The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) in New York is located in the C-Squat building. Through photographs, video, artifacts, and documents, the museum tells the story of how activists reclaimed and transformed abandoned buildings and vacant lots in New York City into vibrant community spaces.
Many of the innovative concepts and projects highlighted by the museum have spread beyond the city. Here you can learn about grassroots initiatives that have changed—and continue to change—New York and the United States for the better.
History
The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) in New York was founded in 2012 by members of the environmental organization Times Up!, which has been active since the late 1980s. Since then, MoRUS—an entirely volunteer-run, community-focused organization—has preserved the history of activist initiatives in the Lower East Side (LES).
MoRUS is housed in C-Squat, a historic squat building located at 155 Avenue C (between 9th and 10th Streets). The history of C-Squat is closely tied to housing struggles, as well as the cultural life of activists, musicians, and artists. The museum itself was built by volunteers, curators, and tour organizers. It was created “from the ground up,” with significant input from the community.
Permanent Exhibitions
The main exhibitions focus on themes such as the history of volunteer communities, activism, sustainable urban development, and the fight for access to public spaces.
Reclaiming Space: Squats
This exhibition tells the story of the 1970s, when punks, hippies, and unhoused people reclaimed abandoned buildings in the Lower East Side. The squatter community transformed these buildings into livable homes, providing housing for nearly a thousand people.
Reclaiming Space: Community Gardens
Alongside the squatter movement, LES activists in the 1970s and 1980s converted vacant lots into community parks. They fought to preserve these parks when developers attempted to buy them at auction. Activists successfully saved 39 gardens and parks.
Activist History: Community, Surveillance, Biking
This exhibition explores the history of MoRUS and its close ties with the environmental organization Times Up!. Founded in 1987, the group worked to establish bike lanes and pushed for other ecological transformations in New York City.
Educational Programs
The museum organizes walking tours with activists and historians. During the tours, visitors can see restored gardens, squats, sites of protests, and cultural transformations. MoRUS also hosts lectures, film screenings, community meetings, and workshops on ecology, urban design, and public art.
Why It Matters
- MoRUS preserves the voices of people and communities whose stories often remain outside the “official” narrative.
- The museum demonstrates how activism, grassroots organizing, and “underfunded” initiatives can transform a street, a neighborhood, or an entire city.
- It is a source of inspiration and practical ideas for urbanists, environmentalists, and socially engaged people worldwide.
Useful Information
Website: morusnyc.org
Address: 155 Avenue C, New York, NY 10009
Admission: Suggested donation of $5 (not mandatory)
