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A Visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Located at 82nd Street and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the leading art museums in the world. Visits to the museum, its main building, or the Cloisters provides an opportunity to see notable works of art and sculpture, recent additions, featured collections, educational lectures and presentations, and explore various other forms of art. The Museum expands its outstanding permanent collection by presenting exhibitions. Focused on themes, artists, periods, or art movements these presentations add interest and depth to art appreciation. The Museum shares its assets and presents collections on loan from other leading museums around the world.

The main building contains the main collection and frequent exhibits while the Cloisters provides a different experience, one in which visitors can become immersed in medieval Europe. Located in Fort Tyson Park in north Manhattan, The Cloisters is a museum and gardens facility dedicated to European art and architecture from the period of 1200 to 1600, or Medieval Europe. Art and architectural pieces that date to the 12th-15th centuries are displayed, and the physical layout of the Cloisters is part of the exhibition. The Cloisters' art collection consists of the buildings and gardens and about two thousand works of art.

Model itineraries can be created online. These include some of the most popular exhibitions and provide detailed maps and estimated schedules. For example, you can choose a tour for children featuring the Egypt collection or a tour for all ages that focus on Europe and Africa during the classic eras of the Greek and Roman influence. Given the size and the vast number of items, these model itineraries can introduce visitors to the museum and inspire new interests.

Admission to the main Museum includes admission to the Cloisters without additional fees. Admission to the Main Museum also includes current exhibitions. The Museum is open 7 Days a Week Sunday–Thursday from 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, the hours are from 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. The Museum closes Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Years Day, and the first Monday in May. The Museum provides detailed information on upcoming exhibits and itinerary planning assistance on its website including maps and exhibition schedules. To get the most from a visit to MOMA, you can plan and research the optimal times to satisfy tastes or curiosity. The museum has a wide range of art and sculpture and educational information, and there may indeed be something to appeal to nearly every taste.

The suggested admission fee is $25 for adults (although you can pay less), and it includes same-week admission to the main building and The Cloisters museum and gardens. There is no extra charge for entrance to exhibitions. There is free admission for members, children under 12 accompanied by an adult, students at area public schools, and students at several area colleges. You can achieve dramatic savings and have deeply discounted admission by purchasing CityPass or Explorer Pass. City Pass includes admission to MOMA and five other venues, an effective 40% discount; Explorer Pass includes more than 80 venues at one low price.

Last Updated: July 29, 2015