Met Museum New York

The Met Museum is a must-see when you visit New York. From Ancient Egypt to Medieval Art, the museum has something for everyone.

• History of the Met
• Ticket Prices
• Address
• Opening Hours
• The Met Cloisters
• Met Museum Breuer
• Met Museum Collection
• Met Museum Highlights
• Met Museum Gift Shop
• Met Museum Dining
• Met Gala

History of the Met Museum

The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, or “The Met Museum,” is one of the largest art museums in America. It holds over 5,000 years of incredible art. John Jay proposed bringing art and art education to the American people through a “national institution and gallery of art.” On 13 April 1870, the Met Museum was incorporated and opened in the Dodworth Building at 681 Fifth Avenue. In November that year, the Met Museum received its first artefact, a Roman sarcophagus.

Ten years later, the Met Museum relocated to its current location on Fifth Avenue and 82nd Street, New York. Throughout the 19th Century, the Met Museum began to acquire quite a collection ranging from the Bronze Age to Ancient Rome. Such collections established the Met’s standing as a significant collector of classical antiquities. In 1902, the Beaux-Art Fifth Avenue facade and Great Hall, designed by Richard Morris Hunt, the Foundling Museum Trustee, was opened to the public.

It wasn’t long before the Met Museum became known as one of the world’s most significant art centres. The Met was the first public museum in the world to acquire a work of art by Henri Matisse. The Met Museum is home to the most extensive Egyptian art collection on display outside of Cairo and holds 2,500 European paintings. It is a two-million-square-foot building that displays tens of thousands of artefacts at any time. 

From 1971 to 1991, architects Kevin Roche, John Dinkeloo and Associates worked on expanding the Met Museum. The new expansion added the Robert Lehman Wing in 1975, The Sackler Wing in 1978, The American Wing in 1980, The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing in 1982, The Lila Acheson Wallace Wing in 1087, and the Henry R. Kravis Wing in 1991. The expansion of the Met added significant value to the reorganisation of the museum’s collection. Since the expansion, the Arts of Korea Gallery, the Ancient Near Eastern Art Gallery, the Gallery for Oceanic and Native North America Art and Galleries for Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-Century Paintings and Sculpture have been added to the Met Museum.

In the last decade, the Met Museum has also added New Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands and New American Wing Galleries for Paintings, Sculptures, and Decorative Arts for the public to view. The newest addition to the Museum is a plaque dedicated to Lenapehoking, the homeland of the Indigenous Lenape peoples.

Met Museum Tickets

$30 for adults

$22 for seniors

$17 for students.

General Admission is free for Members, Patrons, children under 12 and caregivers accompanying a disabled visitor.
Tickets can be purchased online before your visitor.

Met Museum Address

1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028. The Met Museum is only a short walk from Central Park.

Met Museum Opening Hours

Monday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Tuesday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Wednesday Closed

Thursday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Friday 10 a.m.–9 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m.–9 p.m.

Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Not only is the Met Museum on Fifth Avenue closed every Wednesday, but it also closes its doors to the public four times a year: Thanksgiving Day, December 25, January 1, and the first Monday in May.

Cloisters Met Museum New York

The Met Cloisters opened to the public in 1938. The new Cloisters museum was designed by Charles Collens and overseen by James J. Rorimer and Joseph Breck. The Met Cloisters are part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is at 99 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park, New York, NY 10040. Elements of medieval cloisters have been incorporated into the Met Cloisters. The Met cloisters feature gardens and medieval works of art, such as tapestries and stained glass windows. Over 2,000 works of art from Europe during the Middle Ages are on show in the cloisters.

American sculptor, medieval art collector, and dealer George Grey Barnard acquired most of the sculptures at The Met Cloisters. In 1925, John D. Rockefeller gave his impressive collection to the Met Museum. Rockefeller contributed hugely to The Met Cloisters, providing the grounds and building to hold Barnard’s collection and contributing works of art from his collection. It is John D. Rockefeller who can be thanked for the Unicorn Tapestries being on display in the Cloisters today.

