The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028, United States
New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially called “the Met,” is the largest US art museum. It was the third most- art museum in the world with 6,953,927 visits to its three sites in 2018. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided among 17 departments of curatorial interest. The main building at 1000 Fifth Avenue, along the Museum Mile on the east side of Central Park in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, is one of the largest art galleries in the world by area. A much smaller second site, The Cloisters at Fort Tryon Park in Upper Manhattan, contains a comprehensive array of medieval European art, architecture, and artifacts. The museum opened the Met Breuer museum on the Upper East Side on 18 March 2016 along Madison Avenue; it expands the curriculum of modern and contemporary art in the museum.
Established in 1870, The Met did not own a single piece of art. With the concerted efforts of generations of curators, historians, and artists, our collection has grown to represent more than 5,000 years of art from all over the globe — from the first ancient civilizations to the works of our day.
The permanent collection of The Met is managed by 17 different departments, each with a specialist staff of curators and academics, as well as six dedicated conservation departments and a Scientific Research Department. The permanent collection contains works of art from classical antiquity and ancient Egypt, paintings and sculptures by almost all European masters and a large selection of American and contemporary art. The Met holds large holdings of African, Asian, Oceanic, Byzantine, and Islamic art. The museum also holds encyclopedic collections of musical instruments, costumes and accessories from around the world, as well as antique arms and armour. A variety of notable interiors are built in its galleries, ranging from Rome in the 1st century to modern American architecture.
The MET is an incredibly friendly place to meet with just about everyone. The art history is instructive, enjoyable and enlightening. During the cold month the coat check-in was accommodating with plenty of textures. It has great art and artefact collections from all ages and cultures. For those museum lovers, possibly a 2-day trip but even a casual day visit can be satisfying. It’s a little easy to get lost but it’s fun!
