Queens · NYC landmark
Lewis Latimer House Museum
34-41 137th Street · Queens, New York City
Visit the inventor's historic home for exhibitions and programs about Black innovation and community history.
Save and Boost open this place in the interactive map. An account is needed to save; Boost opens its options before payment.
NYFE Summary
Lewis Latimer trained himself in mechanical drawing and worked on inventions that helped electric lighting become practical. His patented method for making carbon filaments improved their production. He also taught English and mechanical drawing to immigrants, and wrote poetry and made art alongside his technical work.
The house was moved in 1988 to protect it from demolition. The museum uses the former family home to explain Latimer’s work and the lives of a Black family in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century New York. Visitors can explore the exhibits independently or reserve a guided tour; public workshops connect his inventions with hands-on science and design.
NYFE summary from the official history and visitor sources linked below.
Plan a visit
Check the operator’s current opening, admission and access information before travelling. Historic status does not guarantee public access to every interior.
Official visitor information ↗