Museum of American Finance — Temporarily Closed

Upcoming Events

Money: A History

The everyday ordinariness of the money we carry masks a rich and tumultuous history. Ever since the Dutch settled Manhattan, currency in America has continually evolved. Our responses to the threats of war, crime and economic crisis have shaped money's design and even altered its value. Over time, t... [ + ]he emergence of the dollar as a stable, universally recognized currency made the U.S. a global economic powerhouse, and indeed helped to unify the country itself.

This exhibit traces our country's currency from the earliest years through the latest designs and features barter currencies, gold, coins, paper money and scrip. A tactile money display allows visitors to touch historic and modern coins, and to view the security features in modern money on a light board and under an ultraviolet light. A large-scale touch screen interactive enables visitors to view the many hidden anti-counterfeiting devices incorporated into the newly-redesigned $10 bill.

Banking in America

From the establishment of the Bank of North America in 1781 to the creation of the newest community bank, and from the largest universal bank to the humblest credit union, depository institutions – commercial banks, savings banks, credit unions – have been and likely will remain crucial components o... [ + ]f the financial system and the larger economy. Without them, people would find it difficult to pay their bills, corporations could not be extended various forms of credit, and federal and local governments could not operate. This exhibit explores the history of banking in America and explains the different types of banks and bank accounts. It also features multi-media sidebars on bank robberies, credit cards and the infamous S&L crisis, as described in the classic movie It's a Wonderful Life, as well as a display of historical piggy banks. "Banking In America" allows visitors to learn about The Federal Reserve Bank system, how the payment of a check makes its way through the banking system, and what's really in those contracts that we agree to when we sign up for a credit card.

The Financial Markets

Financial markets connect those with money to those with ideas about how to use it. They enable entrepreneurs to realize their visions, companies to grow and governments to better serve their citizens. In doing so, they have made Wall Street a center of innovation and an invaluable engine of America... [ + ]'s prosperity.

The largest of the Museum's permanent exhibits enables visitors to experience the excitement and energy of Wall Street through monumental media towers representing three of New York's premier exchanges: the New York Stock Exchange, the New York Mercantile Exchange and the Citigroup Bond Desk. "The Financial Markets" also traces Wall Street's history from its earliest years to the present and features multi-media and interactive displays alongside hundreds of original documents and artifacts that depict the rich history of the stock, bond and commodities markets.

In "The Financial Markets," visitors will hear from the leaders and traders at the most important locations of stock, bond and commodity trading in New York. In original films created for the Museum, interviews conducted on the trading floors at the New York Stock Exchange, the New York Mercantile Exchange and at Citi allow the viewer to experience these financial firsthand, directly from those working in the industry.

Alexander Hamilton Room

As America's first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton stands alone in the annals of American financial history. One of the founding era's key political figures, Hamilton's influence on our fledgling country's early finances set the wheels in motion for the United States to become the econ... [ + ]omic super-power it is today laying the foundations for the U.S. capitalist system. This exhibition traces Hamilton's life from his birth into poverty in the Caribbean through his rise to military and political greatness in America, becoming America's premier economic thinker. As the first Secretary of the Treasury, he saved the new nation's credit, established plans for funding our new country's debt, created a national bank, and used the tax system to encourage economic development – all ideas considered "radical" by most Americans of the time. Hamilton also founded the Bank of New York, New York City's first bank that was located at 48 Wall Street until 1998.

The Museum's Alexander Hamilton Room was designed in the federalist style in 1927 to pay tribute to the Walton House, where the Bank of New York first conducted business in 1784. The room originally served as the bank president's office.

In this gallery, visitors will see documents signed by Alexander Hamilton, examples of his published works, and items such as medals and currency designed in his honor.