515 Malcolm X Boulevard (135th St and Malcolm X Blvd)
New York, NY 10037
917-275-6975
Directions
Fully Accessible
Open today
10 AM–6 PM
Regular Hours
Day Hours
Monday 10 AM–6 PM
Tuesday 10 AM–6 PM
Wednesday 10 AM–6 PM
Thursday 10 AM–6 PM
Friday 10 AM–6 PM
Saturday 10 AM–6 PM
Sunday CLOSED

Visit the Schomburg Center

The front doors of the Schomburg Center. The words “Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture'' is written as a metal awning above the front doors.

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, one of The New York Public Library’s renowned research libraries, is a world-leading cultural institution devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences.

A new exhibition will be opening in early May. Until then, on Saturdays, there are limited opportunities to visit the Center between 10 AM–3 PM when our youth education program meet. 

All of our research divisions will be open during the Black Comic Book Festival on Friday, April 14 and Saturday, April 15. To learn more about them, schedule an appointment, or find out about other services, see our resources for researchersPlease note: Division hours may vary.

Mellon Foundation awards Schomburg Center $2 million grant to strengthen access to Black studies resources.

The Schomburg Shop sells clothing, jewelry, books, and more for all ages. Items are created by Black and Brown artists. The Shop is open Tuesday to Saturday 11 AM—6 PM.

Though there are no guided tours at this time, we are working diligently to restore this key service to visitors in summer 2023. Please continue to check this page and the Schomburg Tours page for updates and more information.

Masks are strongly recommended in the Schomburg Center and all NYPL locations. 

Women’s History Month | Explore Sheroes in our Collections

Head shots of Ella Baker, Jean Blackwell Hutson, and Augusta Savage

Left to right: Ella Baker, Jean Blackwell Hutson, and Augusta Savage. Photo of Jean Blackwell Hutson, Tucker Childs Acres Barnes Road, Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts. Photo of Augusta Savage, Digital Collections Image 4015352

“She is the reason we are the Schomburg Center,” said Center Director Joy L. Bivins of curator and librarian Jean Blackwell Hutson. “Her footprints are all over this institution. This does not exist without her.”

Mrs. Hutson championed what was then known as the Division of Negro History, Literature and Prints and a branch of NYPL, into becoming one of NYPL’s research libraries. In 1972, the division became the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and years later housed in a separate building. 

Mrs. Hutson, legendary activist Ella Baker, groundbreaking sculptor Augusta Savage, award-winning playwright Lorraine Hansberry, beloved writer Zora Neale Hurston, and many more extraordinary women have materials in our collections. Discover more sheroes who left powerful legacies. See more.

Books, Papers & Photographs from Arturo Schomburg’s Collection Featured in Upcoming Exhibition at The Met

A headshot of Dr. Vanessa K. Valdés on left. In center, a wall in the center of the room in a brown-orange color with the words Juan de Pareja, Afro-Hispanic Painter, On  right, 3 black and white photographs on a black colored page of a scrapbook with handwritten messages. Below, a book in a glass display case.

Photo Credits: Photo of Dr. Vanessa K. Valdés by Geoffrey Glick. Installation view of Juan de Pareja, Afro-Hispanic Painter, on view April 3– July 16, 2023 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo by Anna-Marie Kellen, courtesy of The Met, NYPL Digital Collections Image 58508429, and Lisa Herndon.

Our founder Arturo Schomburg (1874-1938) continues to inspire and inform curators and scholars nearly a century after his death. His writings, books, and personal photos are featured in the upcoming exhibition, Juan de Pareja, Afro-Hispanic Painter at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

Co-curated by his biographer Dr. Vanessa K. Valdés (Diasporic Blackness: The Life and Times of Arturo Schomburg), Dr. Valdés discusses how she collaborated with the Center’s curators on materials to feature and how items from Mr. Schomburg’s collection proved to be invaluable resources. See more.

Register Now! | Black Comic Book Festival Returns April 14 & 15

Colorful illustration of Black scientists in space, reading and floating in the air next to a logo for the 11th Annual Schomburg Center Black Comic Book Festival.

Artwork: TJ Sterling

The Black Comic Book Festival returns in person for the first time since 2020. Attend our discussions, meet legendary and upcoming comic book writers and artists, plus get ready to cosplay.

Panelists include: Karama Horne (Black Panther: Protectors of Wakanda, A History and Training Manual of the Dora Milaje from the Marvel Universe), John Jennings (graphic artist, educator, and co-author of Black Comix Returns), David Crownson (Harriet Tubman: Demon Slayer), Tim Fielder (Infinitum), Regina Sawyer (writer The Rippers, publisher, and founder of Women in Comics NYC Collective International), Elizabeth Columbo (Queenie: Godmother of Harlem), and many more. See more.

What’s On | See our Program Schedule for Spring 2023

Against a brown/orange background, the book covers of Half in Shadow, Stayed on Freedom, Everything Man: The Form and Function of Paul Robeson, and We Were There.

Coming up! Attend a screening of the documentary Little Richard: I Am Everything and a talk back with the film's director Lisa Cortés. Our Conversations in Black Freedom Studies series returns with a look at new biographies bringing us a deeper understanding of familial freedom fighters and lesser-known, but critical lifelong activists.

Plus, get a preview of more Center programming for the season. See more.

In the Spotlight

About the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Interior view of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem is one of the world’s leading cultural institutions devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences. As a research division of The New York Public Library, the Schomburg Center features diverse programming and collections spanning over 11 million items that illuminate the richness of global Black history, arts, and culture.

Learn more about this location Learn about capital construction projects at this location