HHT’s historic sites collectively hold over 90,000 historic artifacts, consisting of an astonishing array of furnishings, decorative objects, clothing, archival materials, and archeological finds, some of which predate New York City. 

Our Partner Sites’ Collections

Historic collections are the irreplaceable storytellers of our member houses. Whether they are the personal belongings and archives of the Bowne family who lobbied for religious freedom at the Bowne House in Queens, notebooks filled with compositions written by the Tredwell children who lived in the Merchant’s House in 19th century Manhattan, or a marionette collection dating from 1940 that is still maintained and adapted for childrens’ productions year round at Central Park’s Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, these materials tell the complete story of NYC, from its origins to its contemporary societal issues. The objects housed within interpreted period rooms educate visitors and serve as engaging teaching tools for student groups, while the photographs and historic documents provide researchers and staff with irreplaceable primary reference material so that humanity can better understand its own history.