After a decade of operating as a roaming institution devoted to climate education and activism, the Climate Museum in New York has found a long-term home at a new space in Hudson Yards. Part of a recently announced $1.35bn mixed-use project developed with the Moinian Group and Boston Properties and designed by the architecture firm FXCollaborative, the new museum is set to open in 2027. Located at 418 11th Avenue, the development will also include a hotel, wellness centre and more than 1,300 residential units. Comprising three floors, the Climate Museum’s 24,000 sq. ft facility will feature space for exhibitions, programming and offices, as well as a small cafe and museum store.
“So many people want to get involved in civic action on climate, but don’t know what to do,” Miranda Massie, the Climate Museum’s founder, tells The Art Newspaper. “The arts have a unique capacity to help people recognise their own agency—we see this every day we have an exhibition up. A permanent space means more empowerment for more people. Nothing could be more meaningful to us.”
Since its founding in 2015, the Climate Museum has staged 13 exhibitions, including a recent presentation on the impact of fossil fuels in The End of Fossil Fuel (2023-24). Exploring the intertwined nature of social and environmental justice, the show was on view in a Soho pop-up space that was the museum’s temporary home from 2022 to 2024. The non-profit has also partnered with local institutions on public installations across the city, including a 2022 display of artist-designed flags centring climate action and environmental awareness in collaboration with Rockefeller Center. In addition to exhibitions, the Climate Museum has organised over 350 events, such as performances and workshops. While it awaits the completion of construction, the museum is seeking a temporary space for a two- to three-year lease.
A past Climate Museum exhibition in New York Courtesy of the Climate Museum. Photo: Sari Goodfriend
“We’re truly proud of all the exhibitions we’ve presented, and grateful for everything we’ve learned from them,” Massie says, noting in particular that for The End of Fossil Fuel, experts at the George Mason Center for Climate Change Communication conducted a study on visitor feedback about the museum’s programming. “After visiting the show, people’s confidence, hope and determination all increased,” Massie says, adding that the study is currently under review for publication. “[Visitors] better understood the relationship between climate change and social justice. They saw the oil and gas industry and its harms for profit in a clarifying new light. Finally, they recognised themselves as part of a broad community for climate action. This is what it’s all about.”
Information from this study and from the last several years of programming will prove vital as the museum moves into its permanent home. In addition to continuing its robust schedule of exhibitions and events, the museum will partner with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority on workshops and mentorship programmes for entrepreneurs exploring climate solutions.
The new development will be near Hudson Yards and the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, which hosts several art world events throughout the year, including The Armory Show. It will also be a short walk from cultural hubs like The Shed, home to the Frieze New York fair, and the commercial galleries in Chelsea.
“We are delighted that the Climate Museum will now present its outstanding arts programming year-round in a permanent home on Manhattan’s Far West Side,” Julie Coker, the president and chief executive of NYC Tourism + Conventions, said in a statement. “This development not only strengthens the West Side as a cultural destination but also reinforces our city’s global leadership in cultural tourism. The Climate Museum will inspire millions of residents and visitors alike to engage with one of the most critical issues of our time.”
