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
Division hours may vary.
2025 Holiday Closings
Give Now

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.

To learn about the Center's research divisions, schedule an appointment, or find out about other services, see our resources for researchers. Please note: Division hours may vary.

Explore our in-person exhibitions: JIMMY! God’s Black Revolutionary Mouth (through 2/28/25), and Letters from Home: The Black ABCs Reimagined (through 5/22/25). 

Schomburg Shop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 AM to 5:45 PM. They sell books, clothing, jewelry, and more created by Black and Brown artists for all ages.

The Schomburg-Mellon Humanities Summer Institute returns in the summer of 2025! The four-week fellowship program is open to rising college seniors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. The online application is open through Friday, March 28. 

Although there are no guided tours at this time, we are working diligently to restore this key service to visitors in spring 2025. Please continue to check this page and the Schomburg Tours page for updates and more information.

Please note: Due to new Library policy, e-bikes, e-scooters, and electronic transportation devices are not permitted inside any NYPL location. This does not apply to mobility aids.

Celebrating our Founder Arturo Schomburg

Left: A portrait of Arturo Schomburg Right: A black and white headshot of Jean Blackwell Hutson

January 24 marks the 151st anniversary of the birth of our founder Arturo Schomburg. Gain new insight on him through the collection of Schomburg Center Chief Librarian Jean Blackwell Hutson. The two worked together in the 1930s at the 135th Library in Harlem. Learn more. 

What’s On | Get a Preview of our Upcoming Public Programs

Against a dark plum background, the words Winter, Spring Events Calendar in white lettering.

See our schedule of upcoming public programs for the Winter/Spring 2025 season. Learn more. 

Discover an All-New Curriculum Series Based on our Archives

Against a blue background, there are four covers of the curriculum featuring the titles: Race, Racism, and White Supremacy, Abolition as a Black-led Movement, The Black Panther Party in Harlem, and Aesthetics of Black Power.

Explore a multi-part curriculum series that introduces middle- and high-school students to Black history, experience, and culture through our archives and collections. Access four all-new curriculum guides featuring primary source documents and ready-to-use discussion questions—plus, stay tuned for even more guides and resources! Learn more. 

In the Spotlight

  • New! Free Digital Guide on Bloomberg Connects

    Download Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app, to explore the Schomburg Center on your mobile device.

    Exterior of the Schomburg Center.

  • Explore Past Schomburg Center Exhibitions and Multimedia Projects

    If you missed past in person exhibitions such as Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration, you can see it online. Also, explore online exhibitions such as Watercolors Amongst Friends and view past multimedia projects produced by students in our Junior Scholars Program.

    Three people are looking at archival materials inside a glass display case.

  • Space Rentals

    Hosting an event? Consider our Langton Hughes Auditorium, Langston Hughes Lobby, American Negro Theatre, or Schomburg Courtyard. Learn more about these spaces.

    Circle-shaped tables covered with blue tablecloths and chairs are arranged in the Langston Hughes Lobby. Along the left side is a rectuangular shaped table that has glasses on top. It is covered with a blue table cloth.

  • Get Updates from the Schomburg Center

    Sign up for our bi-monthly e-newsletter, Schomburg Connection. Get updates and information on our upcoming programs, exhibitions, research guides, blogs, and more!

    Symbol of an unread email in a rust color.

Featured at the Schomburg Center

  • Visit the Schomburg Shop

    The Schomburg Shop is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 AM to 6 PM for in-person shopping. Or, you can shop online.

    A shelf containing books shown at a side angle. In the background there are floor to ceiling shelves with books and items.

  • From Our Blog

    Read blog posts from the librarians, staff, and fellows at the Schomburg Center.

    An archival photos of librarians sitting a table looking at paperwork and typing letters.

  • Public Programs

    The Schomburg Center advances knowledge of the global Black experience through dynamic programs and exhibitions.

    Two people are seated in club chairs onstage at the Schomburg Center. Behind the is a video screen listing the name of the program and panelists.

  • Digital Schomburg

    Access exhibitions, podcasts, videos, books, digital collections, and more about the global Black experience 24/7.

    A black and white illustration of people dancing.

  • Support the Schomburg Center

    Schomburg Society members receive discounts, invitations to exclusive events, and more!

    Photograph of the Schomburg Center's exterior facade

  • In the News

    Read news stories featuring interviews with Schomburg Center curators, librarians, and staff.

    A male sitting in profile reading a newspaper

Current Exhibitions

  • Nellie Mae Rowe: Something From Nothing

    Ongoing
    Online Only
    Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

    Inspired by the premiere of a documentary film honoring the creative spirit of Nellie Mae Rowe, check out this curated selection of…

  • Letters from Home: The Black ABCs Reimagined

    Through May 22, 2025
    Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

    Step into Letters from Home: The Black ABCs Reimagined, an extraordinary exhibition by the Schomburg Junior Scholars Program. 

  • JIMMY! God's Black Revolutionary Mouth

    Through February 28, 2025
    Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

    Novelist, essayist, intellectual, and activist James Baldwin (1924–1987) is renowned as one of the world’s most influential and…

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