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Event Spaces at the Schomburg Center
The Schomburg Center complex, a 75,000 square foot, three-building facility is located at Harlem's historic crossroads - 135th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard (formerly Lenox Avenue). In addition to state-of-the-art study and storage facilities for the five collection divisions, the facility houses a 75-seat multi-purpose room and a 340-seat professional theatre.
For rates and other information regarding Schomburg Center space rentals, please call 212.491.2257 or email schomburgcenterevents@nypl.org.
The following rooms and spaces are available for events of various sizes:
Langston Hughes Auditorium
Langston Hughes Auditorium has hosted a full spectrum of educational and cultural programs. The space is both commanding in presence and intimate in atmosphere, offering guests a versatile setting for theatrical performances, literary readings, film screenings, and more. The Schomburg Center’s technical director will work with you to determine all of your multimedia needs.
| Configuration | Capacity |
|---|---|
| Auditorium | 340 Seats |
Langston Hughes Lobby
Langston Hughes Lobby, approximately 1,150 square feet, is an elegant, glass-enclosed atrium overlooking the Schomburg Center’s outdoor courtyard.
Featuring high ceilings and an abundance of natural light, the lobby is also home to Rivers, a site-specific public art installation and peace memorial in honor of Langston Hughes and Arturo A. Schomburg. The terrazzo floor is marked by a brass cosmogram bearing song lines, texts, and literary signs paying ancestral tribute in the tradition of African ritual ground markings, weaving a web of connections between people of diverse cultures and backgrounds, the past and the present.
| Configuration | Capacity |
|---|---|
| Lobby | 250 guests, 1,150 square feet |
American Negro Theatre
| Configuration | Capacity |
|---|---|
| Meetings/Forums | 75, stage 195.5 square feet |
| Receptions | 125, 703.5 square feet |
Schomburg Courtyard
The Schomburg Center's outdoor courtyard, bordered by the spectacular atrium windows of the Langston Hughes Lobby and the interior walls of the landmark building, is an ideal locale for open-air gatherings. This invigorating outdoor space also features a Shona sculpture by Zimbabwean artist Tapfuma Gutsa, on exhibit from the collection of Julie Belafonte.
| Configuration | Capacity |
|---|---|
| Courtyard | 100 |
