NYC Barber Museum

This unexpected gem on Manhattan’s Upper West Side is a flashback to the past. Step inside, and you’ll uncover a collection of rare artifacts and barbershop equipment.

The NYC Barber Museum is a new spot (it opened in June of 2018) dedicated to an old trade. It’s like a time capsule of an traditional early 20th-century barber shop.

The museum is the work of Arthur Rubinoff, a fourth-generation barber and the founder of the Reamir & Co barbershop chain. His collection fills the space and includes nostalgic treasures like antique barber chairs and mirrors, gold and diamond-studded scissors, old razors, and of course, the classic striped poles that once hung outside so many barber shops. All the artifacts celebrate the art of the craft and the many people who have worked in the industry.

While visiting, you can do more than admire the various antique items on display. The museum is actually a working barbershop, so you can get your hair cut or your beard trimmed in a beautifully decorated space that feels like it was plucked straight out of 20th-century New York. Patrons can choose from styles that reflect the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.