515 Malcolm X Boulevard (135th St and Malcolm X Blvd)
New York, NY 10037
917-275-6975
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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.
2023 Holiday Closings
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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.

Schomburg Center. Where Every Month is Black History Month!

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.

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

Last chance! Our exhibition Been Seen runs through Saturday, March 11. It’s open 10 AM—5:45 PM, Monday to Saturday.

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 spring 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.

What’s On | 31st Annual Women’s Jazz Festival

Against a black background, head shots of singer Shirzette Tinnin, Pinettes Brass Band–a group of female musicians–, and singer Lizz Wright. The dates of their performances are underneath each photo. On the upper, left hand side of the image is the Women’s Jazz Festival logo and Eventbrite address to purchase tickets. The Center’s logo is along the lower right hand corner.

Join us on Mondays for our 31st annual Women's Jazz Festival. The lineup includes composer Shirazette Tinnin (March 6), New Orleans’s The Original Pinettes Brass Band (March 13) and acclaimed vocalist and songwriter Lizz Wright (March 20). Tickets are on sale.

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

Calling all comic book lovers, cosplayers, publishers, and artists! Our 11th annual Black Comic Book Festival returns in person on Friday, April 14 and Saturday, April 15, from 10 AM - 8 PM.

Registration is open. Learn more.

In the Spotlight

  • Explore Past Schomburg Center Exhibitions and Multimedia Projects

    If you missed past in person exhibitions such as Boundless, Traveling While Black, or Showing Out, you can see them online. Plus, view past multimedia projects produced by students in our Junior Scholars Program such as 'Til We Free and By Any Means Necessary.

    Against a light blue background, the words Boundless: 10 Years of Seeding Black Comic Futures in white letting and black trim.

  • Dr. Tiya Miles Wins Lapidus Center's 2022 Harriet Tubman Prize

    Congratulations to Dr.Tiya Miles, Michael Garvey Professor of History and Radcliffe Alumnae Professor at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University and author of All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family Keepsake.

    A mid-length shot of Dr Tiya Miles. The background image is blurred.

  • 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.

  • Sign up for Schomburg Connection

    Get updates on our public programs, research guides, and more in our e-newsletter.

    Schomburg Center logo

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.

    Interior photo of Schomburg Shop. Has high and low shelves with books.

  • From Our Blog

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

    : A black and white illustration of a female of color wearing a white cocktail dress with a black flower at her hip and a hoop earring posed against the railing of a balcony. The words “Opportunity: Journal of Negro Life is at the top of the image. The words “July 1926” are on the left side.

  • Public Programs

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

    : Activists Sasha Bonet and Tarana Burke are seated in chairs across from each other on stage at the Schomburg Center. There is a small round table between the two women with a copy of Burke’s book, Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement.

  • Digital Schomburg

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

    Collage of photographs and artworks from the Schomburg Center's Digital Collections.

  • 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 man sitting at a table reading a book.

Current Exhibitions

  • Been Seen

    Through March 11, 2023
    Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
    Highlighting the work of Harlem-based photographer Austin Hansen (1910 -1996) and the experiences of Black photographers to illuminate the…

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.

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