Nicholas Roerich had a rare gift to inspire people. His new employees made much more than they believed themselves capable of. Thus a publishing house, several schools, a theatre, and a library had been organized by 1923 when finally the Roerich museum appeared.

The idea to create a museum bearing his name was developing and getting stronger for several years. Roerich's belief in a bright future, in increase of knowledge and communion with beauty inspired his friends and many of those who were looking for contacts with him. On 17 November 1923 in New York City under the initiative of friends and admirers of Roerich's talent his museum was opened. The museum’s activity started in the house at 310, Riverside Drive, where two other institutions founded by Roerich had already been actively working since 1921. This event took place already after the Roerichs moved to India (in May 1923).

The core of the museum collection consisted of 315 paintings, presented by the artist. Later it was enriched by other 150 paintings that were on show in 29 cities in the USA. Mostly the works belonged to the early stage of Roerich's art. Among them were "Treasure of the Angels", "Boris and Gleb", "Varangian Sea", several sketches from Finland and Karelia, and also costumes and stage décor for operas of Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, Musorgsky, for the plays by Maeterlinck, Ibsen and others. Also among the paintings that Roerich brought to America were "Sword of Valour", "Cry of the Serpent", "The doomed city" (1912-1914). In America they were called the prophetic ones. The collection was further enlarged by the works that were painted in the USA: "Arizona" series, "Grand Canyon", "New Mexico". Much was written about the "Banners of the East" series.