So what are the best museums in NYC? Which would you recommend? This is my list of the best museums in NYC.
What are the best Museums in NYC? I get this question very often from friends and visitors. NYC has some of the best museums in the world, but it can be very overwhelming to choose from. Having been to all of them, I am here to tell you where to go on your next trip!
This post is a guide to help you chose the best museums in NYC you need to visit on your next trip.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
#1 The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met)
Yup, number 1 goes to the Met, rightfully so. It first opened its doors in 1870, with 5000 years of Art from around the world. It is home to a very large permanent collection, the Egyptian temple of Dendur and many pieces from around the world. It has more than 20 exhibitions running at all times, making it an interesting place to visit several times a year. It is nearly impossible to see everything at the Met in one day, so make sure to go back.
The Met is situated on the Upper East Side and in Central Park with a huge crowd that gathers in the front on the stairs sipping on coffee or enjoying a pretzel. It is such a Sunday morning activity with many sellers of art and NYC souvenirs on your way to the entrance. If you are visiting in the warmer months, make sure to visit the rooftop and enjoy the view (& a drink).
- Time needed: 3-5 hours.
- Must see: The Temple of Dendur is situated in a lovely room (spend some time here), the Astor Chinese Garden Court, and my personal favorite the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts room. The main gift shop is massive, has some nice things that you can take home with you.
- Free Entrance: While not free, the Met has a ‘pay as you wish’ policy for residents of NY | NJ | CT. If you do not live in those areas, take a friend who does – they can help you benefit from this offer.
#2 Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Situated in midtown Manhattan, renovated in 2019. The MoMa has the best selection of modern and contemporary art you will see. It has about 4-5 exhibitions running at all times, so you would want to drop in occasionally to see what is new. The MoMA is home to a wide selection of art ranging from photography, architecture to film.
- Time needed: 2-3 hours.
- Must-see: Starry Night from Van Gogh, Campbell’s Soup from Andy Warhol, Water Lilies from Claude Monet, and One: Number 31 by Jackson Pollock.
- Free Entrance: The first Friday of the month is free from 4-8 pm. You need to reserve your ticket. Warning: A huge line forms outside the museum going for 2 blocks. It does get crowded inside too.
Left: Museum of Modern Art. Right: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
#3 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Guggenheim Museum opened in 1959 in an original and creative architectural design and circular shape. Over the years, it was designated a National Historic Landmark and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is devoted to early modern pieces and primarily to art from the 20th century and beyond.
- Time needed: 2 hours.
- Must-see: Komposition 8 by Vasily Kandinsky, Empire of Light by René Magritte, and Alchemy by Jackson Pollock.
- Free Entrance: On Saturdays 5-8 pm, entrance is ‘pay what you wish’. Only a limited number of tickets are available on site, you would need to reserve online, they roll out every Monday at noon. The line is very long, reaching Madison Avenue and a block up but it moves quick.
#4 Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney Museum of American Art is located in the Meatpacking district, alongside the High Line. It is dedicated to contemporary American Art – distinguishing it from the other modern museums in NYC. It has a permanent collection, and around 5-7 exhibitions at a time. The museum has one of the best views of the city with the One World Trade Center through its terraces so much sure to snap a photo.
- Time needed: 2-3 hours.
- Must-see: Calder’s Circus by Alexander Calder, the subway by George Tooker, and A woman in the sun by Edward Hopper.
- Free Entrance: On Fridays 7-10 pm, entrance is ‘pay what you wish’. Timed tickets are available for reservation online. The line is very long, but it moves quickly.
Left: Fotografiska, photo taken from a short movie. Right: Fotografiska (building).
#5 Fotografiska
Who knows what would have happened if Anna Delvey purchased the beautiful building at 281 Park Avenue South? I guess we will never know.
The building is absolutely gorgeous, I take a photo every time I am passing by – especially at night. Located in the Flatiron district, this Swedish Museum of photography opened its doors in NYC in December 2019. It has a contemporary collection of photography with no permanent collection. It prides itself on displaying photography from famous artists as well as emerging ones. It is beautifully decorated on the inside, with a chic and highly-rated restaurant named Verōnika.
- Time needed: 1-2 hours.
- Free Entrance: while the museum does not offer free or pay what you wish options, it offers a discounted entrance at 11 USD for adults who enter the museum between 10:30 am and 12 pm Monday through Friday.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Cloisters.
