Living History: Harlem Renaissance Rent Party
- Saturday, November 22, 2025
- Free with admission
- Ages: All
Event Details:
Join us as we learn about 1920s Harlem rent parties and the people who would have attended them! Rent parties were gatherings held by tenants to raise money to pay their high NYC rents. Many of these gatherings, held in private residences, provided an inclusive safe environment for any Harlemite willing to pay the cover charge, including queer residents. The host usually provided live music, dancing, food, and drinks. Enjoy a snack that you would have come across at a Harlem rent party in 1920’s Harlem. After interacting with historical interpreters and learning about rent parties during the Harlem Renaissance, go up to the 2nd floor and explore The Gay Harlem Renaissance exhibition.
William L’Engle (1884-1957), Harlem, 1928. Watercolor. Provincetown Art Association and Museum, Gift of Dr. & Mrs. Henry Fogelman, 1991
Would you like to learn about the world that people of the past lived in and how it continues to impact us today? Join our historical interpreters in the Museum and experience the past through the material culture left behind by leaders, activists, soldiers, and craftspeople from across history.
Location:
Lower level at The New York Historical, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024
Please note that this is not a drop-off program—child participants must be accompanied by an adult.
Major support for family programs is provided by DiMenna Foundation. Additional generous support is from Daniel & Margaret Loeb, Shelley & Tommy Mulitz, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