Some of the highlights of the Met Cloisters are the Annunciation Triptych (Merode Altarpiece), a Madonna statue, the only complete set of medieval trading cards available in the world, and the 15th-century Book of Hours. The Met Cloister gardens are worth a visit as they consist of authentic herbs and flowers that would’ve been common in medieval gardens.

Met Museum Breuer New York

The Metropolitan Museum of Art opened The Met Breuer in 2016 as a space dedicated to modern and contemporary art.  Bauhaus architect Marcel Breuer designed the museum; he originally intended to design it for the Whitney Museum of American Art. After four years of exhibiting global art from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, The Met Breuer closed its doors. The Frick Collection has taken over the building while they renovate their Upper East Side building.

Met Museum on Fifth Avenue

There are 19 different art collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These are;

1. African Art in The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

This art collection comprises nearly 3,000 works from over 2,000 years and covers hundreds of cultures across sub-Saharan Africa, including 39 nation-states.

2. The American Wing

This collection includes over 20,000 artworks by African American, European American, Native American, and Latin American artists, which are exhibited throughout an open indoor court. The American Wing collection ranges from the colonial to early modern periods.

3. Ancient Near Eastern Art

The Ancient Near Eastern Art collection comprises over 7,000 works from the eighth millennium B.C. to the Arab conquest of the seventh century A.D. Some highlights from the collection include dress ornaments, large stone relief panels, a human-headed winged lion and a sword and scabbard.

4. Arms and Armour

The Arms and Armour collection includes roughly 14,000 objects, which comprises over 5,000 European objects, 2,000 Near Eastern objects and 4,000 from the Far East. In the Arms and Armour collection, you will see Viking swords, Japanese 5th-century helmets, Italian armour, King Henry II of France’s armour and shield and Bamen Tomotsugu armour.

5. Ancient American Art in The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

The Ancient American Art collection comprises nearly 5 millennia of history from North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Some highlights you can enjoy in this collection are masks, tunics, vessels, pendants and house models.

6. Asian Art

The Asian art collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds over 35,000 objects from the third millennium B.C. to the 21st Century, making it one of the largest collections of Asian art in the world. The collection includes Art of China, Art of Japan, Art of Korea, Art of Indian Subcontinent, Art of Southeast Asia and Arts of the Himalayas. Some highlights from the Asian art collection include the Buddha Maitreya Altarpiece, hanging Korean scrolls, a pair of royal earrings and the Head of Bhairava. 

7. The Costume Institute

The Costume Institute collection holds over 33,000 costumes and accessories representing five continents and seven centuries. Clothing and accessories for men, women, and children from the fifteenth century to the present are on display in the collection. Some highlights of the collection include corsets, evening dresses, walking ensembles from the 1800s, riding coats, court dresses, and doublets from the 1600s to 1700s and dresses from designers houses such as House of Dior, House of Balenciaga and House of Givenchy.

8. Drawings and Prints

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection of drawings and prints is out of this world, with over 177,000 works. Some of the collection’s highlights are Vincent Van Gogh’s Corridor in Asylum, Rembrandt’s Cottage Among Trees, and Andy Warhol’s Marylin, to name a few.

9. Egyptian Art

The Met’s collection of ancient Egyptian art comprises 26,000 objects dating from the Palaeolithic period to the Roman period. Some highlights from the Egyptian art collection are the Head of the god Amun, the  Magical Stela (Cippus of Horus), an arched harp, the Sphinx of Hatshepsut and the Coffin of Khnum Nakht.

10. European Paintings

The European Paintings collection at the Met Museum holds over 2,500 works of art from the 13th Century through to the 20th Century. The European paintings collection is outstanding, and it features works by many famous artists. Some highlights from the collection are Duccio di Buoninsegna’s Madonna and Child, Jan van Eyck’s The Crucifixion, The Last Judgement, The Musicians by Caravaggio and Vincent Van Gogh’s Self Portrait with a Straw Hat, to name but only a few.

11. European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

The European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection holds 50,000 objects from Western Europe from the early fifteenth century to the early twentieth century.

Some of the amazing sculptures on display are Clodion’s The Intoxication of Wine, Bernini’s Bacchanal: A Faun Teased by Children sculpture, and Antonio Canova’s Perseus with the Head of Medusa. Objects in this collection include a processional cross, a writing table, a coin cabinet, and a 17th-century stove.

