| Museum of Broadway | |
| Coordinates: | 40.7576°N -73.9843°W |
| Mapframe-Zoom: | 12 |
| Location: | 145 West 45th Street Midtown Manhattan, New York City |
| Founder: | Julie Boardman and Diane Nicoletti[1] |
The Museum of Broadway, on 145 West 45th Street in Times Square,[2] is the first permanent museum dedicated to documenting the history and experience of Broadway theatre and its profound influence upon shaping Midtown Manhattan Times Square, and New York City.[3] The museum covers more than three hundred years of Broadway history, including costumes and props from more than 500 productions.[4] [5] The Museum of Broadway was founded by Julie Boardman and Diane Nicoletti in collaboration with Playbill, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Billy Rose Theatre Division at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the Al Hirschfeld Foundation, Goodspeed Musicals, Creative Goods, and Concord Theatricals.[6]
Following a decade of planning for the museum as a means of bringing a new audience to Broadway amid an era of interactive museums, the museum opened on November 15, 2022.[7] It was originally scheduled to open in 2020, but its construction and development were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] The 26000sqfoot museum comprises three sections: The Map Room, featuring a short film that outlines the history of theater in New York and the location of the extant theatres, a two-floor Broadway timeline, and the Making of a Broadway Show.[1]