Step inside the Queens home of inventor Lewis Latimer, an unsung American hero
Lewis Latimer is one of the most important American figures that you’ve likely never heard of. Among other things, the Black inventor helped develop the telephone alongside Alexander Graham Bell, as well as the lightbulb alongside Thomas Edison. He was also responsible for developing the first iterations of the modern air conditioner and even improved the mechanism used in train bathrooms.
If you want to learn more about this icon—which to be honest, we all should—then you can head to his former home in Flushing, Queens, which is about to reopen ahead of Juneteenth.
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The Lewis Latimer House Museum had closed temporarily while they built out a new exhibit that you’ll be able to check out starting Saturday, June 15, and they’re kicking off the opening with a big celebration from 1-4pm. That event will include a marching band, sculpture making station, ceramics workshops, an African drum and dance circle, and more. You can register for the reopening party here.
The house museum contains five galleries, including “Light up the World,” which highlights Latimer’s influence on modern technology and culture; “A Definite Purpose,” which explores Latimer’s life in the context of history, and addresses how his Black identity created challenges throughout his career; “A Legacy of Imagination,” which explores Latimer’s family history, including their involvement in the Civil Rights Movement; and “Community at the Center,” which explores Latimer’s role in the Harlem Renaissance.
For a more hands-on experience, the Latimer Lab gives younger visitors the chance to get hands-on lessons on science, technology and engineering.
After Saturday, the Latimer House Museum will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 5pm. Admission is pay-as-you-wish, with a suggested donation of $5 per person. For more information, check out the museum’s website.