New York City is one of the world’s largest global destinations attracting over 60 million visitors per year. With all the entertainment, restaurants, shops, and museums, you may be overwhelmed by the amount of things to do in this city. Visiting a museum is a fun and educational way to spend your day and is a great experience for people of all ages.
Here is our list of the 5 top museums you must visit on your next trip to NYC:
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met): with 2.2 million square feet, this museum is so large and jam packed that you could spend a few hours browsing inside and still wouldn’t be able to see everything. This museum has a vast range of ancient and modern artifacts and artwork from around the world. Plus if you have the extra time, you will not want to miss a visit to the Roof Garden and the Met Cloisters!What to see once inside: the Temple of Dendur, “Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat” by Vincent van Gogh, “Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints” by Raphael, and many more.
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: you’ll recognize the shape of this cylindrical building, which was designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright and was deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building is a work of art itself and is just one large ramp that starts from ground level and continues spiraling upwards to the glass dome ceiling. This museum is home to many modern and contemporary art pieces, which are all displayed on the building’s outeredge.What to see once inside: “Puppy” by Jeff Koons, “On the Beach” by Pablo Picasso, “Enchanted Forest” by Jackson Pollock, and many more.
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA): this museum is home to a vast collection of modern and contemporary art containing pieces from world renowned artists throughout history. Art and history lovers will rejoice walking through and seeing all the works of art this museum has to offer. What to see once inside: “The Starry Night” by Vincent van Gogh, “The Persistence of Memory” by Salvador Dali, “Campbell’s Soup Cans” by Andy Warhol, “Dance (I)” by Henri Matisse, “Water Lilies” by Claude Monet, and many more.
- American Museum of Natural History: this museum is renowned for its exhibits about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe and with approximately 32 million artifacts, there’s a lot to see in this museum. This museum is also great for family outings and there are plenty of interactive exhibits both you and your children will enjoy.What to see once inside: Rose Center for Earth and Space, the Butterfly Conservatory, Milstein Hall of Ocean Life (with an enormous replica of a Blue Whale suspended from the ceiling), the Prehistoric Halls and many more.
- Whitney Museum of American Art: known as the “Whitney,” this museum focuses on 20th and 21st century American art with more than 25,000 pieces of art from over 3,500 artists.What to see once inside: “Music, Pink and Blue No. 2” by Georgia O’Keeffe, “Three Flags” by Jasper Johns, “Humpty Dumpty” by Isamu Noguchi, and many more.