Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi established this museum of art and culture in 1985. The museum is in a former industrial building which has been converted to include open-air sculpture gardens and galleries that provide a reflective space to experience Noguchi's body of artistic work. The museum also includes an archive of over 17,000 photographs and documents related to Noguchi's career and life. Visitors will find a variety of programs at the museum, ranging from tours to educational activities for schools and families. The New York Council on the Arts has recognized the Noguchi Museum as having exceptional educational and community outreach programming.
Socrates Sculpture Park was created in 1986 by an American sculpture named Mark di Suvero. By the time Suvero created the Park, he was already a world-renowned sculptor. He leased the land for the park from the City of New York. Before he leased the property, it was used as riverside landfill. Suvero helped organize a cleanup of the area. After it was completed, the Park provided sculptors, such as Suvero, with the opportunity to display their work, while also providing residents with a park for outdoor enjoyment.
The Sohmer and Company Piano Factory building was built in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens in 1886. The six-story brick structure features a mansard-roofed clock tower facing the East River. The Romanesque Revival style building was expanded around 1907 and was converted to residential uses one hundred years later. The company moved operations to Connecticut in 1982. New York City designated the building a landmark in 2007 for its relationship to the history of the piano building industry in NYC (Steinway also built a factory in Queens that still operates). The Sohmer and Company Piano Factory building was listed in the National Register in 2014.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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Explore three historical places near Astoria's waterfront. Start at Vernon Blvd. & 31st Ave. (across the street from Hallett's Cove Beach) at the clock tower of a former piano factory/ now condos. Then walk through Socrates Sculpture Park before crossing Vernon Blvd. to visit the Noguchi Museum.
