Barnum's American Museum

Barnum's American Museum was New York's most spectacular cabinet of curiosities — operated from 1841 to 1865 by showman P. T. Barnum at Broadway and Ann Street, it packed in wax figures, living "curiosities," sea creatures, and the infamous Feejee Mermaid. Two devastating fires ended it all, and nothing remains at the original site today. But Barnum's genius for spectacle and his gift for convincing audiences to believe the unbelievable helped shape the modern entertainment industry.