1st museum in NYC

The roots of the museum date back to 1791, when the "American Museum" was founded by John Pintard "under the patronage of the Tammany Society."  The society opened a museum designed to collect artifacts relating to the events and history of the United States. Originally presented in an upper room of City Hall. It was located at 57 King Street, with Pintard serving as secretary and Gardner Baker (more of a showman between the two) as keeper.

The museum moved to the Merchant's Exchange when the room in City hall proved to be too small. The museum was unsuccessful, and the Society severed its connections with it in 1795.

It was called "Baker's American Museum" after Baker took control of it from the Tammany Society in 1795. Relying now only on ticket sales to finance operations, he raised admission prices and kept attempting to add new curiosities to draw visitors.

After Baker died in 1798, and his widow died in 1800, the collection was purchased by William I. Waldron. It then came into the hands of painter Edward Savage, who opened the "Columbian Gallery of Painting and City Museum" in 1802, and hired John Scudder to oversee the museum collection.

After earning money as a seaman, the collection became the property of John Scudder in 1809, and he opened "Scudder's American Museum". 

The museum moved into part of the City's former poor house in 1817, along with other civic institutions.

After Scudder died in August 1821, control of the museum fell to his heirs. Scudder's son (John Jr.) eventually became manager of the museum, and moved it into a five-story building on the corner of Broadway and Ann Street (across the street from St. Paul's Chapel) in December 1830. 

John Jr. was fired after family squabbles in 1831, and later brought back. The family decided to sell the concern to Barnum.