The Queens Museum of Art was established in 1972 by a group of Queens community leaders to provide a vital cultural center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park for the borough's unique, international population. The Museum is situated in the New York City Building, the only major structure remaining from the 1939/40 and the 1964/65 New York World's Fairs.

Given its history, it is perhaps fitting that the Museum is home to one of the most popular exhibits of the 1964 World's Fair, "The Panorama of the City of New York," a 9335 sqare foot model of the 320 square miles and 895,000 buildings of New York City. Originally conceived by Robert Moses, President of the World's Fair Corporation, as a model to aid in urban planning and departmental oversight, the first contract with the developer of the model called for less than one per cent margin of error between model and reality!

Aside from the Panorama, the Museum typically stages timely exhibitions with broad cultural and historical significance as well as ambitious installations of contemporary art. The Museum also houses on extended loan some important pieces from the Egon and Hildegard Neustadt Museum Collection of Tiffany lamps and windows.