515 Malcolm X Boulevard (135th St and Malcolm X Blvd)
New York, NY 10037
917-275-6975
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Regular Hours
Day Hours
Monday 10 AM–6 PM
Tuesday 10 AM–6 PM
Wednesday 10 AM–6 PM
Thursday 10 AM–6 PM
Friday 10 AM–6 PM
Saturday 10 AM–6 PM
Sunday CLOSED
Division hours may vary.
2024 Holiday Closings
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Visit the Schomburg Center

The front doors of the Schomburg Center. The words “Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture'' is written as a metal awning above the front doors.

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, one of The New York Public Library’s renowned research libraries, is a world-leading cultural institution devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences.

To learn about the Center's research divisions, schedule an appointment, or find out about other services, see our resources for researchers. Please note: Division hours may vary.

If you are a postdoctoral scholar, independent researcher, or creative writer who is interested in studying at the Schomburg Center, consider applying to our Scholars-in-Residence Program. The deadline is Sunday, December 1. 

Explore our in-person exhibitions: Visibility & Resistance: New Acquisitions of Contemporary Afro-Mexican Photography (through 12/2/24), Code Switch: Distributing Blackness, Reprogramming Internet Art (through 12/19/24), JIMMY! God’s Black Revolutionary Mouth (through 2/28/25), and Letters from Home: The Black ABCs Reimagined (through 5/22/25). 

Visit the Schomburg Shop’s Holiday Market on December 20 and 21 from 11 AM—5:30 PM. Schomburg Shop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 AM to 5:45 PM. They sell books, clothing, jewelry, and more created by Black and Brown artists for all ages.

Although there are no guided tours at this time, we are working diligently to restore this key service to visitors in spring 2025. Please continue to check this page and the Schomburg Tours page for updates and more information.

Please note: Due to new Library policy, e-bikes, e-scooters, and electronic transportation devices are not permitted inside any NYPL location. This does not apply to mobility aids.

Puerto Rican Heritage Month | Explore the Activism of our Founder

Left to right: A page of archival meeting minutes, a picture of Arturo Schomburg seated in a chair, a page of archival meeting minutes

Digital Collections Images 1941531, 1939249, and 1941532

November is Puerto Rican Heritage Month. It's a terrific time to learn more about our founder Arturo Schomburg (1874–1938). He was of Puerto Rican and African descent. Discover his role in helping to liberate the island from Spanish colonial rule. Mr. Schomburg also advocated for the equal treatment of Puerto Rican people by the U.S. federal government. Learn more.

Discover an All-New Curriculum Series Based on our Archives

Against a blue background, there are four covers of the curriculum featuring the titles: Race, Racism, and White Supremacy, Abolition as a Black-led Movement, The Black Panther Party in Harlem, and Aesthetics of Black Power.

Explore a multi-part curriculum series that introduces middle- and high-school students to Black history, experience, and culture through our archives and collections. Access four all-new curriculum guides featuring primary source documents and ready-to-use discussion questions—plus, stay tuned for even more guides and resources! Learn more. 

All-New Programs | Fall 2024

Against an orange background, the words Schomburg Center are listed on the top portion in white lettering. The Schomburg Center logo is in white and next to the “r” in Center. The words Fall 2024 are listed on the lower portion of the page in white lettering.

See our Fall 2024 schedule. Learn more. 

In the Spotlight

  • New! Free Digital Guide on Bloomberg Connects

    Download Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app, to explore the Schomburg Center on your mobile device.

    Exterior of the Schomburg Center.

  • Explore Past Schomburg Center Exhibitions and Multimedia Projects

    If you missed past in person exhibitions such as Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration, you can see it online. Also, explore online exhibitions such as Watercolors Amongst Friends and view past multimedia projects produced by students in our Junior Scholars Program.

    Three people are looking at a wall at the exhibition, The Ways of Langston Hughes. It contains a description of the exhibition.

  • Space Rentals

    Hosting an event? Consider our Langton Hughes Auditorium, Langston Hughes Lobby, American Negro Theatre, or Schomburg Courtyard. Learn more about these spaces.

    Circle-shaped tables covered with blue tablecloths and chairs are arranged in the Langston Hughes Lobby. Along the left side is a rectuangular shaped table that has glasses on top. It is covered with a blue table cloth.

  • Get Updates from the Schomburg Center

    Sign up for our bi-monthly e-newsletter, Schomburg Connection. Get updates and information on our upcoming programs, exhibitions, research guides, blogs, and more!

    Symbol of an unread email in a rust color.

Featured at the Schomburg Center

  • Visit the Schomburg Shop

    The Schomburg Shop is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 AM to 6 PM for in-person shopping. Or, you can shop online.

    Interior view of the Schomburg Shop. There are books on short and tall shelves. In the lower left corner, a partial view of clothing rank featuring items with Center's logo.

  • From Our Blog

    Read blog posts from the librarians, staff, and fellows at the Schomburg Center.

    : A black and white illustration of a female of color wearing a white cocktail dress with a black flower at her hip and a hoop earring posed against the railing of a balcony. The words “Opportunity: Journal of Negro Life is at the top of the image. The words “July 1926” are on the left side.

  • Public Programs

    The Schomburg Center advances knowledge of the global Black experience through dynamic programs and exhibitions.

    Three people standing onstage at the Schomburg Center. They are standing up and waiving their hands in the air, appearing to applaud.

  • Digital Schomburg

    Access exhibitions, podcasts, videos, books, images, and more about the global Black experience 24/7.

    Collage of photographs and artworks from the Schomburg Center's Digital Collections.

  • Support the Schomburg Center

    Schomburg Society members receive discounts, invitations to exclusive events, and more!

    Photograph of the Schomburg Center's exterior facade

  • In the News

    Read news stories featuring interviews with Schomburg Center curators, librarians, and staff.

    A male sitting in profile reading a newspaper

Current Exhibitions

  • Nellie Mae Rowe: Something From Nothing

    Ongoing
    Online Only
    Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

    Inspired by the premiere of a documentary film honoring the creative spirit of Nellie Mae Rowe, check out this curated selection of…

  • Letters from Home: The Black ABCs Reimagined

    Through May 22, 2025
    Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

    Step into Letters from Home: The Black ABCs Reimagined, an extraordinary exhibition by the Schomburg Junior Scholars Program. 

  • JIMMY! God's Black Revolutionary Mouth

    Through February 28, 2025
    Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

    Novelist, essayist, intellectual, and activist James Baldwin (1924–1987) is renowned as one of the world’s most influential and…

  • Code Switch: Distributing Blackness, Reprogramming Internet Art

    Through December 19, 2024
    Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

    The first of its kind internationally, Code Switch: Distributing Blackness, Reprogramming Internet Art presented by The…

Events

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About the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Interior view of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem is one of the world’s leading cultural institutions devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences. As a research division of The New York Public Library, the Schomburg Center features diverse programming and collections spanning over 11 million items that illuminate the richness of global Black history, arts, and culture.

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