American Museum of the Moving Image - AMMI

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Museum Expansion
On January 15 2011, the transformed Museum opened its doors to the public, featuring a stunning, modern, and versatile building by architect Thomas Leeser.

The Museum is now able to present more screenings and a wider range of programming in a brand new 267-seat theater and 68-seat screening room. The core exhibition, Behind the Screen, has received a complete technological and artistic overhaul. A major new gallery has been created for changing exhibitions, and new spaces have been added for the presentation of video art.

Lobby

Celeste and Armand Bartos Screening Room

The Ann and Andrew Tisch Education Center enables the Museum to serve twice as many students, and to offer a wide new range of production workshops, along with the tours and screenings that serve tens of thousands of students each year.

The completely new lobby, shop, and café are all part of a dramatic transformation that now guarantees the Museum is at once an international center for the appreciation and study of the moving image, and an inviting, user-friendly destination for local museum-goers and tourists from around the world.

Museum History
Since its opening in 1988, Museum of the Moving Image has been recognized as a major, internationally-reputed institution and the only museum in the United States dedicated to exploring the art, history, and technology of the moving image.

The Museum occupies one of the thirteen buildings that comprised the former Astoria Studio complex. Originally built by Famous Players-Lasky—known as Paramount after 1927—as their East Coast production facility in 1920, the studio was the site of hundreds of silent and early sound era film productions. The studio was taken over in 1942 by the U.S. Army to produce training films for WWII soldiers and renamed the Signal Corps Photographic Center. Following the Army's departure in 1970, the site fell into disrepair. Through the efforts of a consortium of New York City and federal government representatives, union officials and other industry professionals, the Astoria Motion Picture and Television Center Foundation was established in 1977 to restore the Astoria Studio complex to productive use. In 1978, the Foundation successfully returned the studio to feature film production, and obtained listing of the site on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1980, real estate developer George Kaufman was selected to operate the studio facilities. Shortly after, Rochelle Slovin was appointed Executive Director of the Foundation. Under her leadership, the Foundation’s Board of Directors committed to create a museum of film and television at the complex. In 1982, the City of New York set aside one of the original studio buildings for the proposed museum.

In 1985, the Foundation was reincorporated as the American Museum of the Moving Image (now Museum of the Moving Image). The Museum opened to the public in 1988 in a building renovated by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects.

The Museum was granted accreditation from the American Association of Museums in 2006. On February 27, 2008, the inauguration of the Museum’s $67 million expansion and renovation was held and construction began. The museum opened its redesigned and expanded building, designed by Leeser Architecture, on January 15, 2011.

Admission Policies
Visitor Information
Children under the age of fourteen must be accompanied by an adult of eighteen years or older. The Museum offers a free coat check service. Strollers, coats, umbrellas, suitcases, and large bags must be left at the coat check. Admission is free for educators with valid ID. Group visits may be arranged by appointment. Please click here for information about group visit policies and reservation information.

Mobile Devices
Cell phone calls are not permitted in the galleries or theaters. Silent use, such as text messaging, is allowed in the galleries only.

Photography
Photography for personal use is permitted in most gallery and lobby areas of the Museum unless otherwise noted. Flash photography and tripods are not allowed anywhere in the Museum. Photography is prohibited in the theater during screenings. No photographs or video may be reproduced, distributed, or sold without written permission from the Museum.

Food and Drink
Food and drink are available for purchase in the café. Food and drink are not permitted in the Museum's galleries, theaters, or courtyard garden. School groups are welcome to bring their own food if prior arrangements have been made to use the student lunchroom.

Group Visits
Moving Image defines a group as eight or more persons who arrive together. Groups are eligible for discounted rates; reservations required. For additional information or to make a reservation, please call (718) 777-6820, Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., or send an email to education@movingimage.us.