Metropolitan Museum of Art
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A group of people in Paris, France, who wanted to bring art to Americans opened the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The first piece of art owned by the museum was a Roman sarcophagus, better known as a wood-carved coffin. The museum received three art collections containing 174 paintings previously held in private European collections and used them as the starting point. The museum, located at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 82nd Street, opened to the public on March 30, 1880. Over the next 30 years, the Metropolitan Museum of Art grew to be one of the most famous art museums in the world.
How to Get There
Transportation Options: Bus: BXM1, M1, M2, M79-SBS; Train: Babylon Branch, Far Rockaway Branch, Hudson, Port Washington Branch, Ronkonkoma Branch; Subway: 4, 6, B, C
Rent an RV For Your Visit to Metropolitan Museum of Art
Visit Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an exciting place to explore. Paintings comprise about 60% of the items the museum holds. These works include epic and well-known paintings such as "Self Portrait in a Straw Hat" by Van Gogh, "Washington Crossing the Delaware" by Emanuel Leutze, "The Death of Socrates" by Jacques Louis David, and "The Dance Class" and the sculptural work "Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer" by Edgar Degas.
The museum is also home to the Temple of Dendur, the most complete Egyptian temple in the Western Hemisphere. Explore weapons in the Arms and Armor room and see the iconic Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux "Ugolino and His Sons" marble sculpture. The Garden at Sainte-Adresse is a fabulous spot to unwind as is the Cantor Rooftop Garden Bar. The museum frequently hosts temporary exhibits featuring remarkable paintings.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a terrific place to visit throughout the year. In the spring and fall, the outdoor spaces are gorgeous. During the summer, the museum hosts the Museum Mile Festival, where visitors can participate in fun activities, like a silent dance, artist lectures, and thrilling games with fun prizes. Every Friday and Saturday night is Date Night at the Met when visitors can explore the museum, listen to live music, and enjoy appetizers and small bites.
Ticket Information
You can purchase tickets at the museum, online, or at the Met Cloisters museum in uptown Manhattan. General admission tickets are $30, tickets for senior citizens are $22, and students are $17. New York residents and students in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut can pay what they want for admission. You can also purchase a membership for $110 to $600 and get free entry as often as you wish. Additionally, members can bring children with them for free.
Family-Friendly Options
Families can find several official family guides to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the museum's website, and printed guides are often available at the information desk. Many of these guides focus on one particular area of the museum. Staff members host story times for children between 18 months and 6 years on weekday mornings. Each program includes a story, a song, and a self-guided gallery hunt. Additionally, children can join experienced educators in doing art projects, but advanced registration, which fills up quickly, is required.
The first Thursday of each month is a special time at the museum when children aged 3 to 6 can sing, sketch and hear stories as they explore a gallery with a staff member. Twice a month on Saturdays, staff lead children ages 7 to 11 on a museum adventure. All family programming begins in the Carson Family Hall in the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education.
How to Make the Most of Your Visit
You will find fewer visitors at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on weekday mornings. Since the temporary exhibits often get crowded, head there first. Then, explore the museum by going on a Museum Highlights Tour, which begins at the Vélez Blanco Patio, Gallery 534. These hour-long tours occur throughout the day in 15 different languages.
There are numerous places to eat at the museum, but one of the most relaxing is the Cantor Roof Garden Bar on the museum's fifth floor because it offers stunning views of Central Park. To go there, take the elevator from the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts Gallery.
Metropolitan Museum of Art Accommodations
Campgrounds Nearby
Beaver Pond Campground at Harriman State Park is just a 45-minute drive from Yonkers. This campground offers spacious sites that can comfortably accommodate RVs and trailers up to 30 feet. At different points throughout the park, you can experience the tural beauty provided by the Lower Hudson Valley.
Sun Air Lakeside Campground is a Jersey City, New Jersey campground that offers relief from the busy city life. Situated beside Dogwood Pond in Oak Ridge, New Jersey, this park allows extended stays in a peaceful environment. The local town of Oak Ridge provides many of the amenities absent in the park itself, including restaurants, theaters, laundromats, and stores.
There is one Jersey City, New Jersey campground within the confines of the city. Liberty Harbor Marina & RV Park is a must-visit location for anyone interested in U.S. history. From this RV park, you can see the New York skyline, including the Statue of Liberty.
Activities Near Metropolitan Museum of Art
Things to Do
Central Park
Central Park is about half a mile from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and offers lots of walking trails, bike paths, and opportunities for all sorts of family-friendly recreation. On the park's east side, you can go boating and catch-and-release fishing and see a castle.
Museums
Consider exploring nearby museums, including the Smithsonian Design Museum, where you will want to see the ancient textiles, learn about languages and see cutting-edge technology spread across four floors in this mansion that once belonged to Andrew Carnegie. Another terrific stop is the Guggenheim Museum, where you will enjoy seeing modern and contemporary artwork. The American Museum of Natural History is another fantastic place to explore. The whole family will enjoy viewing the plants, animals, fungi, fossils, minerals, and rocks at this museum.
National Sites
Weather, Safety & Accessibility
Weather & Packing
There is no dress code at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Since it is the largest museum in the United States, most visitors spend four to six hours exploring it. Therefore, wearing good walking shoes is essential. Dressing in layers is a terrific option because you can easily adjust your outfit between indoor and outdoor areas. The museum's staff highly recommends wearing masks since the museum usually has over 7,000 visitors daily. No outside food or drink is allowed except for water in a clear bottle. Security may search all bags and purses.
Safety & Accessibility
If you have limited hearing, assistive listening receivers are available throughout the museum, so bring your neck loop or headphones. It is easy to visit the museum in a wheelchair, and an escort receives free admission. There is an elevator, so moving between floors is convenient. Wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis at all museum entrances. Those using a wheelchair or other mobility devices can access the main building using the wheelchair ramp on Moss Street.
Conclusion
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a terrific place to visit, and it is easily accessible by public transportation to visitors of all abilities. Most visitors spend about five hours exploring the over two million items in the museum's permanent collection. Frequently changing temporary exhibitions make the museum a great place to visit regularly. Family-friendly activities and special activities make this a fabulous place to explore.
FAQ
There are many nearby options for RV camping. Liberty Harbor RV Park is about the closest and offers stunning views of the Statue of Liberty.
It is easy to bring an RV to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There are two accessible parking areas available at Fort Tryon Park. One is near the Met Cloisters, and the other is just inside the Margaret Corbin Circle entrance.
Many visitors are surprised to learn that the Metropolitan Museum of Art is open until 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with special food and live music available. The museum is open six days a week, but it is closed on Wednesdays and three major winter holidays.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is very family-friendly. Start your visit at the Carson Family Hall in the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education to learn about special family activities occurring during your visit.
Pets, except service dogs, are not allowed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.