New York City is a treasure trove of art and culture. With the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, and so many others, New York has long been considered one of the most museum-rich cities in the world. In fact, you could probably spend an entire month just visiting museums in New York City!
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is a must-see for any art lover. It’s home to over 100,000 pieces of art, including masterpieces by Picasso and Renoir. The museum has a collection that spans the entire history of modern art and includes works from every era since the late 19th century—something no other museum in the world can lay claim to!
This is one of my favorite museums because it’s well curated and offers an experience unlike any other museum I’ve ever visited. You’ll be able to see pieces like Jackson Pollock’s Mural (1943), which was painted on four walls inside MoMA’s lobby area; Franz Kline’s Untitled (1957), which hangs outside one of the entrances; or Robert Rauschenberg’s White Paintings (1967).
Location : 11 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History is located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, making it a great place to visit before or after a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum holds over 30 million specimens and artifacts from around the world, including fossils and dinosaur bones.
While the exhibits may be overwhelming for some guests, there is so much to see that it will take several visits just to cover them all. Some of these include:
- The Space Show
- The Butterfly Conservatory (open seasonally)
- Ingenuity Lab: Design & Engineering Zone (for kids)
To get in without waiting in line, visit during off-peak hours such as late morning or afternoon on weekends when you can enjoy special exhibitions like “The Horse: Ancient Artifacts/Modern Science” or “Pandora’s Hope.” If possible, purchase tickets online ahead of time; this will save you money and allow more flexibility for your schedule! If you do have time constraints, consider going early in the morning before all visitors arrive; this way there won’t be long lines at any exhibits because they haven’t opened yet either! In addition if there are no lines then everyone who arrives later won’t have any reason not go somewhere else first… so everyone wins!
Location : 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the largest art museum in the United States, with an extensive collection of over two million works. It was established in 1870 and its current headquarters are in Central Park West on Fifth Avenue. As one of the largest museums in New York City, it’s home to many different kinds of collections, including Egyptian art; Greek and Roman sculpture from ancient Greece; medieval armor; paintings by European masters such as Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet; American art from colonial times to today (including works by Edward Hopper); decorative arts like furniture made between 1600 and 2000 AD; musical instruments from all over the world (such as violins made by Andrea Amati); American folk art objects like quilts made between 1825-1950 AD; Native American textiles (such as baskets) dating back thousands of years ago…and much more!
The Guggenheim Museum is located at 1071 Fifth Avenue near 88th Street on Manhattan’s Upper East Side neighborhood area overlooking Central Park which has been open since 1959 when Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation donated some 250 paintings worth $2 million dollars towards construction costs after having bought them through auctions held during WWII due financial difficulties caused by war inflation rates rising too high for even wealthy people like himself who controlled many industries within America specifically oil wells owned by Standard Oil Company thus needed money fast so sold paintings instead which were later auctioned off again once prices dropped once WWI ended allowing him purchase them back again before selling again then buying back again finally keeping one piece worth $300k was purchased at auction price tag ($1 million today).
Location : 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028, États-Unis
Guggenheim Museum
The Guggenheim Museum is a contemporary art museum founded in 1937 by Solomon R. Guggenheim. The museum moved to its current location on Fifth Avenue in New York City in 1959, and has been open to the public since October 21st of that year.
The building was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and completed in 1959. It has an exterior of glass panels over a metal framework and stands 110 meters (361 feet) tall, making it one of the most iconic buildings in New York City.
Location : 1071 5th Ave, New York, NY 10128
The Tenement Museum | Immigration Museum NYC
The Tenement Museum is located in the Lower East Side and tells the story of how immigrants lived in New York City. This museum is a great way to learn more about the history of immigration that shaped America as we know it today. A tour guide will take you through several tenements, each with a different theme and story to tell. The tour lasts approximately two hours, but feel free to stay longer if you want to learn more!
