A Landmark Returns: Bohemian National Hall

The Bohemian National Hall, once famous as a New York home for Czech culture, will reopen in its Upper East Side neighborhood after being out of service for 40 years. A $45 million renovation revived the building's classical 19th century exterior and updated the interior to modern standards. Most significantly, the renovation will rekindle important cultural and ethnic traditions once celebrated by Czech immigrants. An official “invitation only” ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on Oct. 30, 2008. The newly renovated five-story building, which initially was called Narodni budova (National building), has a multi-purpose ballroom that can hold 300 people, and includes more than 32,000 square feet of new space. The magnificent ballroom is suitable for ballroom dancing, weddings, corporate events, conferences, movie productions and photo shoots. The Bohemian National Hall houses the offices of the Czech Consulate General and the Czech Center, as well as the Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association (BBLA). Other features include a 70-seat state-of-the-art theater, a library with a fine collection focusing on history, art and literature (in the Czech, Slovak and English languages). Additionally, an upscale, full service, restaurant/lounge featuring Czech cuisine, is soon to come. To mark the start of the new journey, the Bohemian National Hall presents a groundbreaking exhibition entitled "Check Places, Memory Traces. The Bohemian National Hall and other stories." The exhibition offers a compelling portrait of Czech immigrants, and chronicles the rise and fall of Manhattan’s Bohemian neighborhoods by means of an impressive selection of archive photos. The Bohemian National Hall, located at 73rd Street between First and Second Avenues, is open seven days a week. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; admission is always free. The Czech Center is open from Tuesday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with hours extended until 7 p.m. on Thursdays. For detailed information, please call 646-422-3399, or visit our website at www.czechcenter.com.