New York, New York - New York has opened the doors to what curators say is the first Climate Museum in the US, a free interactive exhibition on the crisis of climate change.

The Climate Museum in southern Manhattan's SoHo district is an attempt to shed light on the climate crisis, a divisive topic in parts of the US, and also attempts to dispel "the myth of American climate indifference."

"While two thirds of us want to see sweeping changes and progress, we so dramatically misperceive climate sentiment that we believe two thirds of us are opposed to these policies," the curators say.

In an effort to convey the visual impact of climate change, a mural by US artist David Opdyke has altered hundreds of landscape postcards with the goal of provoking viewers into thinking about the necessary actions they can take.

"As the climate crisis intensifies, so does the need for communal spaces where we can all gain understanding and resolve," according to the curators, who say they have previously been staging climate-related exhibitions over the past five years.

The current exhibition hall is only a temporary location for the museum, and a permanent one is being sought, director Miranda Massie says. The museum is financed by public funds, foundations and private donors.