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With a permanent collection containing over two million cultural treasures from six continents, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is widely regarded as one of the most important museums in the world. Also known as The Met, this museum contains an extensive collection of permanent exhibits and several changing exhibit halls.
Museum-goers worldwide remark that of all the museums in New York City, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is by far the largest and most comprehensive. Visitors advise that you either leave a full day to explore this New York museum or else decide in advance which exhibits you'll see and which ones you want to leave for another day. Divided into nineteen separate sections ranging from ancient to contemporary art from a wide variety of cultures around the world, you're sure to find something that interests you here. At over one hundred forty years old, this is one of the oldest NYC museums still in operation. In addition to viewing its extensive collection of art, Metropolitan Museum of Art visitors can lunch in the Roof Garden, where a new single-artist sculptural exhibition is held every year.
Located on the eastern edge of Central Park in Manhattan on the Upper East Side, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of many NYC Museums on the famous "Museum Mile" along Fifth Avenue. At the intersection of 82nd Street and Fifth Avenue, it begins the mile between 82nd and 104th along Fifth Avenue, one of the densest displays of culture anywhere in the world. For instance, the Goethe Institute and German Cultural Center is located right next door, and just a few blocks down from that is the Neue Galerie New York, one of the pre-eminent displays of early 20th century German and Austrian art in the world. Visitors wishing to see these many museums in New York City should take public transportation or ask a cab to go to the Met. At least three subway stations are within walking distance of the museum, and as many as seven different bus lines leave you near enough to walk.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is home to works of art whose creation spans millenia and the globe. From Ancient Egyptian, Greco-Roman, Asian and Oceanic art, to art from the old masters of Europe, from American pastoralism to modern photography and everything in between, a variety of masterpieces are permanently installed here. An entire hall is dedicated to arms and armor, and another exhibition section contains only books, including bound art from masters like Durer and Athanasius Kircher. Jacques-Louis David's The Death of Socrates, Van Gogh's Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat and Vermeer's Young Woman with a Water Pitcher represent some of the many masterworks on exhibition in this New York Museum. Modern and contemporary art is represented both on the Rooftop Garden and in the 60,000 square foot Modern Art section of the museum. Containing masterpieces like Max Beckmann's Beginning, Jasper Johns's White Flag, and Picasso's Portrait of Gertrude Stein, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is clearly a treasure for the ages.
If you'd like to get your cultural fix in other ways, Metropolitan Museum of Art visitors can attend a variety of events, talks, lectures and performances on location. This New York museum offers extra educational programs for everyone, whether you like watching films, whether you'd prefer to attend a lecture by a well-known artist with a question-and-answer session or whether you'd like to enroll your child in a day-long arts program while you peruse the museum's exhibits. Also part of the Met's collection is in an off site location, the Cloisters, which is a Medieval-focused museum located in Upper Manhattan. Special events and talks are also held here on a weekly basis. Detailed information on special events held at both locations of the Metropolitan Museum of Art can be found on its official website.
After visiting the The Met or any nearby museums in New York City, let us know what you thought! You can upload your photos, videos, and reviews on our site and share your experience with other visitors of NYC Museums. Your content helps our community grow and improves it for everyone. Because of the wide variety of exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, we're sure you'll find something worth sharing. Whether you want to gush about a cool new exhibit, whether you want to express your opinion on a talk or whether you want review a piece of art that moved you, we welcome anything you'd like to share. Wayland Myers
