The Museum of Sex in New York City aims to encourage open conversations about sex by sharing the latest research and discoveries in the field of sexuality. Its team collects, preserves, and studies artifacts from around the world — from drawings and paintings to photographs, films, ancient objects, and cutting-edge technology.
But the main reason people come here is for the interactive installations, photo zones, and experiences that play on the edge of what’s allowed — and leave visitors laughing until they cry. You’ll run into the same tourists you just saw in Times Square — but here, you’re guaranteed to have a good time.
Origin Story
The Museum of Sex opened its doors on Fifth Avenue in New York City on October 5, 2002, becoming the world’s first museum dedicated entirely to the study of sexuality in all its cultural, historical, and scientific dimensions. Its launch was a bold move in the museum industry, where the topic of sex had long been treated as taboo or unsuitable for “official” exhibitions.
The museum’s founder, entrepreneur Daniel Gluck, envisioned it as an educational platform to break stereotypes, inspire open dialogue, and show just how complex and significant sexuality is in human life. From the beginning, the idea was not simply to shock, but to deeply explore sexual culture through the lenses of history, science, art, and politics.
The museum’s first exhibition, NYCSEX: How New York Transformed Sex in America, explored New York’s role as a major hub of the sexual revolution and social change in the U.S. Curators assembled unique materials about brothels, LGBTQ+ rights movements, street sexuality, public scandals, and the liberalization of attitudes toward sex in the 20th century.
The museum building is located in Manhattan’s historic Tenderloin district — an area once known for its brothels, theaters, cabarets, and saloons in the 19th century. It’s a perfect location for an institution exploring sexuality as part of urban culture. Some of the world’s top design studios, including Pentagram Design, Casson Mann, and 2×4, contributed to the exhibitions — giving the museum its contemporary and interactive look.
Collection
Today, the Museum of Sex is one of New York’s most unusual and dynamic cultural spaces. Its collections include over 20,000 artifacts — from historic erotic prints and sex toys to contemporary art installations:
- Historic Documents: Erotic books, magazines, letters, and scientific publications.
- Art: Paintings, sculptures, photographs, and installations from antiquity to the present, including works by Mapplethorpe, Man Ray, and others.
- Toys and Objects: A collection of sex toys from the 19th to 21st centuries, including fetish accessories, mechanical devices, and objects from various eras of sex culture.
- Media: An archive of adult films, advertisements, music videos, and video art.
- Scientific Materials: Research, medical instruments, and resources about sexual dysfunctions and sexual health.
- Clothing and Costumes: From erotic lingerie to stage outfits and fetish wear.
Exhibitions
Each exhibition treats sex not as taboo but as a cultural, political, and personal phenomenon.
Permanent Exhibitions:
- The Sex Lives of Animals — A fun and educational look at sexual practices in the animal kingdom. From gay penguins to female macaques with dozens of partners — nature is diverse!
- Jump for Joy: Bouncy Castle of Breasts — An installation shaped like a giant bounce house stylized as female breasts — a symbol of bodily freedom, humor, and playfulness.
- Super Funland: Journey into the Erotic Carnival — A massive multimedia carnival-style space with booths, arcade games, light shows, and performance elements — an immersive dive into the culture of erotic entertainment.
- Sex in the City: New York and the Urban Imagination — Exploring urban sexuality: nightlife, clubs, public spaces, anonymous sex — how New York became a stage for sexual freedom.
Past Temporary Exhibitions (Examples):
- STAG: The Illicit Origins of Pornographic Film — A look into the beginnings of porn in the U.S. and the underground film industry of the 1920s–40s.
- Celestial Bodies: Erotic Myths and Astrology — The influence of astrology and mythology on how we view the body and sexuality.
- Hardcore: A Century & A Half of Obscene Imagery — The history of censorship and erotic art — from Victorian sketches to modern porn.
Interaction & Entertainment
- Interactive zones and VR stations.
- Quizzes, games, and installations.
- Photo zones and art objects you can literally step inside.
- A gift shop with books, souvenirs, and art about sex and the body.
Visitor’s Information
Website: www.museumofsex.com
📍 Address: 233 5th Ave, New York, NY 10016
Admission: $41.00
