Isamu Noguchi was one of the most significant American artists of the 20th century — a sculptor, furniture designer, landscape architect, and set designer whose work spans the intimately scaled and the monumental. His coffee table for Herman Miller is one of the most widely reproduced furniture designs in history. His large-scale stone gardens in Japan are National Treasures. The museum he created in his Long Island City studio to house and display his work is one of the most thoughtfully conceived artist’s museums in existence.
The Sculpture Garden
The museum’s central outdoor space is an open-air sculpture garden surrounding a converted industrial building, with large-scale works in stone, metal, and wood arranged in a landscape that Noguchi designed himself. The garden’s organization — the placement of works in relation to each other and to the sky — reflects Noguchi’s interest in how sculpture exists in space rather than as isolated objects. This is not a typical sculpture garden where works are placed on plinths. It is itself a designed environment.
The Gallery Building
The converted factory and studio building contains galleries arranged roughly chronologically, showing the development of Noguchi’s practice from his early portrait busts through his mature stone works, his Akari light sculptures (paper and bamboo lanterns), and his set designs for Martha Graham’s dance company. The Akari lights — paper lanterns designed beginning in 1951 that have been continuously produced and are still available from the museum shop — are among the most beautiful and most accessible objects in the collection.
Why It Matters
The Noguchi Museum is remarkable partly because of what it isn’t. It is not a blockbuster institution with long lines and a gift shop the size of a department store. It is a focused, beautiful, quiet experience in a borough that has significant cultural institutions nobody visits because they’re not in Manhattan. The museum receives a fraction of the visitors of comparable institutions and is better for it — you can spend an hour in the sculpture garden with room to think.
Practical Notes
The museum is closed Monday and Tuesday. Hours vary by season — check the website. Free first Fridays from 5 to 8pm are worth knowing about. The museum shop sells Akari lights and Noguchi-related publications. The neighborhood around the museum — 33rd Road in western Long Island City — has several good coffee shops and casual restaurants for a pre- or post-museum stop.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Noguchi Museum in Queens?
The Noguchi Museum at 9-01 33rd Road in Long Island City is dedicated to the work of sculptor and designer Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988). The museum occupies the converted studio and factory building where Noguchi worked, surrounded by a sculpture garden of his large-scale works. It is one of the finest artist’s museums in the United States.
Is the Noguchi Museum worth visiting?
Yes — the Noguchi Museum is one of the most beautiful museum environments in the New York metropolitan area. The sculpture garden, the galleries in the converted factory building, and the outdoor stone courtyard create a contemplative experience unlike any other museum in the city. It is one of the most undervisited significant art institutions in the NYC area.
How do I get to the Noguchi Museum?
Take the N or W train to the Broadway station in Astoria, Queens (not to be confused with the Manhattan Broadway stations). From there, it’s a 10-minute walk or a short taxi ride to the museum at 9-01 33rd Road. The museum is also accessible from the Q104 bus.
How much does the Noguchi Museum cost?
General admission is $20. The museum is free on the first Friday of each month. It is closed Monday and Tuesday.
Also see: our MoMA PS1 guide
Also see: our free Queens guide