12. Greek and Roman Art

The Museum’s collection of Greek and Roman art comprises more than 30,000 works dating from the Neolithic period to A.D. 312. Some highlights of the collection include a Limestone sarcophagus, the Amathus sarcophagus, a Gold armband with a Herakles knot, a Bronze chariot inlaid with ivory, and a Marble statue of Eirene (the personification of peace).

13. Islamic Art

The Met’s collection of Islamic art ranges from the seventh to the twenty-first century. The collection has more than 15,000 objects on display, reflecting the great diversity of the cultural traditions from Spain to Indonesia. The collection includes a Mosque Lamp for the Mausoleum, an Astrolabe, rugs, carpets, manuscripts, lanterns, an armlet and a Damascus Room.

14. The Robert Lehman Collection

The Robert Lehman Collection is one of the most recognised privately assembled art collections in the United States. Robert Lehman’s legacy of 2,600 works to The Met is outstanding. The works that Robert Lehman gave to the Met range from the 14th Century to the 20th Century. The collection includes paintings, drawings, manuscript illumination, sculpture, glass, textiles, antique frames, and precious jewelled objects.

15. Medieval Art and The Cloisters

The Museum’s collection of medieval and Byzantine art is quite astonishing. The collection comprises the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Renaissance. This collection includes the Chasse with the Crucifixion and Christ in Majesty, the Tabernacle of Cherves, the Doorway from the Church of San Nicolò, San Gemini and a miniature Crib of the Infant Jesus.

16. Modern and Contemporary Art

The Met’s Modern and Contemporary art collection displays art from 1890 to today. The collection includes Mark Bradford’s Duck Walk, Seven Ponds and A Few Raindrops by Ranjani Shetta and Pablo Picasso’s Gertrude Stein.

17. Musical Instruments

The Museum’s collection of musical instruments includes approximately 5,000 musical instruments from six different continents and the Pacific Islands. The collection ranges from about 300 B.C. to the present. In this collection, you will see instruments you may have never heard of, like an Indian Śankh, a Japanese Suzu or O-daikon, a Bermese Mi-young or Saùng-Gauk, an Iranian Kamānche or a Chinese Pipa.

18. Oceanic Art in The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

Oceania is home to over 1,800 different cultures and artistic traditions. The Met’s Oceanic art collection includes 2,800 works that show the rich history of the expansive region. Some regional highlights include body masks, a sago platter, a Canoe Prow, and a ritual seat for noble and ceremonial textiles.

19. Photographs

The Met’s Department of Photographs houses a collection of more than 75,000 works. The collection ranges from the invention of the photograph in the 1830s up until the present day. You will see many photographs of landscapes and portraits included in the collection.

Met Museum Highlights

The Met Museum has over two million objects, and it is nearly impossible to view them all in one day. Here is a list of the Met Museum’s must-see artefacts for you to use the next time you visit the extraordinary museum.

• Washington Crossing the Delaware” (1851) by Emanuel Leutze
• “Self Portrait with a Straw Hat”(1887) by Vincent Van Gogh
• “Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies” (1899) by Claude Monet
• “Madonna and Child” (ca.1290-1200) by Duccio di Buoninsegna
• “The Dance Class”(1874) by Edgar Degas
• “Aristotle with the Head of Homer”(1653) by Rembrandt van Rijn
• “Autumn Rhythm: Number 30” (1950), Jackson Pollock
• “Ugolino and His Sons”(1865-67) by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux
• Relief Panel (ca. 883-859 BC)
• “Attitudes of Animals in Motion” (1881) by Eadweard Muybridge- Discovery of stop-action photography.
• The Temple of Dendur (10BC)
• “Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints” (ca.1504) by Raphael
• “Hatshepsut Seated,” 1473 to 1458 B.C.
• “The Death of Socrates” (1787) by Jacques Louis David
• “Self-Portrait” (1660) by Rembrandt van Rijn
• “Young Woman with a Water Pitcher” (1662) by Johannes Vermeer
• “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte” (1884) by Georges Seurat
• Marble Statue Group of the Three Graces (2nd century A.D.)
• Marble column from the Temple of Artemis at Sardis (ca. 300 B.C.)
• Reconstructed Rooms such as “Bedroom from the Sagredo Palace” (ca. 1720 or later), “The Renaissance Revival Room” (1868–70), “Boiserie from the Hôtel de Varengeville” (ca. 1736–52) and “Boiserie from the Hôtel de Cabris, Grasseca” (1774)

