Metropolitan Museum of Art

State: New York. Type: art museum on Manhattan's Upper East Side, commonly known as "the Met." Founded April 13, 1870. Main building address: 1000 Fifth Avenue; a second site, The Cloisters, sits in Fort Tryon Park in Upper Manhattan and focuses on medieval art (completed 1938). Holds roughly 1.5 million works across 17 curatorial departments. The most-visited museum in the United States, with 5,727,258 visitors in fiscal year 2025.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, known widely as the Met, is one of the world's great encyclopedic art museums, occupying a vast Fifth Avenue building facing Central Park on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Founded in 1870 by a group of American philanthropists, artists and businessmen who wanted a national institution to educate and inspire the public, the museum has grown into a roughly 2-million-square-foot complex housing about 1.5 million works spanning ancient civilizations to contemporary art, organized across 17 curatorial departments. Its collection ranges from Egyptian antiquities and European old masters to arms and armor, musical instruments, costumes and decorative arts. A second Met location, The Cloisters, sits uptown in Fort Tryon Park and is devoted to medieval European art and architecture, incorporating elements of actual medieval monasteries. By floor area, the Met ranks as the fourth-largest museum in the world and the largest art museum in the Americas, and in fiscal year 2025 it was the most-visited museum in the United States.

The Met's main building is at 1000 Fifth Avenue, on the edge of Central Park on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The museum's second site, The Cloisters, is located in Fort Tryon Park in Upper Manhattan, a separate uptown location devoted to medieval art.

New York City has a humid continental climate: hot, humid summers with highs commonly in the low-to-mid 80s Fahrenheit, and cold winters with highs often in the 30s-40s Fahrenheit and occasional snow. Because the Met's galleries are entirely indoors and climate-controlled, weather has little effect on a visit beyond the walk to and from the museum.

As an indoor museum, the Met can be visited comfortably in any season; weekday mornings, right after opening, tend to be less crowded than weekends and holiday periods. Visitors planning to also see the Central Park-facing exterior or roof garden (seasonal) may prefer spring through fall for pleasant outdoor conditions.

The Met was established on April 13, 1870, by American philanthropists, artists and businessmen who envisioned a national institution to educate and inspire the public through art. Construction of the current Fifth Avenue building began in 1880, and the museum has expanded substantially in phases since. The Cloisters, its medieval-art branch in Fort Tryon Park, was completed in 1938. Over more than 150 years, the collection has grown to include roughly 1.5 million objects, and the museum has become the largest art museum in the Americas by floor area.

Visitors typically spend hours moving through the museum's period rooms, galleries of European paintings, Egyptian art (including the Temple of Dendur), arms and armor, and the American Wing, among many other departments. Special ticketed exhibitions rotate throughout the year alongside the permanent collection. Many visitors also make time for The Cloisters, a separate uptown site with its own medieval-themed galleries and gardens, treating it as a distinct half-day trip.

Highlights within the main building include the Egyptian art galleries with the Temple of Dendur, the European paintings galleries, the arms and armor collection, and the American Wing. The Cloisters, in Fort Tryon Park, is a separate must-see site for visitors interested in medieval art and architecture. The museum's Fifth Avenue facade and Great Hall entrance are landmarks in their own right.

The Met's main building sits on Fifth Avenue at the edge of Central Park on the Upper East Side, reachable by New York City subway (the 4/5/6 lines to 86th Street, followed by a walk west) or numerous bus routes along Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue. Taxis and rideshares can drop off directly on Fifth Avenue. The Cloisters requires a separate uptown trip, typically via the A train to 190th Street or a connecting bus.

The museum's official opening hours and any weekly closed day could not be confirmed directly in this research pass because metmuseum.org returned repeated access errors when fetched; confirm current hours on metmuseum.org before visiting.

Specific current adult/child ticket prices and any residency-based discounts could not be confirmed directly in this research pass because metmuseum.org returned repeated access errors when fetched; confirm current admission pricing on metmuseum.org before visiting.

Given the museum's size (about 2 million square feet across 17 departments), most visitors budget at least three to four hours to see key highlights, with a full day recommended for a thorough visit or if combining the main building with The Cloisters.

The Upper East Side around the museum has a mix of upscale hotels and residential buildings, generally quieter than Midtown, with additional hotel options a short subway or taxi ride away in Midtown Manhattan. Visitors staying in Midtown can reach the Met easily via the subway or a short cab ride up Fifth Avenue or Madison Avenue.

Madison Avenue, a block east of the museum, has a range of cafes and restaurants, from casual to upscale, serving the Upper East Side's residential and museum-going crowds. The museum itself also operates on-site dining options, including a rooftop bar (seasonal) with park views, though specific current offerings should be checked on the museum's site.

Central Park is directly across Fifth Avenue from the museum, making it an easy pairing for a walk before or after a visit. The Guggenheim Museum and other Museum Mile institutions sit along Fifth Avenue within walking distance to the north. The Cloisters, though a separate uptown trip, is the Met's own medieval-art branch and a popular add-on for a longer visit.

The 4/5/6 subway lines stop at 86th Street, a short walk from the museum's Fifth Avenue entrance; numerous bus routes along Fifth and Madison Avenues also serve the area. No direct airport rail connection exists; visitors typically connect via subway, taxi, or rideshare from JFK, LaGuardia, or Newark into Manhattan.

As with any major museum, keep bags secure and be mindful of pickpocketing in crowded galleries and entrance areas. Photography rules vary by exhibit, so check posted signage, especially in special ticketed exhibitions. For any emergency, dial 911.

Comfortable walking shoes are essential given the museum's size. A light layer is useful for the air-conditioned galleries. If visiting The Cloisters as well, plan for additional transit time and pack accordingly for an uptown outdoor walk through Fort Tryon Park.

Because of the museum's scale, it's worth prioritizing a few must-see galleries or departments in advance rather than trying to see everything in one visit. Weekday mornings tend to be quieter than weekends. Pairing a Met visit with a walk through neighboring Central Park makes for an easy combined outing.

Dial 911 for any emergency. A specific museum information phone number could not be confirmed in this research pass due to access errors on metmuseum.org; check the museum's official site for current visitor contact details.

Metropolitan Museum of Art - https://www.metmuseum.org

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.