New York has some of the best museums in the world, even having a 'Museum Mile' home to museums dedicated to art and history. Below is a collection of the most iconic and must-see, all of which you could spend days getting lost in. My advice would be rather than rush them all, chose one, make the most out of your $25 entrance fee and dedicate a day to exploring everything within.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The MET)
1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028
Subway: 4, 5 or 6 to 86th Street
Suggested donation.
The MET is perhaps one of the most institutions of New York - from the MET ball to the steps that our favourite Gossip Girls sat on at lunch time, to of course the extensive collection of art within this stunning building, it should definitely be on everyone's 'Must Do in New York' list.
It could take weeks to truly cover the 2 million square feet of gallery space so my advice would be to do your research before you go to plan out what you really want to see the most. The temporary exhibitions are truly incredible while the collects of European sculpture, and major works of Rembrandt, Vermeer, Goya and Degas are a must see.
The American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West at 79th Street
Sunday - Thursday - 10am -5:45pm
Friday - Saturday - 10am - 8:45pm
If I first fell in love with this Museum in the movie Night At The Museum. In real life, although the exhibits may not come alive (thank God considering the huge towering Barosaurus in the Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda. It is incredibly engaging and beautiful. The Rose Center for Earth and Space was incredible. I would advise going early in the morning, paying on the app to avoid the queue and maybe even go alone so you can take your time viewing exactly what you want to see.
The Museum Of Modern Art (MOMA)
11 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019
Subway: E or V to Fifth Avenue- 53rd
MOMA, contains the worlds finest and most comprehensive collections of 20th Century art with holdings of Warhol, Pollock ad Rothko. It is also home to such works of at as Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night and the work of Picasso. It is also famed and credited with preserving a collection of 25,000+ films - Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin gave MOMA all of their films to preserve, hence why they are still able to be watched today.
The Guggenheim
1071 5th Ave, New York, NY 10128
Subway: 4, 5 or 6 to 86th Street
Admission: $25
Members Free
The famous spiral atrium, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, provides a unique way of observing art, allowing you to flow between paintings without missing anything. It's many galleries provide a permanent home to a continually expanding collection of impressionist, post-impressionist and early modern art. Ensure you visit the ten-story tower which is home to the sculpture gallery provides a stunning view of Central Park.
Whitney Museum of American Art
99 Gansevoort St, New York, NY 10014
Admission: $25
Tickets can be purchased online until midnight the night before you visit. you can arrive up to 30mins after the time you selected and stay as long as you like.
Focuses on 20th and 21st century American art. it place particular emphasis on living, young and less known artists as well as maintaining an extensive permanent collection.
The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum
180 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10007
Tickets for the museum cost $24 for adults and can be booked up to 3 months in advance. Free admission is available on Tuesday evenings from 5pm to close but as you can imagine it gets very busy then.
The National 9/11 Memorial and Museum is the ‘official’ memorial, on the site of the Twin Towers. The memorial consists of the reflecting pools in the footprint of the towers, with the names of those who died engraved around the edge. This is free to visit and you no longer need to book a pass in advance or go through security. The museum contains artefacts and stories relating to September 11th, 2001.
The historical exhibition has three parts: the Day of 9/11, Before 9/11 and After 9/11. The exhibition explores the background leading up to the events and examines their aftermath and continuing implications.
The memorial exhibition, which is named In Memoriam, commemorates the lives of those who perished on September 11, 2001, and February 26, 1993 and provides visitors with the opportunity to learn about the men, women and children who died.
Museum of the City of New York
Admission: $18
Open 10am-6pm
There is a permanent exhibition called the Four Century History of "New York at it's Core". It has a famous collection of photographs including those by Stanley Kubrick. Also recreations of rooms used by the Rockefellers.
Fun Fact: This was the location used for Constance Billiard in Gossip Girl.