The NYC Department of Records and Information Services is running an ongoing exhibit at 31 Chambers Street in lower Manhattan that puts copies of original records from the city’s Municipal Archives and Library on public display, the agency announced in a July newsletter.
Called “Windows on the Archives,” the exhibit occupies the lower level of the building. According to DORIS, it was conceived by former Commissioner Idilio Gracia Peña, curated by consultant Ann Phillips, and funded by the J.M. Kaplan Fund. The agency says it shows records from the Municipal Archives and Library collections.
Two other exhibits are also open at the same address. “NYC’s Story: The City on Record” arranges visual records from the Municipal Archives and Library by borough, covering major historical events and everyday life, according to DORIS. The exhibit also includes a new interactive map with audio clips from Neighborhood Stories, a DORIS initiative that preserves recorded interviews with New Yorkers documenting how government action, or inaction, impacts city residents. A related online exhibit featuring more than 100 items from the Municipal Archives collections is available at RememberNYC.NYC.
A third display, located in the first-floor alcove and running through September 25, 2026, focuses on the 1964-1965 World’s Fair through images, original brochures, and ephemera organized around transportation, religion, and commerce, according to the agency.
All three exhibits are open Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 4:30 PM, at 31 Chambers Street, Room 109 for “NYC’s Story” and the lower level for “Windows on the Archives.” DORIS says the exhibits are part of efforts to expand public access to records documenting the city and its communities during 2026, the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding.
Featured image: Courtesy archives.nyc
