On the corner of 5th Avenue and East 27th in Manhattan you will find New York City’s Museum of Sex (MoSex for short).
An indiscreet building to say the least, the exterior is grey and pink with multi colored breasts dotting the facade. As you enter through the gift shop, you will be greeted by rows of sex toys, condoms, gag gifts, a photo booth, and very perky sales people. At this point, if you are not certain you’re in the right place, you’re probably in the wrong one.
The museum was opened in 2002 by Daniel Gluck as a dedication to “the history, evolution and cultural significance of human sexuality.” Upon opening, the idea of the museum was greeted with foreseen backlash from both the NY Board of Regents and Catholic puritans, among others. However, the establishment has never faced backlash from religious officials themselves. In fact, during their “Faith In Latex” exhibit, the museum brought together leaders from a myriad of faiths.
Here is just a bit of what you can expect at MoSex:
Pornography Exhibit: The museum starts with a good old-fashioned history lesson on pornography. Here, you’ll find an entire room devoted to the wave-making porno classic, Deep Throat. Original film reels, articles detailing the controversy, and film clips are all at your fingertips in this very innocence-stripping room. Not to mention a continuous video loop of Linda Lovelace giving oral sex up on the big screen.
Make sure to keep an open mind as well as a closed mouth while walking through.
Funland: Who says adults can’t indulge in a little arcade fun? Rock climb on the wall of genitalia, jump in the boob bouncy castle, and wind your way through the ‘Find The G-Spot” mirror maze. Like other things, Funland helps you get your daily dose of exercise and is a good time! The attractions were originally a part of the Funland: Pleasures & Perils of the Erotic Fairground exhibit, but they were just too much of a gas to pack up!
Animals: The birds and the bees, folks. This exhibit explores the different ways animals get it on – for the purposes of procreation or otherwise. You’ll learn just how animals and humans differ in their sexual adventures. If I were to give advice from personal experience during this part of the museum, I’d say make sure you have a strong-willed gag reflex before entering. Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it…
Objectxxx: Artifacts of human sexuality. In this exhibit, you’ll see everything from the earliest vibrators to multi-person bicycle dildos. Explore how sex toys and the ilk have changed along with culture and technology.
Address: 233 5th Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA
Hours:
Wednesday 10AM–9PM
Thursday 10AM–9PM
Friday 11AM–11PM
Saturday 11AM–11PM
Sunday 10AM–9PM
Monday 10AM–9PM
Tuesday 10AM–9PM
Phone: +1 212-689-6337
Visitors to the Museum of Sex must be 18+
