Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Identified in Upper East Side Legionella Testing Sweep

The renowned Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City is among several Manhattan structures that recently returned positive tests for the bacterium responsible for Legionnaires’ disease.

On Friday, the city’s health department published a list of 31 Upper East Side buildings mandated to clean and disinfect their cooling towers amid an ongoing outbreak of the severe pneumonia-causing illness.

According to the department’s roster, the iconic cylindrical art museum was one of 19 properties that have already completed remediation. The remaining buildings were expected to finish the work by Saturday.

Health officials emphasized that a positive result does not necessarily pinpoint a building as the outbreak’s source, since the testing method cannot differentiate between living and inactive bacteria.

Authorities also noted that the museum never closed as a result of the positive finding or the subsequent remediation.

In a Saturday statement, the museum said, “The city has confirmed that there is no additional action needed at this time, and this poses no risk to anyone inside the building,” adding that an external firm performs monthly testing and treatment of its cooling tower.

Designed by celebrated architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the Guggenheim is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site and stands among the defining architectural achievements of the 20th century.

The Upper East Side cluster has so far sickened more than 50 individuals with Legionnaires’ disease, with fewer than 20 still hospitalized per the latest health department data. No fatalities have been reported.

Last year, a significant outbreak in Harlem, upper Manhattan, claimed seven lives and infected over 100 people; investigators ultimately linked it to cooling towers on Harlem Hospital and a neighboring construction site housing the city’s public health laboratory.

Legionella bacteria thrive in warm water and can propagate through building water systems including showerheads, hot tubs, and cooling towers.

Typically situated atop buildings, these cooling structures regulate temperatures for systems such as refrigeration, yet they do not impact potable water, indoor air, or air-conditioning.

Legionnaires’ disease is not contagious between humans; infection usually occurs when individuals inhale microscopic droplets of contaminated water.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms emerge between two days and two weeks post-exposure, presenting as cough, fever, headaches, muscle aches, and difficulty breathing.

Those aged 50 or older, smokers or vapers, people with chronic lung conditions, or individuals with compromised immune systems face elevated risk.

The illness derives its name from a 1976 outbreak affecting attendees of an American Legion convention in Philadelphia.

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