Location : 103 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
If you’re interested in airplanes and spacecraft, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is a great place to visit. You can see many different aircraft carriers, including the USS Intrepid, which was commissioned in 1943 and served during World War II. There are also many other aircraft that were used during the war. In addition to seeing these historic airplanes, there are also exhibitions about space exploration and military history that can help tell stories about how humans have explored outer space as well as how America fought foreign wars. The museum also has some interactive exhibits that teach visitors more about what it takes to be an astronaut or pilot as well as what life was like on battleships during wartime.
The museum is located at Pier 86 (12th Avenue at 46th Street) on Manhattan’s West Side and offers free admission every day except Thanksgiving Day; it’s open daily from 10am-5pm (6pm Friday).
Location : Pier 86, W 46th St, New York, NY 10036
Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney Museum of American Art is one of the best museums in New York City. The museum features an extensive collection of artwork by 20th century and contemporary American artists, as well as a great outdoor sculpture garden. It is located at 945 Madison Avenue (at 75th Street) in Manhattan.
The Whitney was founded in 1931 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney with the goal of giving Americans access to contemporary art. Today, it remains true to this mission by showcasing the work of emerging and established artists from around the world through its various exhibitions and programs such as film screenings, lectures and educational workshops for kids called “ArtPlay” which teaches them about various genres like art history or animation!
The museum also has a branch at Philip Morris USA Headquarters on Madison Avenue between 52nd & 53rd Streets where you can see rotating exhibits featuring works from its permanent collection but only during office hours so keep that in mind when planning your trip!
Location : 99 Gansevoort St, New York, NY 10014
The Noguchi Museum
The Noguchi Museum is dedicated to the work of Isamu Noguchi and features a permanent collection of his sculptures. Visitors can expect to see works like the “Black Sun” (a bronze cast) and “Sculpture for Union Square Park.” The museum also exhibits rotating exhibits that showcase contemporary artists from around the world, such as Roni Horn’s “The Secret Life of Objects,” which ran from July 18 through September 30, 2011. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday but closed for high holidays and select Mondays throughout the year; admission costs $10 per adult, $8 for seniors (65+), $6 for children 5-17 years old, free for children 4 & under.*
Location : 9-01 33rd Rd, Queens, NY 11106
The New-York Historical Society
The New-York Historical Society is located on Central Park West, between 77th and 78th Streets. The museum’s collection includes historical documents, art and artifacts. Visitors can explore a variety of changing exhibitions throughout the museum.
New-York Historical Society is free to enter and open from 10 am to 5 pm.
Location : 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024
Neue Galerie
The Neue Galerie, located on Fifth Avenue, is an art museum dedicated to German and Austrian art in New York City. It was founded in 2001 by Ronald S. Lauder, who serves as its chairman of the board and president. The museum is housed in the former home of German-American businessman Fritz Kallmann (1904–1994), which he purchased from his uncle in 1940 for $125,000. The building was designed by architects Paul Littig & William Schickel and built between 1912 and 1914 at 5 E 70th Street (147 East 70th Street) next door to Kallmann’s own house called “Merryfair” (now occupied by Mr. Lauder).
Location : 1048 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
This museum is a great place to visit if you’re interested in art, architecture, and design. The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum has the largest collection of historic and contemporary American design objects in the world. It’s located on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
The museum focuses on “the intersection of art and technology” which means that it showcases both old-fashioned items from the past as well as new technologies from today. The exhibits are organized into several different sections: decorative arts (clothing, furniture), fine arts (drawings and paintings), industrial design (cars and other vehicles), photography, prints & drawings, sculpture & metalwork; textiles & wallpapers; glassware & ceramics; jewelry + metalwork; building construction + engineering
Location : 2 E 91st St, New York, NY 10128
International Center of Photography
The International Center of Photography (ICP) is located on the northern edge of Midtown Manhattan, off Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street. It’s an institution devoted to photography and photojournalism, with a collection that includes more than 60,000 works from some of the most important photographers in history. The museum has a rotating collection of over 5,000 photographs from its permanent collection on display at any given time. They also have a large number of works by Robert Frank and Diane Arbus, as well as contemporary artists like Gregory Crewdson and Richard Prince.
