The new Italian American Museum (IAM) will serve as a cultural hub and community nexus for Italian Americans and the Little Italy neighborhood. Through permanent and temporary exhibits, robust educational and cultural programming, and collaborations with the community, the IAM will become the preeminent center for learning about and engaging with Italian as a platform for sharing Italian American voices and celebrating Italian American achievements, the IAM will be interesting to both Italian Americans and non-Italian Americans, bringing Italian American culture and heritage to younger generations and a wide range of new audiences.

The Italian American Museum preserves, promotes, and celebrates the culture and history of Italian Americans, serving as living record of their contributions to America and a bridge between the remarkable past and the evolving future of the community.

By allowing Italian Americans to share their story in their voice, the Italian American Museum will encourage a full appreciation of what it means to be Italian American.

Progress Photos

Museum Hours

Monday: No public hours

Tuesday: No public hours

Wednesday: By appointment only

Thursday: 12:00 – 5:00 pm

Friday: 12:00 – 5:00 pm

Saturday: 12:00 – 5:00 pm

Sunday: By appointment only

Featured Exhibits

Sicilian Theater in Little Italy:

The Return of the Manteo Puppets

Verrazzano’s Voyage to America:

The Quincentennial Year

Goodnight, Maria

A tribute to all the women

who worked tirelessly

in the garment industry

to live the American dream

Events

Stroll in the Piazza:

Italian Music Collection

Concert Performance

By Dr. David Podles

Saturday, June 14th, 3:00 pm

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Peperoncino

Jazz Festival

NY Session – Night 1

Thursday, June 19th, 6:00 pm

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The first of the five evenings of the “Peperoncino Jazz Festival – New York Session” presented at the Italian American Museum, an elegant and contemporary venue located in the center of New York City, will feature Mafalda Minozzi.

Mafalda makes a triumphant return to NY and the Peperoncino Jazz Festival on the heels of the chart-topping RIOFONIC album that placed her in the top 10 of JazzWeek charts for 5 of the over 3 months on the chart.  It has also been on the prestigious NACC and ROOTS MUSIC Jazz Charts while still enjoying airplay on the top US jazz stations.

Derived from the Morricone soundtrack from the film of the same name, the show “Metti una Sera a Cena” will delve into her acclaimed work with jazz readings of themes from Italian film, along with a taste of her career in Brazil, Italy and NY.  With an innovative scat style, the songs become sensorial examples of what might be expected and unexpected.  Her unique blend of Italian lyricism and mastery of Brazilian Bossa and Samba have earned her a place on stage with greats like Milton Nascimento, Joao Bosco, Leny Andrade and Roberto Menescal, and collaborations with Dave Liebman, Joe Locke, John Patitucci and others.  Joining her will be NY stalwarts, with longtime partner Paul Ricci on guitar and rising star Rico Jones on sax.

Peperoncino

Jazz Festival

NY Session – Night 2

Monday, June 23rd, 5:00 pm

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Peperoncino

Jazz Festival

NY Session – Night 3

Tuesday, June 24th, 6:00 pm

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This performance of the “Peperoncino Jazz Festival – New York Session” will be held at one of New York City’s most prestigious cultural venues: the Italian American Museum, a vibrant center for music, art and cultural exchange in the heart of Little Italy.  Taking the stage is the Davide Cerreta Quartet, presenting the premiere of Cerreta’s new project, “Myths and Tales, Beyond time and Space” – a bold and imaginative journey through jazz, myth and poetry.  This original work reinterprets the music of jazz legends such as Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock and McCoy Tyner, blending it with Cerreta’s own compositions, evocative lyrics and spoken word poetry.  The result is an immersive narrative that offers an alternative vision of history, one shaped by archetypes, timeless stories and the emotional language of jazz.

Davide Cerreta is an Italian singer, composer, lyricist, poet and professor at Berklee College of Music, based in New York City.  He is known for his deep baritone voice and innovative approach to modern vocal jazz.  He has received numerous awards, including Umbria Jazz Young Talents Award 2017 and second place at the 2024 Made in New York Jazz Competition.  He will be joined by an exceptional lineup: Daniele Cordisco on guitar, Joe Lepore on bass and Elio Coppola on drums – together creating a richly textured performance that fuses music, myth and poetry in a deeply personal and contemporary jazz experience.

