Shawmut Underway on Transforming Historic Church into New Children’s Museum of Manhattan

Shawmut is underway on the new home of the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, a massive transformation of a century-old church overlooking Central Park into an interactive, seven-story learning lab for the children and families of New York City. 

The adaptive reuse project will restore and revitalize the building, honoring its historic form while adding contemporary elements to improve functionality, circulation, and accessibility. Shawmut completed the demolition of the interior to make way for new floors and programmatic space for the museum. The technical structural work has begun to delicately thread seven floors within the cavernous building while preserving the overall structure and key spatial features. The church’s overall massing and distinctive steeple will be preserved, including a careful restoration of the exterior signature white granite façade.

Designed by architect FXCollaborative and exhibit designers THG Creative, the new space will feature hands-on experiences and immersive exhibits delivering excellence in early childhood learning to the widest possible community of children across New York City and to visitors from around the world. The building will also include a café, museum store, performance space, and a rooftop terrace with a view of Central Park. The building’s distinctive barrel vault will be a key highlight of the new space, and the tall, arched windows will maximize natural light.

“We are incredibly honored to be working with the Children’s Museum of Manhattan and FXCollaborative to realize this magical space for the children and families of New York City. This type of adaptive reuse presents complex challenges that will yield remarkable results. We are excited to begin this next phase and ultimately build a welcoming, expanded, and accessible space that will serve the community for years to come,” said David Margolius, executive vice president of Shawmut’s New York Metro region.

The renovation of the building, located at the corner of 96^th Street and Central Park West, marks the first expansion for Children’s Museum of Manhattan in more than 40 years. When completed in 2028, it will not only double its physical capacity but also enable the museum to expand its age range to birth to 10 years old.

Children’s Museum of Manhattan was founded in 1973 on West 83^rd Street and remains open while this new space is built. Over a half-century, the museum has worked to expand its reach by partnering with city shelters, Head Start programs, settlement houses, medical facilities and the NYC Department of Correction. The conversion of the historic building comes as demand for museum services continues to increase.