The Galaxy and the Neighborhood: A History of the New York Hall of Science

The Galaxy and the Neighborhood: A History of the New York Hall of Science narrates the evolution of NYSCI, explores the context and conditions that shaped the museum and the shifting demographics and politics of Queens and of New York City as a whole, and includes never-before-seen images from the 1964 World's Fair and the construction of the museum.

This includes a look at the creation of Flushing Meadows Corona Park, from when it was the land of Lenape to when it served as an ash heap dumping ground and later as the central location for two World's Fairs, with the design and creation of The Great Hall - its Space Age "Cathedral of Science."

About the Authors:

Deborah F. Schwartz, editor and primary author, served as President and CEO of the Brooklyn Historical Society from 2006 to 2020, where she guided the institution’s strategic direction, exhibitions, public programs, education initiatives, and archival work. She previously served as Deputy Director for Education at the Museum of Modern Art and as Vice Director for Education and Program Development at the Brooklyn Museum.

Michael Kimmelman, architecture critic of The New York Times and founder and editor-at-large of Headway. A native New Yorker, he is the author of The Intimate City: Walking New York and Portraits: Talking with Artists at the Met, the Modern, the Louvre, and Elsewhere. He teaches in the graduate school of architecture at Columbia University.

Lisa Gugenheim, president and CEO of NYSCI. Previously, she served as Director of the American Museum of Natural History, where she led strategic planning, institutional advancement, education, and government relations, among other areas, and helped lead the planning for the Gilder Center for Science Education and Innovation.

Katie McMillan Culp, chief research and impact officer at NYSCI. She oversees research, exhibition and program development, educational and community outreach, and youth development programs, with a focus on expanding equitable and innovative approaches to informal STEM learning.