Welcome to New York City’s art and culture scene! As the city that never sleeps, NYC is a global hub for artistic expression and historical preservation. Nestled within its bustling streets are an array of museums, each a testament to human creativity and heritage. These cultural sanctuaries attract millions of visitors every year, offering a rich tapestry of experiences that showcase the artistic evolution of humanity. There is literally an institution for every interest, whether it’s in art, history, science or quirkier subjects.
From iconic institutions housing classical masterpieces to contemporary art hubs pushing boundaries, we’ve carefully curated a list of the most visited museums in this diverse metropolis. Join us as we embark on a journey through time, culture, and artistic ingenuity, exploring the must-visit museums that define the essence of New York City.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Opened in 1880 and situated on Central Park, this iconic New York institution contains 5,000 years of art – from prehistory to the latest in contemporary works – under one roof. That’s range, folks. Its unparalleled collection comprises more than two million objects that include Old Master paintings, the Ancient Egyptian Temple of Dendur and the museum’s famed period rooms. Among the Met’s greatest collections are the works presented in its galleries of 19th- and early-20th-century European paintings and sculpture. In Gallery 825 are 10 works by Vincent van Gogh, with another seven next door in Gallery 822.
The Museum lives in two iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online.
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History, founded in 1869, is one of the world’s preeminent scientific, educational, and cultural institutions. The Museum encompasses 45 permanent exhibition halls, including the Rose Center for Earth and Space and the Hayden Planetarium, as well as galleries for temporary exhibitions.
The museum conducts research in anthropology, astronomy, entomology, herpetology, ichthyology, invertebrates, mammalogy, mineralogy, ornithology, and vertebrate paleontology. The museum has a 485,000-volume library on natural history, as well as photo, film, and manuscript collections. The Museum is renowned for its exhibitions and scientific collections, which serve as a field guide to the entire planet and present a panorama of the world’s cultures.
Museum of Modern Art
Set in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, the grandiosity of MoMA is deceptive. The museum spans 630,000 square feet, housing spaces for exhibitions, film screenings, public programming, education, and scholarly research. It’s a known quantity—with the crowds to prove it. The museum reopened in fall of 2019 with an addition of more than 40,000 square feet of gallery space. The museum is filled with modern and contemporary art—from Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night to cutting-edge photography, film, and fashion.
The range is far-reaching—you might not consider Marcel Duchamp’s In Advance of the Broken Arm “art,” since it’s basically the Home Depot shovel that you use to plow your driveway in winter—but the execution is measured and the galleries are well-paced.
The second, third, and sixth floors house expansive, well-lit galleries for temporary exhibitions. Subject matter varies, from a focused look at a specific artist to a thematic question like “What was/is/will be the effect of clothing and accessories on the 20th- and 21st-century world?” Not all exhibitions will appeal to the masses, but the approach is always dialogue-driven.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Swelling out towards the city of Manhattan, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum was the last major project designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright between 1943 until it opened to the public in 1959, six months after his death, making it one of his longest works in creation along with one of his most popular projects The Guggenheim is an inverted ziggurat shape which took years to build. Among the delays were redesigns of the building and the onset of World War II.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is arguably the most important building of Wright’s late career. A monument to modernism, the unique architecture of the space, with its spiral ramp riding to a domed skylight, continues to thrill visitors and provide a unique forum for the presentation of contemporary art.
Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is a non-profit, educational institution featuring the legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid, the space shuttle Enterprise, the world’s fastest jets and a guided missile submarine. Explore history, science and service at the Intrepid Museum. Walk the decks of the legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid, a National Historic Landmark, and see 28 aircraft, including the world’s fastest military jet. Get an up-close look at the space shuttle Enterprise and British Airways Concorde, and enter Growler, the only guided missile submarine open to the public. The Museum also features the Exploreum, a fully interactive exhibit space where you can climb into a real Bell 47 helicopter and land a space shuttle.
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