCA two days before the Lunar New Year which didn't really impact the museum. Some very interesting reads on Chinese Americans who made significant contributions to America. Would have appreciated more artifacts or items for display rather than having to read the captions for most pictures. There was one room which I believe represented a Chinese Store in Chinatown past but there were no labels as to the ingredients in the jars on display. Signage was not very good, for example black letters on a brown background is very hard to read and the fonts could have been larger. There was a school group going through the museum when we visited and from what we overheard staff were very informative and gave age appropriate info for the children. Overall, OK but needs work on guiding visitors through the museum.
Written 25 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Josh D
New York City, NY914 contributions
May 2024 • Solo
My sister was once tired and told me there is a little Tokyo in Japan when she meant to say San Francisco!! I happen to be a fan of them ethnic areas and I want to travel the world but I can do it on the subway in one city!! I went here because I’m broke and waiting to get paid from my internship and it was free!! It was a small place but the things were very interesting and it made me learn more about Chinese history!! I will always enjoy the history places and this one was free!!
Written 24 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RoadtripMommy
California189 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
I had been wanting to visit this museum for awhile. The exhibit shows a timeline of Chinese in America. When we went, there was no admission charge. The interior is beautifully decorated with air conditioning. It was so quiet and tranquil despite being in the heart of Chinatown. It's a perfect location if you want a break but at the same time, learn the important contributions of Chinese immigrants to this country.
Written 4 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheLeongOhana
United States7,575 contributions
Mar 2022
As a beneficiary of MacKenzie Scott, MOCA has been given a generous opportunity to expand their museum. This attracted some controversy with protesters stationed in front but you’ll need to make your own decision to enter or move on.
We decided to enter and the security guard opened the door for us. Once inside we heard from the museum and then decided to explore the various exhibits. It was free to visit. Research center with shelves of books and the museum store were right there in the main entrance.
We headed into the first exhibit which dealt with racism as it spiked during COVID.
The next exhibits covered the Chinese in America starting from the late 1700s until the present. Details about the arrivals, the prejudice and exclusions, adapting and contributing to America, etc. Photos, stories and actual items (i.e. recreation of a general store) enhanced the learning experience.
Downstairs was a learning center for children as well as the restrooms.
We spent about an hour here and it was well worth the time. Hope there will be a larger expansion in the future.
We decided to enter and the security guard opened the door for us. Once inside we heard from the museum and then decided to explore the various exhibits. It was free to visit. Research center with shelves of books and the museum store were right there in the main entrance.
We headed into the first exhibit which dealt with racism as it spiked during COVID.
The next exhibits covered the Chinese in America starting from the late 1700s until the present. Details about the arrivals, the prejudice and exclusions, adapting and contributing to America, etc. Photos, stories and actual items (i.e. recreation of a general store) enhanced the learning experience.
Downstairs was a learning center for children as well as the restrooms.
We spent about an hour here and it was well worth the time. Hope there will be a larger expansion in the future.
Written 19 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David R
Schenectady, NY49 contributions
Aug 2019
The Museum of Chinese in America is a small museum just off the main drag in Manhattan's Chinatown. Its exhibits cover a wide range of material from the anti-Chinese movements of the 19th and early 20th centuries to the importance of community organizations. Even if you are not Chinese (I am not) this is a rewarding and important stop when in the area. There is a small gift shop. A visit should take between and and two and a half hours.
Written 9 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jonsayers
Sudbury, UK178 contributions
Jan 2016 • Couples
We stayed in Chinatown, and so decided to visit this little museum to get a feel for the history of the area.
A few interesting exhibits, but to be honest, I thought that a lot more could have been made of this. Not much to read, by way of explanation. Audio stories were available by pressing buttons on some items, but they were very quiet and some did not work at all.
A few interesting exhibits, but to be honest, I thought that a lot more could have been made of this. Not much to read, by way of explanation. Audio stories were available by pressing buttons on some items, but they were very quiet and some did not work at all.
Written 29 January 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jrr501
New York City, NY56 contributions
May 2019
This is a nice gem in Chinatown that tells the story of Chinese in America. The exhibits are informative, but not overwhelming and there is a nice mix of interactive displays to keep all ages interested.
The book / gift shop is nice, as well. A great assortment of items different from your normal museum shop.
The book / gift shop is nice, as well. A great assortment of items different from your normal museum shop.
Written 15 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bjaneh
94 contributions
Dec 2019 • Solo
If you have already read about Chinese labor in the early railroads and the Exclusion Act, you won’t learn much at this little museum at the edge of Chinatown and Soho. Most displays are just story boards , but there is a recreation of a shop and profiles of some Chinese Americans.
Written 1 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lorraine
New York34 contributions
Oct 2019
Stopped in here and was pleasantly surprised how interesting this museum was. Learned a lot about the Chinese immigrant experience, My only complaint was the displays that had people speaking were very loud and it was hard concentrating to read all the great things that were in the museum.
Written 8 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SMF2_On-The-Go
Annapolis, MD474 contributions
May 2019 • Family
this museum was just the right size with interesting exhibits and including artifacts, life stories of Chinese Americans and their contributions to our country. Will take about 1.5+ hours if you read most of the exhibits.. We went on a Sunday morning and only 4 other visitors were there. There were a few displays that were not working but for the most part very informative. We also bought a few cute things in the gift shop to help support the museum.
Restrooms were clean and on the lower level. Our 6 yr old twins enjoyed the childrens play area with dim sum cart, dress up costumes and such.
Restrooms were clean and on the lower level. Our 6 yr old twins enjoyed the childrens play area with dim sum cart, dress up costumes and such.
Written 22 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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