It is believed that Barnum's American Museum was the most visited place in the United States for more than two decades. Scholars have also noted that much that defined American culture in the period leading up to the Civil War was dominated by Barnum and the shows and exhibits at the American Museum.
The building itself was painted in very bright colors, and was generally festooned with banners and flags touting the exhibits within. Some neighbors in lower Manhattan, most notably the elders of St. Paul's Church, located across Broadway from the museum, were horrified by what they considered Barnum's vulgar self-promotion. But the public loved it, and flocked to the museum.
As this illustration indicates, there were always crowds around the museum. It was the place where things were happening in New York.