The museum’s mission statement is “to provide insight into the world through photographs,” which means they collect and curate images that tell stories about people around the world—including marginalized groups who may not otherwise get their stories told in mainstream media outlets or popular culture at large. Their collection includes over 500 photographs by artists who are black or Hispanic/Latino Americans (or both), along with 100 pieces depicting LGBTQ culture or LBT women’s lives; these reflect ICP’s commitment to diversity within photographic practice today as well as historically.”
Location : 79 Essex St, New York, NY 10002, États-Unis
The Cloisters, a branch of the Met
The Cloisters is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, located in Fort Tryon Park. The museum houses medieval art and architecture from Europe.
The building itself was designed by Charles Collens to resemble a cloister, with Romanesque style arches and towers that are reminiscent of a monastery or convent. Inside, you’ll find stained glass windows from France, tapestries from Belgium and Spain, stone sculptures from Germany and Italy, frescoes from Italy (and several other countries), as well as illuminated manuscripts like the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry (Beautiful Hours).
There are three floors: ground floor; lower galleries; upper galleries. There’s also an outdoor garden area where you can see monks practicing their craftsmanship in period costumes!
Location : 99 Margaret Corbin Drive Fort Tryon Park New York, NY 10040
El Museo del Barrio
The museum was founded in 1968 by a group of Puerto Rican artists and intellectuals with the goal of creating an institution that represents the Puerto Rican community living in New York City. It was originally named El Museo del Barrio, until 1996 when it changed its name to El Museo del Barrio / The Museum of Latin American Art (LAMA). Its mission is to preserve, interpret and present Latino culture through art exhibitions and programs that serve as educational tools for young people from all backgrounds. Exhibits rotate regularly so check out their website before you go! Hours: Wednesday through Sunday from 12pm-7pm Cost: Admission is free but there are some special events where tickets may be required. What to wear: If you’re going on a weekend then pack some layers because it gets pretty chilly up there! Also make sure you don’t leave home without your camera since there’s a lot of great shots waiting for you inside this building! Where do I park? There are public parking garages nearby including one right across 5th Ave between 102nd & 103rd Sts which charges $16/hour during weekdays ($15/hour after 5pm) or $8/hour during weekends(free after 7pm). How do I get there? By subway take any train heading uptown then alight at 103rd Street stop on 2nd Avenue Line 1B line heading uptown towards Dyckman Stations, walk eastwards along 103rd Street towards 5th Avenue until you reach the museum entrance at #10410 Fifth Avenue (between 104th & 105th Streets) or by taxi cab or Uber ride sharing service
Location : 1230 5th Ave, New York, NY 10029
9/11 Memorial & Museum
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum is the place to visit if you want to reflect on the events of September 11, 2001. The memorial features two sunken pools that are surrounded by bronze parapets engraved with the names of those who were killed in the attacks. Inside, you’ll find a museum full of artifacts from that day, including a fire truck used during rescue and recovery operations following 9/11.
The memorial is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year—no ticket or reservation required (though there’s an entrance fee).
Location : 180 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10007
The Morgan Library & Museum
History: The Morgan Library & Museum is a private research library and art museum owned by J.P. Morgan as part of the expansive J. P. Morgan collection he bequeathed to his son John Pierpont Morgan Jr., who also created the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City in 1872 (and you’ll learn more about that below).
The Collection: The museum holds approximately 150,000 books and manuscripts covering a wide range of topics from medieval illuminated manuscripts to rare printed books from the 16th century onward; first editions by authors such as Dante Alighieri and William Shakespeare; historical letters penned by George Washington during his time as president; ancient papyri scrolls from Egypt containing texts written in Greek or Latin; other documents dating back thousands of years; paintings by Rembrandt van Rijn—one being “The Anatomy Lesson” (1632) which depicts Dr Nicolaes Tulp—as well as works by Jean-Honoré Fragonard—such as “Flora” (1780). Hours: Monday through Saturday 10 am–5 pm Admission Fee: $18 for adults over 19 years old / $10 for students aged 6–19 years old / Free admission every Thursday between 5 pm – 8 pm Visiting Information You can contact us at 212-685-0008 or send us an email at [email protected]. Visit our website at http://www.themorganlibrarymuseum.org/. Follow us on social media platforms like Facebook (@themorganlibrarymuseum), Twitter (@themorganlib), Instagram (@themorganlib).
