The streets of New York City are lined with incredible galleries and museums, fully reflecting its status as a hub of culture and artistic expression. No matter your taste, New York City will have something to suit it.
From hallowed halls that give an extensive overview of the history of art to a small niche museum devoted to a specific century, region or genre, the Big Apple has you covered. As the Romance poet John Keats wrote, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” Discover that joy within the best museums in New York City.
1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Best for all-day entertainment
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With a permanent collection of more than two million objects and artworks covering 5000 years of art history, and multiple visiting exhibitions showcasing works from around the globe, it would take a week of constant perusing to explore this entire marvelous museum. This makes it the perfect place to spend a day immersing yourself in art.
The museum opens early and has late evening hours on Fridays and Saturdays for those who want to maximize their browsing. There’s little need to leave until closing time because the museum has comfy benches, scores of phone charging outlets, information booths, and a cafe with tasty seasonal delights to help fuel your art marathon.
2. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Best indoor-outdoor experience
Recognized as one of the most significant modern art museums on the planet, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an absolute must-visit. Galleries sprawl across multiple levels, and the five-story central atrium offers a bird’s-eye balcony view from every floor. Sound installations in the atrium can be heard throughout the museum, creating an immersive experience.
Best of all is the outdoor sculpture garden, accessible only from within the museum. Its floor is made of polished marble, and it has a rotating array of sculptures from greats such as Aristide Maillol, Rachel Whiteread, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso.
3. The Whitney Museum of American Art
Best for a downtown adventure
This excellent museum is perfectly located for an art fix while exploring the West Village, Meatpacking District, High Line and Hudson River Park neighborhoods. Known locally as The Whitney, this museum’s phenomenal permanent art collection covers American creativity from the late 19th century to the present day.
You’ll find paintings, sculptures, photos and video artworks alongside eclectic multimedia installations. The museum prides itself on showcasing living artists, giving the galleries a fresh and ultra-contemporary feel. Admission is free on Fridays from 5-10pm and all day the second Sunday of every month, making for a great, inexpensive way to explore the collections.
4. The Met Cloisters
Best for medieval art
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For medieval history buffs, the Met Cloisters – fondly referred to simply as the Cloisters – is a treat. The museum has a wonderful assortment of ancient objects on display, including hand-carved wooden panels, well-preserved stone sepulchers and elegantly woven tapestries on its walls.
While you’re here, pop into nearby Fort Tryon Park for gorgeous river views from one of the highest points in the city.
5. The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art
Best LGBTIQ+ art museum
This cozy neighborhood gallery in Manhattan’s SoHo is lesser-known but it packs a cultural punch. Covering more than 22,000 works by historic and contemporary LGBTIQ+ artists, its collection is nothing short of legendary.
Items include contributions from iconic queer artists such as Andy Warhol, Robert Mapplethorpe, David Hockney, Berenice Abbott, and hundreds more. Located on a quiet cobblestoned street, this outwardly unassuming museum is an important community builder and an outstanding collection all in one.
6. The American Museum of Natural History
Best for families
This engaging space has something for anyone with an interest in the natural world, but it’s particularly good for families with kids. Adults will marvel right alongside teens and toddlers at the displays of skeletal dinosaurs and other natural wonders in this 2-million-square-foot museum, which also includes a stellar planetarium and an extensive library. A 200-strong team of scientists is behind the informative displays.
Its manifesto says it all: “To discover, interpret, disseminate – through scientific research and education – knowledge about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe.” Admission is “pay as you wish” for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut residents, which makes a visit affordable for families on a budget.
7. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Best for architecture lovers
One of the biggest draws of the Guggenheim is the building itself. Designed by the famous Art Deco architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the museum’s tiered, funnel-shaped building is one of the more iconic structures in Manhattan. Step inside to see works from Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh and many more.
8. Tenement Museum
Best for history buffs
Visitors to the Tenement Museum can step into the historically accurate recreations of homes in the New York City tenements in the 1800s and 1900s. You can only access the museum by booking one of the themed guided tours that explore the women who lived in the tenements, small businesses run in the tenements and more. The museum also offers guided food experiences and walking tours of the Lower East Side.
9. Brooklyn Museum
Best museum in Brooklyn
Whether you’re staying in Brooklyn during your visit or just want to spend a day exploring the borough, the Brooklyn Museum is a can’t-miss attraction for art and history enthusiasts. At 560,000 square feet, the museum is about a quarter of the size of The Met but still one of the oldest, largest museums in the country.
Opened in 1897, the museum has a wide variety of items within its collections – more than 1.5 million to be exact – from works by local Brooklyn artists to ancient Egyptian artifacts.
10. New York Transit Museum
Best for rail fans
Even if you have a love-hate relationship with the New York subway, you most likely appreciate its long history. Housed in an out-of-commission Brooklyn subway station that was built in 1936, the New York Transit Museum is one of the more unusual exhibits in the city. You’ll even get to walk through old train and subway cars for a glimpse into what New York City public transit was like in its early days. Tickets are just $5-$10, if you’re looking for a budget-friendly and family-friendly museum.
11. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Best for design lovers
As part of the extensive Smithsonian museum network, the Cooper Hewitt occupies an Upper East Side mansion built by Andrew Carnegie in the early 20th century. The museum’s exhibits focus solely on historical and contemporary design, featuring a collection of more than 215,000 items and 30 centuries of design. Plus, you’ll get to roam the halls of the extravagant 64-room Carnegie Mansion – an extraordinary work of design in itself.
