NEW YORK GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS
The Metropolitan Museum, 1000 5th Avenue +1 212 535 7710
The Met is massive and you could spend a year in there and still get blown away. So you have to be selective in what you want to see. Egyptian Wing, Old Masters and maybe one of the special exhibitions. The re-created rooms on the ground floor are also pretty amazing.
Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53rd St +1 212 767 1050
Moma is in a beautiful new building and is a must see. But again, it can blow you away with its size. Start on the 5th floor for greatest hits package (like much of New York it will feel like you seen them all before) and then if you have time explore the 4th.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1071 5th Avenue +1 212 423 3500
An interesting building but it really depends on the exhibition.
The Frick Collection, 1 East 70th Street +1 212 288 0700
Fantastic. Beautiful, great works and totally manageable. In a couple of hours you can feel like you have nailed it – something that Moma and The Met just don’t let you do.
Dia:Beacon and Storm King Art Center, 3 Beekman Street, Beacon +1 845 440 0100; Old Pleasant Hill Road, Mountainville +1 845 534 3115
A nice trip out of town to a huge modern art collection or sculpture park. Good options if you have a day to get out of the city and want to see something different.
New Museum, 235 Bowery +1 212 219 1222
A museum dedicated to contemporary art. The exhibitions are always a little out of the ordinary, so make this your first choice if you’re looking for a museum experience with a little more wow factor.
Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn +1 718 638 5000
One of the oldest and largest museums in the country. Permanent exhibitions range from ancient to contemporary, so if you’re not into mummies and artefacts then there’s something extra for you here.
American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West +1 212 769 5100
Split over five levels, this museum will excite and intrigue small and large human beings alike with its special and permanent exhibitions that teach the greatest wonders of the natural world, from fossils to the dinosaurs, to the inner workings of the brain. Don’t miss the Hall of Biodiversity and the Spectrum of Life – though we suggest you do it all.
