
New York, NY 10037
Day | Hours |
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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 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 exhibitions Been Seen and Boundless: 10 Years of Seeding Black Comic Futures. Both are open 10 AM—5:30 PM, Monday to Saturday. Plus, see our outdoor banner exhibition, We Were Beautiful Then, Too: Late 19th Century African American Cabinet Cards at St. Nicholas Park in Harlem.
Visit the Schomburg Shop to see clothing, jewelry, and books for all ages created by Black and Brown artists. It's open Tuesday to Saturday 11 AM—5:45 PM.
Though there are no guided tours at this time, we are working diligently to restore this key service to visitors in summer 2022. 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.
Schedule a Research Appointment | Explore the 409 Edgecombe Collection

Learn more about our new finding aid highlighting one of Harlem’s most fashionable addresses! Located in the area known as Sugar Hill, residents of 409 Edgecombe Avenue included: NAACP executive secretary Walter White, artist Aaron Douglas, high society names such as Ruth, Carroll, and Annette Boyd, and “the world’s greatest medium” William Anthony George. Explore handwritten letters, personal photos, and newspaper accounts, offering an in-depth look at their lives. Materials span the early to the mid-20th century. Learn more.
Apply Now! | Online Application Available for 2022-23 Junior Scholars Program

Photo: Lisa Herndon
The online application is available for the 2022-23 class of the Schomburg Center Junior Scholars Program. Our pre-college Black studies program for students ages 11–18 provides college-style lectures and presentations, conversations with celebrated scholars and instructors, offers guided peer group discussions, and explorations into the wealth of collections at the Center. The deadline is Saturday, September 10. Learn more.
Junior Scholars from our 2021-22 class created the multimedia project, Lift Every Voice. It reflected their yearlong studies of the Center’s collections. Learn more.
Summer Book Picks & Book Talks | Watch our 4th Annual Literary Festival Online

Photo: Bob Gore
If you are looking for a new read, we have some suggestions and book talks. All discussions from our fourth annual Schomburg Center Literary Festival are available to view online.
Participating writers included Terry Bryant (Black Food), Akwaeke Emezi (You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty), Roxane Gay (Hunger, Bad Feminist, Difficult Women), Jason Reynolds (Stunt Boy, Miles Morales: Spider-Man, Patina, Ghost), and A.J. Verdelle (Miss Chloe: A Memoir of a Literary Friendship with Toni Morrison). Learn more.
Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation is the Lead Sponsor of the Schomburg Center Literary Festival. Major sponsorship support is provided by Corbin Capital Partners, L.P.
In the Spotlight
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Center’s Collections Inspire Historic Submission to 59th Venice Biennale
When M. Scott Johnson, a visual arts instructor with the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture's Junior Scholars Program, was invited to show his sculptures at the 59th Venice Biennale in Italy, he used the Schomburg Center's Melville J. and Frances S. Herskovits collection and Jim Haskins’s Voodoo & Hoodoo: Their Traditional Crafts Revealed by Actual Practitioners as his inspirations. Find out more about the materials and Johnson's triptych, The Metamorphosis of High John the Conqueror: Tribute to an Afrofuturist Deity.
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Watch Past Spring 2022 Programs Online
If you missed our 10th Annual Black Comic Book Festival or would like to watch our Black Feminists Series again, those past programs—and more—are available to view online.
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Explore Past Schomburg Center Exhibitions and Multimedia Projects
If you missed past in person exhibitions such as Traveling While Black, Been Seen, 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.
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Open Now! Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library's Treasures
NYPL's first-ever permanent exhibition is now open at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, featuring items from our historic collections. Reserve your free timed tickets now!
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Sign up for Schomburg Connection
Get updates on our public programs, research guides, and more in our e-newsletter.
Featured at the Schomburg Center
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Visit the Schomburg Shop
The Schomburg Shop is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 AM to 5 PM for in-person shopping. Or, you can shop online.
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From Our Blog
Read blog posts from the librarians, staff, and fellows at the Schomburg Center.
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Public Programs
The Schomburg Center advances knowledge of the global Black experience through dynamic programs and exhibitions.
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Digital Schomburg
Access exhibitions, podcasts, videos, books, images, and more about the global Black experience 24/7.
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Support the Schomburg Center
Schomburg Society members receive discounts, invitations to exclusive events, and more!
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In the News
Read news stories featuring interviews with Schomburg Center curators, librarians, and staff.
Current Exhibitions
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We Were Beautiful Then, Too: Late 19th Century African American Cabinet Cards
OngoingSchomburg Center for Research in Black CultureIn the 19th century, African Americans harnessed the power of photography to claim a self-possessed identity in line with middle class…
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Been Seen
OngoingSchomburg Center for Research in Black CultureHighlighting the work of Harlem-based photographer Austin Hansen (1910 -1996) and the experiences of Black photographers to illuminate the… -
Boundless: 10 Years of Seeding Black Comic Futures
OngoingSchomburg Center for Research in Black CultureThe exhibition celebrates the tenth anniversary of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture’s Black Comic Book Festival and…
Events
See All-
The Moth x Daughters of the Movement
Tuesday, August 9 | 7 PM -
Between the Lines: Harlem Shuffle: A Novel by Colson Whitehead
Wednesday, August 10 | 6:30 PM -
Jazz at the Schomburg featuring Nite Bjuti
Thursday, August 11 | 6:30 PM
About 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