UPPER WEST SIDE — History buffs should be happy about the reopening of the freshly renovated New York Historical Society — but the museum is hoping to hook foodies and families too.
The museum raises the curtain on a three-year, $70 million renovation on Friday, Nov. 11. Among other changes, the makeover created a more accessible entrance on Central Park West that sweeps visitors directly into a new 3,400-square-foot gallery and admissions area.
Upstairs they'll find the museum's first major exhibition, "Revolution!," which traces the period from the end of the Seven Years' War to the end of the Napoleonic Wars, examining the French, American and Haitian revolutions along the way.
The revamped museum wants to feed bodies as well as minds. A sleek restaurant, Caffe Storico, will serve Italian cicchetti — small plate dishes — as well as pasta and entrees. Headed by Philadelphia restaurateur Stephen Starr, known for Buddakan and Morimoto, the restaurant will seat 74, with room to hold up to 100 people at private receptions.
Caffe Storico will be open seven days-a-week, with dinner served until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. Brunch will be served on Saturday and Sunday. The menu will include polpette di carne, hand-rolled garganelli pasta with fava beans, and risotto a la Kristina, a dish named after Chef Jim Burke's wife, featuring prosecco and oysters.
Downstairs, kids will get their own taste of the past at the DiMenna Children's History Museum, the first ever museum devoted exclusively to children's history, museum officials said at a Wednesday press preview.
"We never did anything special for children and families," said President and CEO Louise Mirrer. "Now we expect it to be on the permanent agenda."
With an eye toward making families more comfortable, the area near the children's history museum will have stroller parking, cubbies to stow belongings, and a snack cart for quick food like juice or pizza. There's also a carpeted library where children can curl up and read a book.
"We really thought through all the family amenities," said Diana DiMenna, whose family helped fund the kid-friendly space. "We're really hoping someone will put their whole family in the car in Westchester and come down and spend the day with us."
DiMenna said the goal is to turn the New York Historical Society into a day-long destination, like the American Museum of Natural History across the street.
Young visitors will find exhibits that don't shy from the darker moments for children in New York's past. One section introduces kids to newsies, the young boys who scraped by selling newspapers on the streets. Another tells the story of the "orphan trains" that shipped destitute children out west to work on farms.
The Historical Society's ticket prices have also been renovated. The adult admissions price rose from $10 to $15; the price for seniors and educators went from $7 to $12. Students now pay $10 instead of $6. Admission was previously free for kids 12 and under. Now it's $5 for kids ages 7 to 12, and children under 7 get in for free.
