How to Visit the Paley Center for Media in New York City

Founded in 1975 by media pioneer William S. Paley in order to preserve the cultural history of media programming, the center was originally called the Museum of Broadcasting. It changed to the Museum of Television & Radio before becoming the Paley Center for Media, to encompass emerging media platforms such as the Internet. The center consists of a library filled with culturally significant programming from 1918 to today.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. The center is located at 25 W. 52nd street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City and is open to the public, with the obligatory extra benefits for those who sign up to be members. There is also a location in Los Angeles at 465 North Beverly Dr. in Beverly Hills that opened in 1996. Both locations claim to have the same collection of programming in their vaults.

2. Let's say you want to see an episode of the Johnny Cash TV show from 1969. Sure, it exists on DVD, but what the Paley Center has is a recording of the original broadcast as it originally aired, commercials and all. It's great for research and just fun viewing.

3. You aren't allowed to "check out" or use the programs outside of the center. They have individual viewing consoles where you sit and watch the programs. There are also theater-style screening rooms where they show a variety of programs. The line up is constantly changing, so check the schedule for upcoming screenings.

4. The center is closed on Mondays. Members can use the center for free, all others are asked for a contribution. There is no eating, drinking or food service facilities at the center. Operating hours are 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Tips & Warnings

• There is another branch of the center in Los Angeles.
• The collection is for viewing at the center only. You can't copy anything they have.

Resources

• Paley Center website