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Paley Center for Media

Paley Center for Media

25 West 52nd Street
(between Fifth Avenue and Avenue of the Americas)
New York, NY  10019
Tel: (212) 621-6800
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Free for members, $8.00 seniors, students, $10.00 adults.
$5 for children under 14
Wed, Fri – Sun: 12 pm – 6 pm
Thurs: 12 pm – 8 pm
Closed to the public on Mon & Tues but open for school groups (advance reservations required).

Dedicated to the collection, preservation and exhibition of television and radio programs, the center possesses a collection of nearly 150,000 television and radio programs and advertisements covering radio and television history. Virtually every broadcast form is represented here—news, documentaries, performing arts, advertising, children's programs and international programs—many of historic importance: Mercury Theater's version of H. G. Well's War of the Worlds; William L. Shirer's broadcasts from Nazi Germany; Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon; President Richard Nixon's resignation speech; CNN coverage of the Persian Gulf War; a plethora of classic sitcoms; and so on. Most can be viewed or heard at individual consoles and are quickly accessible through a computerized catalogue, the records of which are also available online.

Founded in 1975 by William S. Paley (creator of the CBS radio and television network), the museum opened in its new tower, designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee, in 1991. A play on the shape of old-fashioned radio cabinets, the building houses two theaters, two 45-seat screening rooms, 96 consoles for individual viewing/listening and a room dedicated solely to historic radio programs.

Student and Senior Membership
Student and Senior Membership $50 (regular $70)
  • Directions: Subway: E, M to Fifth Avenue - 53rd Street; B, D, F to 47-50th Street - Rockefeller Center
  • Archive
  • Disability Access: Fully accessible; elevators available
  • Disability Assistance: Assistive listening devices and more than 1,000 closed captioned television programs available
  • Gift Shops: Books on radio and television, videotapes and cassettes of classic and current programs, media-oriented memorabilia including watches, pins and replicas of old-time radios, museum brochures, catalogs, posters, T-shirts and postcards
  • Public Phone
  • Reference Center: Open to the public, call for details
  • Space Rental
  • Tours

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Paley Center for Media Listings

  • She's Making Media: Arianna Huffington

    Thurs, Feb 9, 2012 “She's Making Media,” is a new series of programs that puts a slightly different lens on the subject of women's role in media. "At the Paley Center" celebrates women who are making media with a purpose. Each episode of the six-part series concentrates on a high-profile woman who has used media in new and innovative ways.

  • She's Making Media: Maria Elena Salinas

    Thurs, Feb 23, 2012 “She's Making Media,” is a new series of programs that puts a slightly different lens on the subject of women's role in media. "At the Paley Center" celebrates women who are making media with a purpose. Each episode of the six-part series concentrates on a high-profile woman who has used media in new and innovative ways.

  • Private Viewing

    Ongoing The Paley Center's permanent media collection contains nearly 150,000 television and radio programs and advertisements. As in any noncirculating library, visitors can select programs to view while in the museum and watch them at a console.

  • All Paley Center for Media Listings

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