The group originated with the new location for the American Museum of Natural History in 1869, and as of 2024, the CIG includes 34 cultural institutions.
In the decades following the new facility for AMNH, the structure was formalized wherein New York City would provide funds for security and maintenance of the museum's physical property, while a private (generally non profit) organization would develop and maintain the museum's content and programs.
It was the first new addition in twenty years, and Brooklyn's first Black cultural center to be designated.
[3] A city owned location does not guarantee funding, with the Seaport Museum a notable exception as of 2000.
[7][8] In 2019, the Museum of the City of New York was home to an exhibit about the CIGs on occasion of the 150th anniversary of the coalition.