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.
Events
-
We're Coming to Houston!
Saturday, June 21 & Sunday, June 22 at 5 PM
Kenny & Ziggy’s Delicatessen, Restaurant & Bakery, 1743 Post Oak Blvd, Houston, TX
Please join us at the iconic Kenny & Ziggy’s for evening of nostalgia, laugher and enough food to make you plotz. The one-and-only Ziggy Gruber is your host.
We’ll also be screening the acclaimed new documentary “The Catskills” by director Lex Gillespie.
Did we mention prizes?
It will be a ridiculously fun evening, and all proceeds benefit the Borscht Belt Museum.
Oh, and the price of the ticket is 100% tax deductible!
-
We're Coming to Brooklyn!
Jun 17, 2025, 7:30 PM – 11:30 PM
Moxy Brooklyn Williamsburg, 353 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY
The Borscht Belt is coming to Brooklyn for a summer rooftop dance party! Think 1950’s Catskills, but with a 2025 BK makeover. This summer celebration will bring together live klezmer from Michael Winograd and the Honorable Mentshn, DJ sets from Party Girl and Joco, nosh by Chef Eli Buliskeria, Dirty Dancing-inspired activations, egg creams, a photobooth, and much more. Come have the time of your life!
The Borscht Belt has been explored through various projects over the years, most notably including HBO’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and the 1987 film Dirty Dancing. At Catskills, BK, we’ll screen the film, nosh on thematic foods, and enjoy Dirty Dancing-inspired activities.
We’re Open!
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.