The Borscht Belt Museum is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Catskills resort era, and celebrating its history as a refuge from bigotry, the cradle of stand-up comedy and a cultural catalyst that changed America.
Live Events at the Museum
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STEP UP TO THE MIC!
SUNDAY, SEPT. 21, 2-4 pm
An Afternoon with Alte Getting Old Together
Kick off our free Sunday Live Event Series at the museum with an open mic gathering for poetry, stories & music -- plus a little nosh, brought to you by our friends at the "boomer community group" Alte Getting Old Together.
Come share a reading, story, poem or song, 5-min max.
Reservations not required.
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BORSCHT BELT FILM FEST OPENING NIGHT PARTY + MOVIE
FRIDAY, OCT. 31, 5:30 pm- 7 pm
A little “Dirty Dancing” and a side dish of Borscht Belt humor with our Guest of Honor JUDY GOLD are on the menu for the opening night party + movie for the second annual Borscht Belt Film Fest in Ellenville.
Come schmooze!
Museum Hours
Tuesday to Sunday
11 am - 5 pm
Closed Mondays
90 Canal St., Ellenville, NY
Admission: $15 for adults
$5 for Wawarsing/Ellenville residents with local I.D.
Free: 18 and under.
Questions? Email info@borschtbeltmuseum.org or call 845-879-3561.
The Borscht Belt Resort Era
For much of the 20th century, urban dwellers, many of them Jews, migrated en masse each summer to the Catskill mountains 90 miles north of New York City. They were seeking escape from the pestilence and sweltering tenements of the city, but also from rampant antisemitism that barred Jews from most hotels.
The vacation world they created included nearly 1,000 resorts, bungalow colonies and boarding houses, and a vibrant nightlife that drew the nation’s top entertainers — and a parade of sports figures, political leaders and civil rights activists.
Keep in Touch!
Engaging, Interactive, Educational
The Borscht Belt Museum occupies the historic Home National Bank, a 1928 Neo-Georgian gem that has strong links to the Borscht Belt era. The Home National Bank was one of the few financial institutions willing to lend to the region's Jewish hoteliers and bungalow colony owners in the 1920s, 30s and 40s.
Actor and comedian Danny Kaye with resort owner Jennie Grossinger.
Boxer Floyd Patterson trains at Kutsher’s for a title fight.
President Lyndon B. Johnson meets Homowack Lodge owners Irv and Florence Blickstein during a visit to the Catskills in 1966.