Location : 225 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
New York Transit Museum
The New York Transit Museum is where your inner train nerd can come out and play. The museum is located in Downtown Brooklyn, and its collection of over 60 vintage subway cars and buses are arranged to look like a subway station. You can even hop aboard one of the trains for a quick ride around the track in their simulator car!
The New York Transit Museum is open every day from 10 AM to 5 PM except for December 25th and January 1st when it’s closed. Admission costs $6 for adults; children under 12 get in free with an adult ticket purchase.
Location : 99 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
The New Museum
The New Museum is located at 235 Bowery in the Bowery area of Manhattan, which is also home to one of the city’s most famous art museums, The Museum of Modern Art. It was opened in 1977 and is dedicated to exhibiting contemporary art. The New Museum’s collection includes works by Cindy Sherman, Richard Prince and Jeff Koons among others.
The lobby has a very modern feel with its white walls and gray flooring. There are a few benches around the space that make it feel more like an airport waiting room than an art museum but overall it’s well lit and comfortable enough for you not to want leave immediately after entering the building (not that this should be your goal when visiting an art gallery!).
Location : 235 Bowery, New York, NY
NYC Best museums map
What’s the biggest museum in NYC?
The biggest museums in New York City are the MoMA, the Met, The Guggenheim and the Whitney. All of these museums have collections that span centuries and continents, but if you’re looking for something specific to an era or subject matter (like photography), then one of these big four could be a good fit for you.
There are also several smaller museums that make up some of New York’s best art institutions: The Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum; The Cloisters; El Museo del Barrio; 9/11 Memorial & Museum
What is the coolest museum in New York?
# The Cloisters: This branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a medieval-style museum in Fort Tryon Park and it’s on my list of New York City’s best museums because it has some of the most impressive architecture and artwork I’ve ever seen. It houses several thousand pieces from European museums, including stained glass windows from Germany, tapestries from France, paintings by Dürer and El Greco, as well as sculptures by Michelangelo.
# The Morgan Library & Museum: Founded by Pierpont Morgan in 1906 to house his collection of rare books and manuscripts that was begun in 1884 with a gift consisting primarily books printed before 1521; today it contains more than 100,000 printed volumes as well as thousands of manuscripts including an illuminated Islamic treatise dating back to 1115 AD; John Audubon’s Birds Of America which is famous for its double page spreads (the book itself took him three years to complete).
# The Whitney Museum Of American Art: This museum was founded by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney after she left her husband Cornelius Vanderbilt III, who had denied her financial support for such an endeavor until his death ten years later. Today they have over 4500 works including paintings by Monet and Pollock among others but also sculptures like Alexander Calder’s stabile “Red Mobile” installed outside since 1973!
These are some great museums in NYC.
There are so many great museums in New York City, it’s hard to know where to start. Here, we’ve listed some of the most popular museums in NYC. When you’re visiting these museums, be sure to check out their websites for discounts before buying tickets!
Some of the best free museums include:
- The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). This museum features both rotating exhibits and permanent collections that cover modern art and architecture.
- The Whitney Museum of American Art. This museum focuses specifically on contemporary American art with a focus on experimental works from emerging artists from around the world like Andy Warhol or Louise Nevelson who was an abstract expressionist sculptor whose work was influenced by Eastern philosophy and spirituality; this museum is also known for its collection of photography which includes works by Edward Weston who was an influential photogra
Conclusion
With so many museums in New York City, you could spend years trying to see them all. However, the most important thing is to keep an open mind and explore new things! You never know what gem you might find hiding among all these art collections.
