HRM Receives Grants for Planetarium and STEAM Programs from NY Assemblymembers Dana Levenberg & Nader Sayegh
YONKERS, NY, November 1, 2024—The Hudson River Museum is thrilled to announce it has received two grants in the amount of $25,000 each from New York State Assemblymembers Dana Levenberg, Assembly District 95, and Nader Sayegh, Assembly District 90. These funds will be used to support educational programming related to the Planetarium and environmental sciences and sustainability at the Museum. Levenberg and Sayegh recently visited the HRM together and presented checks to demonstrate this generous 2025 support.
This critical funding will provide resources for the Museum’s Planetarium, the only public planetarium in Westchester. The Planetarium attracts general audiences, astronomy enthusiasts and K-12 students from throughout Westchester County and beyond, offering a variety of live and pre-recorded star shows about the mysteries of the cosmos, including recent space news and rocket launches. The Planetarium has also served as a venue for NASA astronauts, live music and innovative theater, laser shows, and more. The awarded funds will also help the Museum to maintain our highly regarded STEAM education opportunities for our deserving Westchester County K-12 youth and university students studying astronomy. Additionally, it will support the HRM in piloting a living, outdoor classroom on the Museum campus in 2025, using native plants to create an earth-positive outdoor learning space for all.
“We are truly grateful to Assemblymembers Dana Levenberg and Nader Sayegh for this critical support and prioritizing the importance and impact of education in this community,” said Masha Turchinsky, HRM Director and CEO. “This funding will allow us to continue to provide experiences to our audiences that enhance their STEAM education, and their desire to know about the environment and the galaxies, and how they can get more involved.”
“It is so important to support the Hudson River Museum, not just for Yonkers, but for the County and the entire region,” stated NYS Assemblyman Nader Sayegh during his visit. “We want to help address the urgent need for new technology in the Planetarium, which is such an important part of all that you do. Growing up in Yonkers I would love coming to the Museum as a kid, so it is so exciting to see how important a part of the community it still is today.”
NYS Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg added, “The interdisciplinary nature of HRM is so important in providing STEAM programs. I brought my kids here when they were growing up, so I know how integral the Museum is to the cultural fabric of our community and County. I am so impressed with all that you have achieved at the Museum. This is a place where students have the opportunity to see what they can be and that they can be anything.”
Press contacts:
Jeana Wunderlich
jwunderlich@hrm.org
(914) 963-4550 x240
Samantha Hoover
shoover@hrm.org
(914) 963-4550 x216
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The Hudson River Museum is a preeminent cultural institution in Westchester County and the New York metropolitan area. The Museum is situated on the banks of the Hudson River in Yonkers, New York, with a mission to engage, inspire, and connect diverse communities through the power of the arts, sciences, and history.
The HRM offers engaging experiences for every age and interest, with an ever-evolving collection of American art and dynamic exhibitions that range from notable nineteenth-century paintings to contemporary art installations. The campus, which recently expanded to include a West Wing with exhibition galleries and sweeping views of the Hudson River, features Glenview, an 1877 house on the National Register of Historic Places; a state-of-the-art planetarium; an environmental teaching gallery; and an outdoor amphitheater. The Museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting these multidisciplinary offerings, which are complemented by an array of public programs that encourage creative expression, collaboration, and artistic and scientific discovery. The Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM), an honor awarded to only 3% of museums nationwide.
Hours and Admission: The Hudson River Museum is open to the public Wednesday–Friday, from 12–5pm, and Saturday–Sunday, from 11am–5pm. On Free First Fridays, the Museum is open and free of charge on the first Friday of the month, from 5–8pm. Learn more and purchase tickets at hrm.org/visit.
General Admission: Adults $13; Youth (3–18) $8; Seniors (65+) $9; Students (with valid ID) $9; Veterans $9; Children (under 3) FREE; Members FREE; Museums for All* $2, *SNAP/EBT card with photo ID (up to 4 people). Planetarium tickets: Adults $7; Youth (3–18) $5; Seniors (65+) $6; Students (with valid ID) $6; Veterans $6; Children (under 3) Free. Glenview tours: Adults $7; Youth (3–18) $5; Seniors (65+) $6; Students (with valid ID) $6; Veterans $6; Children (under 3) Free. The Museum is accessible by Metro-North (Hudson Line—Yonkers and Glenview stations), by Bee-Line Bus Route #1, by car, and by bike. If you plan on taking Metro-North Railroad to Glenwood Station and want to leave your car behind, you can save on discounted round-trip rail fare and discounted admission by getting an MTA Away package. Learn more here.
