3 Must-See Museums in Manhattan

If you love museums, then you’ll love Manhattan. This borough of New York City is loaded with great museums—among other things. To help you cut through the choices, here are three great museums in Manhattan that you may want to add to your to-see list.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of art is an absolutely must-see attraction when you’re visiting New York City. The amazing display of over two million works of art is quite the experience—from photography and European paintings and sculptures to the armors of the Middle Ages to Greek, Roman and Egyptian exhibits.

The Egyptian Temple of Dendor is one of the famous exhibits in the museum. It is an incredible place to be. It is truly amazing. This exhibit alone will consume at least three hours of your time.

If time is of the essence, you might want to go to the sections that interest you the most, it will make the trip worthwhile. There’s too much too see, so it could be overwhelming.
By the way, cameras are allowed without flash. Also, wear comfortable walking shoes—this is a must.

Admission fee is by suggested donation. If you think you’ll spend a lot of time inside, give more, if not give whatever you can afford. Museum hours are 9:30am - 5:15pm, Tuesday - Thursday and Sunday, 9:30am - 8: 45pm, Friday - Saturday. Closed on Mondays.

The Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art is another must-see in NYC. If you like Picasso, Matisse, Van Gogh or Monet, then you’re in the right place. If you’re into modern art, this museum offers more than 150,000 collections of paintings, drawings, sculptures, prints and photographs among others. They also store about 3,350 works of the world’s largest and inclusive collections of modern painting and sculptures, dated from the last 150 years to present day.

This is one of the best modern art galleries in the world. You have to appreciate art to enjoy the exhibits on display, otherwise its just another painting to you. The audio tour is excellent.

The Museum of Modern Art is open Sunday - Monday, Wednesday - Thursday, 10:30am - 5:30pm, and Sunday 10:30am - 8pm. It’s closed on Tuesday. Museum admissions are $20 for adults, $16 for seniors (65+ with ID), $12 for full-time students (ID required), children 16 and under free (does not apply for children in groups), and members are free. Also, admission is free during Target Free Friday Nights, which is held between 4pm - 8pm.

Cloisters Museum

The Cloisters is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is dedicated to the art and architecture of Medieval Europe. It is located in Northern Manhattan’s Fort Tryon Park. They’re famous for their unicorn tapestries, sculptures, beautiful stained glass, excellent illuminated manuscripts and paintings.

They have about 5,000 European medieval works of art, mostly from the twelfth thru the fifteenth century.

The cloisters is open Tuesday - Sunday, 9:30am - 4:45pm (November - February), 9:30am - 5:15pm (March - October). It’s closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.