Broadway has always had a stage. Now, it has a home.
In the heart of Times Square, the The Museum of Broadway stands as the only museum in the world dedicated entirely to Broadway’s history, artistry, and cultural impact. A three-time USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Award winner (2024, 2025, 2026), this 26,000-square-foot immersive experience is not simply a collection of costumes and props, it is a walk-through celebration of how Broadway became Broadway.
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Julie Boardman (left) and Diane Nicoletti (right) |
“When Diane and I started developing the idea about eight years ago, we could hardly believe that a museum celebrating Broadway’s groundbreaking history and shows didn’t already exist,” says co-founder Julie Boardman, a three-time Tony Award winner. “We thought — how does this not exist? Broadway is the beating heart of New York City, and we wanted to create a place to bring its magic to life for fans of all ages, from all places — little did we know, we’d soon be creating the only place in the world dedicated to the storied history and legendary artistry of Broadway plays, musicals, and the people who make them.”
For co-founder Diane Nicoletti, the spark was immediate. “Julie and I have been friends and have worked together since college! We were catching up one day over drinks, and she brought up this idea and I thought, wow, this is amazing. Why isn’t there one? Broadway is such an important part of New York City culture and history.”
That conversation turned into storyboards, timelines, and years of building. “Eventually we built the storyboard and how we’d go about the Museum — combining our experiences through a lot of visual storytelling,” Nicoletti says. “I thought and hoped people who love New York would appreciate learning more about Broadway’s impact on this great city.”
Boardman adds, “One incredible one-of-a-kind installation and immersive experience at a time, we worked to build what The Museum of Broadway is today — to honor all the work that goes into a production, both on and off the stage, while cementing Broadway’s place in American and world history. We are both producers and artistic visionaries at heart, but combining my in-depth Broadway-insider knowledge with Diane’s experiential production know-how proved to be the perfect pairing for success.”
It took five years to open the doors, with delays caused by the pandemic. “In hindsight,” Nicoletti reflects, “the delay allowed us more time to fine-tune the standout details and secure even more amazing artifacts, ultimately amplifying the celebration and joy when the lights went back on on Broadway.”
Today, the museum is organized chronologically, guiding visitors from Broadway’s beginnings in the mid-18th century to the shows currently on stage. Over 500 productions are represented through more than 1,000 artifacts.
“We designed the Museum to take travelers visually through the timeline of Broadway from its birth to present day,” Nicoletti explains, “encapsulating the signs of the times from the Great Depression to world wars, the civil rights movement to the AIDS epidemic. It runs the gamut showcasing family-friendly classics like Beauty and the Beast to gamechangers like Rent.”
But this isn’t a quiet, glass-case museum. It’s immersive, experiential, and built for Broadway fans of all generations. You can stand beside a chandelier inspired by The Phantom of the Opera, dance along with choreography from West Side Story, and explore the first-floor “Making of a Broadway Show” exhibit designed by David Rockwell.
But at its core, the Museum is about honoring the people behind the curtain. “We wanted to make Broadway accessible to the next generation of theatre-goers and theatre-makers,” Boardman says. “Most people just know the magic onstage, without realizing what goes into making a show. We wanted to highlight all the roles and people behind the curtain to show younger generations that there could be a place for them working in Broadway if that was a career path that interests them. They don’t have to be an actor — they can work in general management, production, marketing, journalism — and still be an essential part of the Broadway community.”
Accessibility extends beyond inspiration. The Museum offers a 25% discount for New York and Greater New York State residents, partners with the DOE to host student field trips, and provides free public programming with theatre professionals.
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“We were excited to make this for fans and the community so that everyone would have a place to come together to celebrate Broadway,” Boardman says. “At The Museum of Broadway, we believe we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us — to learn from our past so it can help inform our present and build our collective future.”
For Nicoletti, the journey itself carries a lesson. “For folks early on in their careers, keep pushing and ask all the questions before you accept any no’s. That is the best way to learn. Also, there is a place for you in the arts.”
And perhaps the most powerful moment comes not from the exhibits, but from the visitors. “The best part has been to see the reception,” Boardman and Nicoletti share. “There are people of all generations coming through. You’ll see grandparents with their grandchildren, each with their own different entry point into what Broadway means to them. It’s wonderful to hear these personal accounts, hear memories, nostalgia and stories shared of shows they saw and who they went to the theatre with.”
The Museum of Broadway is not just about theatre history. It is about legacy, community, and the living, breathing heartbeat of New York City.
And once you walk through its doors, you don’t just learn about Broadway — you feel it.
