Main enntrance of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially “the Met“, is the largest art museum in the Western Hemisphere. This museum is an appointment not to be missed: an immense cultural machine that contains the largest collection of ancient art in the world. In addition to this, there are bookshops, auditoriums, bars, restaurants, shops, concert and conference halls. The museum’s collection is impressive: the permanent, multi-sectoral and multi-thematic exhibition has more than two million works, divided into 19 sections by geographical origin and historical period. Among them you can find paintings, sculptures, ceramics, furniture, arms and armor, and musical instruments from the classical era to the modern day and from every corner of the globe.
The MET in New York is huge to say the least (being also the largrest and the most visited museum in the city) and an in-depth visit can take a long time so we advise you to visit only the areas of the museum that interest you most according to your tastes. Trying to see everything in a whole day or organizing a visit for a couple of hours and seeing only the works that interest you most depends on you and your availability of time. The most impressive galleries are the Egyptian, Greek and Roman art. We also suggest going to the second floor to see its impressive paintings. Consider that you have the opportunity to leave the museum and re-enter using the same ticket later that day, or on the next two days.
The MET is also a meeting point for New Yorkers so we suggest that you plan your visit during the week and not at the weekend, when the museum is very busy. If your visit is during the warmer months of the year, then make sure to head to the roof of the Met. Each year there is a new exhibition from a contemporary artist, and with a rooftop bar and great views of the city, there i no excuse to miss it.
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What is the Metropolitan Museum of Art?
It is one of the largest and most important museums in the United States. Permanently exhibited works from classical antiquity and ancient Egypt, paintings and sculptures by almost all of Europe’s greatest masters, and a large collection of American and modern art.
When and why was the Metropolitan Museum of Art built?
The Museum was opened in February 1872, when Robert Lee Jenkins donated his private collection to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to bring Art to all New Yorkers. Since then it has augmented and now has over two million works in its permanent collection.
How not to get lost inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art?
Given the vastness of this museum you could get lost in it for days and days but to make sure that this does not happen, you can try to download the free application of the museum. It includes a map and also an audio guide.
General informations
Useful information for your visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Location
The MET is located along the Museum Mile, then along the east side of Central Park (north of the park) and precisely at 1000 Fifth Avenue (corner 82nd Street).
The Met also has a branch, called The Cloisters, dedicated entirely to medieval art.
Opening hours
To visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art the times are as follows:
- From Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30am to 5:30pm
- Friday and Saturday from 9:30am to 9pm.
- Monday: closed
Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year: closed
How to get to the Metropolitan Museum of Art
To reach the Metropolitan Museum of Art:
Metro: 86th Street, lines 4, 5 and 6.
Buses: lines M1, M2, M3 and M4.
Attractions nearby
- Central Park (447 m)
- Guggenheim Museum (539 m)
- Whitney Museum of American Art (674 m)
- American Museum of Natural History (936 m)
- The Frick Collection (976 m)
More top sights in Manhattan (New York City):
