Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art

Call Directions Website Contact the organization

Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art Bridging cultures through Himalayan art & heritage since 1947.

Nestled into the side of Lighthouse Hill, the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art is a uniquely peaceful retreat. The Museum presents the art and culture of Tibet and the Himalayas to a world audience in order to educate and inspire others in the value of this significant cultural heritage. Established in 1945, the Museum was founded by the pioneering American woman Jacques Marchais (1887-1948), an important collector and respected expert in Tibetan art. Designed by Marchais, the rustic complex of fieldstone buildings resembles a Tibetan mountain monastery. These historic buildings represent the first Himalayan style architecture to be built in the United States, and it was the first museum in the world solely dedicated to Tibetan art. The surrounding landscape design, which Marchais named the 'Samadhi Garden,' feature a fish pond, meditation cells and many of her original plantings. The museum's distinctive setting highlights and enhances the experience of viewing the art within.

Settle in and let sound do the work. In this guided session, Leslee Penny uses resonant instruments and intentional soun...
10/06/2026

Settle in and let sound do the work. In this guided session, Leslee Penny uses resonant instruments and intentional soundscapes to ease tension, quiet the mind, and invite deep restoration. Come as you are, and bring whatever helps you rest: a blanket, bolster, and eye pillow are encouraged.

Tuition: $25 / $20 members
www.tibetanmuseum.org

Anniversary on Lighthouse HillToday marks 79 years since october 5, 1947 — the day Jacques Marchais opened the doors of ...
10/05/2026

Anniversary on Lighthouse Hill

Today marks 79 years since october 5, 1947 — the day Jacques Marchais opened the doors of our campus to the world.

Two fieldstone buildings, a historic collection. Stewarded from one generation to the next.

Your gift carries us into our next season: the culture bearers who lead our programs, the galleries, the collection.

Give today, or become a member, and join us on the hill.

Pictured: Guests about to enter the Library at Dedication of the Museum (1947)

www.tibetanmuseum.org

For the next 6 weeks, Krisin Dolan-Murphy brings Tai Chi back to the museum on Wednesday nights, 7:00PM - 8:00PM The mus...
10/03/2026

For the next 6 weeks, Krisin Dolan-Murphy brings Tai Chi back to the museum on Wednesday nights, 7:00PM - 8:00PM

The museum's hillside campus becomes a site of living practice, offering Tai Chi classes led by instructors who share a rare lineage — each having studied under renowned Grandmaster Yu Cheng Hsiang.

Tuition :: $25 — $20 members

Tai Chi Class Schedule

Wednesdays —
*Kristen's Beginner Tai Ji class meets at 7:00 PM — ideal for newcomers and those seeking a gentle, balance-building practice rooted in classical Yang-style form.
INFO & TICKETS

Saturdays —
*Kristen's beginner class meets at 9:00AM.
*Bob's All Levels class meets at 3:00 PM, drawing on thirty-five years of study in Chinese martial and healing arts.

www.tibetanmuseum.org

October is American Archives Month. Our archives hold eighty years of letters, photographs, films, and records from our ...
10/01/2026

October is American Archives Month. Our archives hold eighty years of letters, photographs, films, and records from our campus on Lighthouse Hill. We have been hard at work organizing our records - Archive Activation events are on the way - stay tuned!



Pictured: JMK1918C.JPG - 1918 portrait of Jacques Marchais, shown like a mounted archival print, with her handwritten note visible: "as I appeared in pictures with the Universal Pictures Corp - 1918".

*Due to the Nor'easter, campus will be closed and all classes and programs are postponed from 9/26 - 9/27 - Stay tuned f...
09/25/2026

*Due to the Nor'easter, campus will be closed and all classes and programs are postponed from 9/26 - 9/27 - Stay tuned for updates!

On the last night of October, lanterns climb the stone steps of Lighthouse Avenue and the campus gives itself over to th...
09/19/2026

On the last night of October, lanterns climb the stone steps of Lighthouse Avenue and the campus gives itself over to the other side of the year. Esoterica X returns to the Tibetan Museum with the old rites intact. Fortune tellers read what the cards and palms allow. Guests in their strangest finery compete for the costume crown. Savory snacks come with wines, brews, and potions poured for the occasion, and a DJ keeps the terraces moving until the dancing spills toward the haunted garden, where the paths wind darker than usual.

Luck has its own corner of the night. Try your hand at the gift basket raffle and the 50/50, or take a chance on a trip to Aruba. Raffle tickets are available at the museum in the weeks leading up to the party and at the door.

Every ticket supports the museum's work of preserving and sharing Jacques Marchais' hillside legacy for another year.

Valet parking will be available to guests.

Ages 21+

Poster by Amy Elizabeth

www.tibetanmuseum.org

Nova Gora means new forest, or new growth. The eight singers of this New York collective work in the village traditions ...
09/17/2026

Nova Gora means new forest, or new growth. The eight singers of this New York collective work in the village traditions of the Balkans, with a particular focus on Bulgaria, where centuries of traffic across the region left their mark on the singing. You can hear Roma music that traveled from India, Ottoman Turkish ornament, harvest songs out of Greece, and older ritual song from the forests and mountains of the peninsula. Artistic director Larkin Grimm is a teaching artist at the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art. Conductor Valentina Kvasova has spent twenty years with New York folk ensembles, among them Yasna Voices and Ukrainian Village Voices. Forty-five minutes of singing, followed by a conversation with the audience.

www.tibetanmuseum.org

Tibetan Buddhism makes great use of the shell of Turbinella pyrum, in spite of the fact that Tibet nowhere near the ocea...
09/16/2026

Tibetan Buddhism makes great use of the shell of Turbinella pyrum, in spite of the fact that Tibet nowhere near the ocean where they live. This lecture will discuss the use of the sacred shank in Tibetan art and how it came to be used in Buddhist ritual.

Dr. Dailey will bring several examples of dung kar for the audience to examine, and will also let people try to play one!

Dr. Jeff S. Dailey is a musicologist, ethnomusicologist, and theatre historian. One of his interests is the study of Himalayan musical instruments, especially those used for Tibetan Buddhist rituals. Part of his collection of instruments is on display at the Jacques Marchais Museum. He is interested in exploring the relationship between musical instruments and fine art, especially examining the point at which instruments become works of art.

www.tibetanmuseum.org

Address

338 Lighthouse Avenue
New York, NY
10306

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art:

Shortcuts

Share