#6 The Metropolitan Museum of Art Cloisters
Need a change of scenery and love European medieval art and architecture? Visiting the Cloisters can be a fun yet tranquil and meditative activity. Rent a bike and bike your way to Fort Tyron Park. You can spend time around in the park, at the museum and its garden. The museum is in a castle that was built in the Middle Ages.
- Time needed: 2-3 hours. Take your time going through all the areas and spending some time in the garden area.
- Must-see: Merode Altarpiece by Robert Campin, the Unicorn Tapestries, The Belles Heures of Jean de France, duc de Berry from The Limbourg Brothers.
- Free Entrance: Just like the Met, entrance is ‘pay what you wish’. It is never really crowded on the inside. Your ticket from the Met on Fifth Avenue will allow you free entrance at the Met Cloisters. So if you want to spend your day at museums, go for it.
#7 Neue Gallery New York
The same architectural firm that designed the New York Public Library put together this lovely museum known as Neue Gallery New York. It is designated a landmark by the New York Landmarks Commission and it is absolutely gorgeous. It is located on the Upper East Side, on Fifth Avenue and it screams old New York. The museum is on the second and third floor. The second floor is dedicated to Austrian art and the third to the German collection. Café Sabarsky is a must-visit café on the Upper East Side, it has such a European feel (& taste) to it, you need to try it for yourself.
- Time needed: 1 hour.
- Must-see: Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I by Gustav Klimt, Town Among Greenery by Egon Schiele, and Max Beckmann Self-Portrait with Horn.
- Free Entrance: Free on the first Friday of every month from 5-8 pm – on a first come first serve basis.
#8 Museum of the City of New York
This is a museum dedicated to the history of New York City. It is unfortunately not as popular as the other museums. But anything about New York City’s history is my jam. Located also on the Upper East Side, Fifth Avenue across from Central Park. It is full of photography, paintings and many short movie broadcasts demonstrating how the city was built from the grid system in downtown NYC to uptown townhouses.
- Time needed: 1-2 hour.
- Free Entrance: The museum offers ‘pay as you wish’ if you buy your ticket onsite. Sometimes it pays to not be as prepared, I guess.
Left: The Morgan Library and Museum. Right: The view from the Whitney.
#9 The Morgan Library and Museum
This museum sits at a walkable distance from Grand Central and Bryant Park on Madison Avenue. The Morgan library and Museum was once the private library of J. Pierpont Morgan, gifted to the city with his collection of artworks and rare books, some dating back to 4000 BC. The museum’s doors opened to the public in 1926, then renovated its entrance in 2006 giving it a contrast of old and modern. Before we dive into some of the important pieces at the Museum, for anyone who loves being surrounded by old books, this is your place. I really wish my living room looked like that.
- Time needed: 2 hours.
- Must-see: One of the 23 original Declaration of Independence copies, Mozart’s handwritten score of the Haffner Symphony; the only manuscript of John Milton’s Paradise Lost, and Charles Dickens’s manuscript of A Christmas Carol.
- Free Entrance: Free on Fridays from 5-7 pm, reservations are required.
#10 The Frick Collection
The Frick Collection is still on the Upper East Side but it has temporarily moved from its mansion on Fifth Avenue to the Madison Avenue at the Frick Madison location. A very well-known spot to many New Yorkers, where the former Met Breuer and Whitney Museum of American Art used to be. It is a collection dedicated to European collection of paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts. The temporary location does not have everything on display as it is smaller.
- Time needed: 1-2 hours.
- Must-see: Mistress and Maid, Officer and Laughing Girl, and Girl Interrupted at Her Music by Johannes Vermeer. All three paintings are across from other in one room. St. Francis in the Desert by Giovanni Bellini.
- Free Entrance: Between 4-6 pm every Thursday, entrance fees are ‘pay what you wish’.
This post was all about the Best Museums in NYC. We truly have the best in the world and it can be so overwhelming to know which one(s) to pick. I hope this helps!
This is my go to guide for all the ‘pay what you wish’ museum days in NYC. It can come in handy. But I always go back to the museum’s website to confirm.
As always, thank you for stopping by.
See you next week,
Girl on the Upper East Side
Previously Posted: London Itinerary.
[…] THE 10 BEST MUSEUMS IN NYC YOU NEED TO VISIT […]