Peperoncino

Jazz Festival

NY Session – Night 4

Thursday, June 26th, 6:00 pm

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Peperoncino

Jazz Festival

NY Session – Night 5

Friday, June 27th, 6:00 pm

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Warm, magnetic voice and a cosmopolitan spirit: Chiara Izzi is one of the most captivating voices on the international jazz scene.  With a growing career and notable awards, first prize at the Montreux Jazz Festival Vocal Competition, awarded by Quincy Jones, and an Independent Music Award for her song “Circles of the Mind’, Chiara is a refined interpreter of jazz traditions and contemporary styles, as well as a composer with rich influences.  She has collaborated with jazz greats such as Chris Potter, Omer Avital, Grégoire Maret, Leon Parker, Nilson Matta and Kevin Hays.  She has graced major stages like The Kennedy Center, Montreux, Aspen and Sarasota Jazz Festivals, and NYC Clubs like Birdland, Blue Note, Smalls and 55 bar.  Her acclaimed albums include Live in Bremen (2022), praised by DownBeat as “immediate and unfiltered”, Across the Sea (2019) with Kevin Hays, and her debut Motifs (2013).

In Timeless Songs: Roots and New Horizons, Chiara honors her Italian roots and second home, New York, weaving tradition with modernity.  She brings to life Italian classics spanning from the’30s onward, hidden gems reflecting cultural ties between Italy and America, and originals born in the vibrant energy of New York City.  A journey through lyricism and improvisation, where warm Italian traditions (the roots) meet metropolitan skylines (new horizons).

22nd Annual

Golf Classic

Monday, June 30, 2025, 11:00 am

Click here for online registration

All Payers – Automatic entry to win $10,000

which can be applied towards an

Alfa Romeo Tonale 24 month lease

or purchase of any other Alfa Romeo.

(In lieu of the Alfa Romeo, winner can opt to take $10,000 as a cash prize)

Monday, June 30, 2025, 11:00 am

North Hills Country Club

Click here for online registration

Annual Appeal 2025

Dear Friends:

We are pleased to announce that on October 1, 2024 at the beginning of Italian American Heritage and Culture Month we cut the ribbon opening our new facility for the Italian American Museum.

The New Italian American Museum: Architectural renderings and model for the forthcoming newly designed museum.

The IAM is located on Mulberry Street in the heart of what was once the largest Italian community in the United States in the first quarter of the 20th century.

We became aware of the need for our own Museum in 1999, with the launch of the first major exhibition on Italians in America at the New York Historical Society, “The Italians of New York: Five Centuries of Struggle and Achievement”. The exhibit was a great success and we realized that in order to be part of the cultural dialogue in America, we needed our own Museum. So in 2001, we were chartered in New York State as the first Italian Museum in America. In our Museum, we seek to tell our whole story from Columbus to Cuomo and everything in between, our struggles and our accomplishments through hard work, ingenuity and perseverance. It has not always been easy but we have much to be proud of, for our contributions to American society are enormous. Now we will have a secular cathedral for all to see, experience and appreciate where we came from and what we have achieved.

Dr. Joseph V. Scelsa
Founder and President
Italian American Museum

Support the Italian American Museum and choose to make a difference by sustaining a rich visual arts and cultural heritage for future generations. Donors impact the museum in different ways either through immediate or planned gifts. The Italian American Museum is grateful for all levels of support — big or small. The future holds many opportunities for the Italian American Museum to provide enhanced programming, increased access, deeper understanding and broader community engagement. Through our ongoing commitment to create new experiences that challenge and inspire, we are pleased to offer a variety of ways donors and members can be involved.

Donors to the Italian American Museum are more than just supporters. They are a community of believers in the power of art and cultural heritage to help interpret and shape the world. While there are many ways to say thank you to such visionaries, the most meaningful is often a reflection of the donors themselves. That’s why the Italian American Museum’s gift recognition is highly personalized and tailored to the individual wishes of donors.

Members receive a 10% discount on all in-house Italian American Museum events.

• Individual Membership $100
• Family Membership $150
• Senior Membership $50

Click here for more information on
Naming Opportunities

Send your contact information and email to
info@ItalianAmericanMuseum.org to receive
Museum news and announcements.