Met Museum Shop New York

The Met Gift Shop has a massive range in store for you to choose from. Whether it is jewellery you are looking for, our stationary, the Met gift shop has it for you. The gift shop also stocks clothing and accessories, home decor and books, making great presents for loved ones.

Met Museum Dining

Walking around the museum and looking at all the fabulous artwork can be tiring. For this reason, the Met Museum has six dining options to quench your thirst and appetite. Enjoy the various dining options available whenever you visit the Met Museum. All dining areas at the Met Museum are closed on Wednesdays.

1. The Eatery

The Eatery is located on the Ground Floor of the Met Museum and is open Thursday through Tuesday from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. It is reasonably priced and very family-friendly, offering options such as pizza, sandwiches, soups, hot beverages, and delicious treats.

2. American Wing Café

The American Wing Café is on Floor 1 of the Met Museum at the Charles Engelhard Court. It is open Sunday–Tuesday and Thursday from 11 am until 4 pm, with later closes on Friday and Saturday from 11 am until 8 pm. The American Café is also reasonably priced and is the perfect spot if you are in the mood for a small snack with a coffee or alcoholic beverage. 

3. The Cantor Roof Garden Bar

The Cantor Roof Garden Bar, located on the Fifth Floor of the Met Museum, offers gorgeous views of Central Park as you enjoy cocktails and snacks. The Cantor Roof Garden Bar is open from 11 am until 4:15 pm Sunday- Tuesday and Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, the bar is open from 11 am until 4 pm and then again from 5 pm until 8:30 pm, meaning if you time it well, you can watch the fabulous sunset in the evening. 

4. Petrie Court Café

The Petrie Court Café is also located on Floor 1 of the Met Museum at Carroll and Milton Petrie European Sculpture Court, and it is open only Fridays and Saturdays from 5 pm until 8:30 pm. There is live music from 6 pm until 8:30 pm. Listening to music in a stunning gallery while drinking and getting snacks, what isn’t there to love?

5. The Met Dining Room

The Met Dining Room is located on Floor 4 of the Met Museum and is one of the more expensive Met dining areas. The Met Dining Room is only open four times a week, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 11:30 am until 3:15 pm. If you want to enjoy lunch with a view of the Met Dining Room, it is recommended that you reserve it in advance to avoid disappointment.

6. The Balcony Lounge

The Balcony Lounge is on Floor 2 of the Met Museum at the Great Hall Balcony and is only open to Met Members. The Balcony Lounge offers Member Morning Hours on Thursdays, including coffee and pastries. The Balcony Lounge is open from Sunday–Tuesday from 11 am until 4:45 pm, Thursday from 9 am until 4:45 pm, Friday and Saturday from 11 am until 8:45 pm. You should make a reservation, and the last seating is an hour before closing time.

Met Gala

On the first Monday in May, the prestigious Met Gala will be held at the Met Museum. The Met Gala or Met Ball is an annual fundraising event for the benefit of the Met’s Costume Institute in New York City. Since the mid 90’s, the Met Gala has been chaired by Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue. The Met Gala is an invitation-only event, and these invitations are highly sought after. Many fashion houses buy a table at the event and will choose celebrities to invite, dressing them in their designs. 100 celebrities and icons walk the carpeted steps of the Met Museum, showcasing their fashionable outfits.

Every year, the Met Gala is based on a theme; those invited must base their outfit around it. Over the years, some themes have been Gilded Glamour, Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,  China: Through the Looking Glass, Goddess: The Classical Mode and Haute Couture. The Met Gala is one of the most glamorous fashion events annually. It is undoubtedly one of the world’s most prominent and exclusive social events.

New York is a great city to visit and has much to offer. The Met Museum should be on your list of things to do in the Big Apple.