The Metropolitan Museum of Art, often referred to simply as “the MET“, is one of the world’s largest and most important art museums. Established in 1870, the NYC Metropolitan Museum of Art offers one of the most comprehensive collections of art from earliest antiquity to current era. The MET Museum has 2 million works spanning 5,000 years in its vast collections. Paintings, sculpture, costumes, period rooms, musical instruments and more are displayed throughout its endless halls and corridors. The collections at the MET Museum are often compared to grand collections found in European museums, particularly those in London and Paris. Its collections include more than two million works of art spanning five thousand years of world culture, from prehistory to the present and from every part of the globe.
The MET is New York City’s must see museum and one of New York City’s most popular attractions. Thanks to its expansive collections, the museum has something for everybody. Located near Central Park, the MET houses works of art from all over the world. This 1.6 million square feet (150,000 sqm) art museum contains collections that cover everything from Ancient Egypt through the Renaissance to American masters. Admission is technically free, but you probably should go up to a ticket counter and make the “suggested donation” ($20 for adults, $15 for children and Seniors, also includes admission to The Cloisters) for your visit. Various types of museum memberships are also available online. It receives over 5 million visitors a year.
The MET’s permanent collection contains more than two million works of art, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. Represented in the permanent collection are works of art from classical antiquity and Ancient Egypt, paintings and sculptures from nearly all the European masters, and an extensive collection of American and modern art. Some of the most popular exhibits are the European paintings which houses selections from Raphael, Rembrandt and Rubens as well as the 19th century European Paintings and Sculpture wing which contains works from Manet, Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh. The MET also maintains extensive holdings of African, Asian, Oceanic, Byzantine and Islamic art. Other highlights of the museum include the European paintings collection, the Egyptian collection (which includes a reassembled temple, the Temple of Dendur), and its collection of Greek and Roman statues. In addition to its permanent collection, the MET always has excellent temporary exhibitions.
The museum is so large that a single visit simply isn’t enough to see all that it has to offer. As the building is so enormous, that you should review the collections on the MET’s website before you go so that you can concentrate on the sections that really interest you. They also offer a wonderful selection of rental audioguides, for different interests and ages, that can make your visit just that much more interesting. Here are certain rules that must be respected at the MET:
- Absolutely no backpacks or large bags allowed
- Photography is allowed in most of the galleries but no flash or video cameras. Tripods are only allowed Wed – Fri with special permit
- Other than plastic water bottles, no food or drink allowed. There are several nice cafeterias, bars and cafes within the facility.
- Sketching is allowed, but with pencil only – no pens or markers
- Cell phone use is only allowed in the main entry hall
- Wheelchairs, strollers and baby carriers are fine – may also be rented at the museum
