Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 5th Avenue (at 82nd Street)
East 86th Street station (4, 5, or 6 train)
212-535-7710
The Metropolitan (affectionately known as the Met) is one of the top four art museums in the world. It ranks right up there with the Louvre in Paris, the Prado in Madrid, and the Vatican Museum in Vatican City. Even if the kids insist they hate art, the kids' gift shop is entrancing and offers lots of good stuff for less than $10. Besides, few boys have been known to be able to resist the lure of the incredible armor and sword collections or the Egyptian mummies. And what young girl could turn down a tour of the Costume Institute?
There are more than two million pieces in the museum collection, and the Met is so large it will take more than a day to see it all. Your best bet is to target the wings that interest you and your family the most. Check the special exhibits as you wait in line to make your suggested contribution. You can pick up a family guide at the information kiosk or download one online.
The Costume Institute has a collection of more than 30,000 articles of clothing. The institute puts together exhibits to showcase its vast collection. Items include courtly fashions from the eighteenth century to cutting-edge twenty-first century style.
As you enter and head to the ticket area in the great hall, you will notice the marble stairway leading up to the famed European collection of nineteenth-century classics. To your left will be Greek and Roman art, and to your right is the Egyptian Wing (where, if you go down the stairs, you will find the gift shop's sale merchandise, often at 50 percent off).
The Egyptian wing features some 36,000 objects, many of which are from the original installation of 1906. You can find ancient jewelry, mummies, sculpture, hieroglyphics, and the famed Temple of Dendur.
The Temple of Dendur is an authentic, full-size Egyptian installation from the early Roman period (about 15
The famous collection of weaponry includes armor, firearms, and swords from European, Middle Eastern, and Asian collections, and it even features armor for horses.
The American WingThe vast American Wing provides a look at 15,000 paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts acquired by the museum since it was established in 1879. Here you'll find a restored Frank Lloyd Wright living room from 1915 and Louis Comfort Tiffany's exquisite fountain. There's a formidable array of American furniture, as well as glass, textiles, quilts, and silver.
African, Oceanic, and American ArtThe Met's first floor houses the arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, featuring 11,000 objects spanning 4,000 years in the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Works from New Guinea, Melanesia, and Polynesia and stone objects from pre-Columbian cultures of Mexico and Central and South America highlight this vast and very rare collection.
European ArtThe first floor is also home to the European sculpture and decorative arts, some medieval art, and twentieth-century art (the famous Van Goghs, Monets, Cézannes, Jackson Pollocks, and Picassos).
On the second floor, along with the European paintings (Renaissance through nineteenth century) and the American Wing, you'll find musical instruments, Asian and Islamic art, and the collection of drawings and prints and photographs.
The Met was named by
The Met's extensive collection of European art includes more than 2,000 works. This includes thirty-seven paintings by Monet and twenty-one by Cezanne, making it one of the world's largest collections of Impressionist art.
The Met offers a range of dining choices, from the lightest snack to a full sit-down feast. There is a completely redesigned cafeteria ($) on the lower level where you can get hot meals, pasta, salads, soups, and kids' meals. This is the best place to eat with children.
The Petrie Court Café ($$) on the ground floor serves sit-down meals with European-style waiter service. It also offers a self-serve continental breakfast, Sunday brunch, and afternoon tea. If you plan to visit Petrie Court Café, reservations are suggested; call 212-570-3964.
The Roof Garden Café is located near the European Sculpture Court. Sculptures include works by Bernini and Rodin's
The American Wing Café is temporarily relocated and is being called the Balcony Café ($). Wherever it is when you visit, it serves wonderful appetizers and drinks to the strains of live classical music. It is not recommended for the kids. A second bar, the Roof Garden Café ($), is located in the spectacular open-air space called The Iris B. and Gerald Cantor Roof Garden. It overlooks Central Park and the Manhattan skyline and is a delightful, even romantic, place to stroll during the summer. Sandwiches and drinks are self-serve. The youngsters are welcome. Cocktails are served between 4
The Metropolitan's museum gift shop is superb. You'll find replicas of the jewelry from famous paintings as well as scarves, Christmas ornaments, mouse pads, tea sets, posters, and signed limited editions of contemporary prints. This is a great place to pick up something for the folks back home, and there's always at least one item that screams “New York.”
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30
