NYC Arts: The Complete Guide to Art and Culture

The Hispanic Society of America was founded in 1904 to establish a free museum and research library representing the culture of Spain and the peoples it has influenced.

The society's holdings range from prehistoric art to 19th- and 20th-century paintings. Exhibitions have concentrated on the work of individual artists, illustrated manuscripts, Spanish interiors and laces, and other subjects. The two-story terra cotta main court is lined with paintings by Goya, Vélasquez, Morales and others, and archways frame 15th- and 16th-century tomb sculpture and Roman mosaics. There are also wood carvings, ivories, examples of hand-crafted gold and silver, as well as contemporary works.

The library contains over 200,000 books relating to the art, history and society of Spain, Portugal and colonial Hispanic America including more than 16,000 books that were printed before 1701. The library also holds valuable rare maps, globes, prints, Bibles, historical chronicles, and books on chivalry and incunabula.

The Hispanic Society's collections were started in 1892, when the institution's founder, Archer Milton Huntington, made his first trip to the Iberian Peninsula. It is located in an attractive neoclassical building, the former estate of American artist John James Audobon. It is also the site of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and Boricua College.

• Directions: Bus: M4, M5 to Broadway and 155th Street

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• Reference Center: The free reference library is for the study of the arts and cultures of Spain, Portugal and Latin America. The library has the same hours as the museum, except it is closed on Sunday.
• Tours: Free 45-minute tours of the building and collections take place Saturdays at 2 pm.

Get involved with Hispanic Society of America

• Donations through NYCharities.org