May 18th 2026 we got kicked out of our timeshare at 10:00 a.m. but had the rest of the morning…read morefree. What's open on Mondays and close to our timeshare on 57th Street? Museum of modern art. Purchase our tickets online beforehand $22 for seniors and $30 for adults. Good thing as there was a line at 10:30 when they opened all of people with prepaid 10:30 a.m. tickets. Headed directly for the 5th floor with works from 1880 to 1950 including Vincent van Gogh, Henry Mattese, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Alfred stieglitz, and Frank Lloyd wright. Famous individual works include Henry Matisse women dancers, Salvador Dali The persistence of memory, Claude Monet water lilies, Vincent van Gogh Starry night, and Pablo Picasso Les Demoiselles D'Avignon More modern works on the 3rd and 4th floors. Got through the entire museum seeing what we wanted to see by 11:45 a.m. Plenty of time for lunch at Blue and then the 2-hour journey by walking, subway, and air train to our gate at JFK airport

Date of visit: April 14, 2026…read more The Met's hipper cousin, The Museum of Modern Art is a New York institution, from its expansive collection to its vast and varied gift shop. If you've not been, it's definitely interesting, though your interpretation of art will likely determine just how much time you spend here. Speaking of the gift shop, there's an amazing number of things to see there, at a variety of price points, so if you're looking for a souvenir to bring back home or a gift for an upcoming event/occasion, there is a little something for everyone here. In terms of the art, again, variety is the spice of life, but it may be best to come up with a plan of attack first. The galleries themselves can be a bit labyrinthy (I know it's not a word, but it really fits here) and it's easy to miss things. Recommend going up to the top floor and working your way down, too.

If you're not aware by now, the Met Museum is featuring a must-see exhibit called, Costume Art. It…read moreis located adjacent to the the Great Hall and it encompasses 12,000 square feet. This exhibit is the epitome of, pictures will not do justice to what your eyes will behold. The exhibit showcases costume pairings from the museum's other collecting areas and costume ingenuity at its finest. As you stroll through rows and sections, please take your time and take in all of the workmanship that went into these garments. A few will leave in awe, others are pleasantly startling. Either way, don't miss this exhibit. It'll be on display through January 10, 2027.

This world-renowned museum is probably the best museum I have ever visited. Not only is it…read moreincredibly impressive, but it is also enormous. Even if you simply wander through the exhibits at a casual pace, it would take about two days to see everything. If you prefer a more thorough and methodical visit, you'll need even more time. The museum's collections span cultures and civilizations from around the world. You'll find masterpieces of European and American art, magnificent Greek and Roman sculptures, and fascinating exhibits from Africa, China, Korea, and Japan. There are also beautiful Oriental and Ottoman rugs, textiles, and decorative arts, along with an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts. An absolutely amazing experience and a must-visit for anyone who appreciates art, history, and culture.

Both the library and the museum were gorgeous. I came here for the Tarot Cards exhibit and was…read moredeeply satisfied by the richness of what I saw, from Renaissance European tarot decks to hand-drawn copies of the Thoth Tarot. Everything was beautiful and enchanting. I was also fortunate to join the 2 p.m. guided tour of the library. It was enriching to learn about the connections between the collections of rare books and artworks and J.P. Morgan's religious background. I truly loved the experience.

It was pure coincidence that Jamie W and I came here on the same visit to NYC in which we saw the…read morebrilliant revival of "Ragtime" at Lincoln Center. The Morgan Library is the setting for the bullet-ridden plot climax, and one of the characters even describes the building's architectural fortitude. I had been wanting to come here for some time, but it took drizzly weather to motivate us to take action. Completed in 1906 as the private library of the banker J.P. Morgan, it's on Madison just a few blocks from the other Gilded Age masterpieces, the New York Public Library and Grand Central Terminal. Presuming we would see the foreboding double doors Coalhouse Walker faced in the show, we were pleasantly surprised by the openness of the glass-enclosed central court designed by Renzo Piano. There's a cafe that takes advantage of the incoming light, but we took a pass on it since we just ate at Grand Brasserie. Instead we took advantage of the glass elevator to take us to the photographic exhibition of Peter Hujar, the late artist who captured New York's bohemian and queer scenes through striking black-and-white portraits (Photo 6). The main event, however, is the historic McKim Building: It was the original private library, and in typical grandeur, features three stories of tiered, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, magnificent fireplaces, ornate ceilings, and a gorgeous Rotunda (Photo 5). Morgan's study is the West Room with walls covered in rich red damask (Photo 4) and a vault dedicated to his most valuable books, manuscripts, and art objects (Photo 8). Admission is $25 for adults. RELATED - Exploring NYC? Here's a collection of non-culinary places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/XMJZUPgXsX

The Frick Collection is located in an 18th-century, New York mansion that once belonged to steel…read moretycoon Henry Clay Frick. This was his home when he was alive. Mr. Frick knew that he wanted his art collection to be seen by the public, so he built a home with that in mind. The building is just stunning and it is near Central Park. It is truly a most elegant and intimate museum you will even go into. Mr. Frick was the consummate collector of works from the Renaissance to the end of the 19th century. We were impressed with not only the art by Degas, Turner, Vermeer, Rembrandt and more old masters, but the number of sculptures, ceramics and decorative arts. The collection is housed in a series of small rooms. As you walk from room to room, you will be awe struck by the beauty. The inner courtyard is such a peaceful place to sit. This is a gallery we visited in 2020 and wanted to return to see the latest renovations which were completed in 2025. They evidently spent 220 million dollars and 5 years to complete these renovations. We were thrilled that we could again use our membership at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore to gain free admission to this gallery. The renovations included a new, state of the art, 220-seat auditorium. They added 27,000 square feet of new construction; 30 percent more gallery space for permanent collection display and exhibitions; added its first-ever onsite cafe; and created a new double-height reception hall. Visitors can now walk up the grand staircase to the second floor. They have also installed new public elevators where 10 rooms and five additional passages of the original residence are beautifully renovated and stocked with masterpieces for all to view. We were disappointed that they did not bother to spend any of the renovation money to place a brief description of each piece of art next to it. They relied on everyone carrying a smart phone which I do not have.

It has been years, actually decades, since I visited the Frick. I wasn't even aware the mansion was…read moreclosed for five years until last year and its art collection temporarily moved to a more contemporary building (the former Whitney Museum). So it was good timing that I suggested to Jamie W that we visit the reopened Frick mansion in all its Gilded Age glory. What we appreciated was how the art was presented like it would in a private residence rather than a museum. The Beaux-Arts mansion was built in 1914 for industrialist Henry Clay Frick, and it turned into a museum in 1935 to preserve his vast art collection. We were lined up on the sidewalk for our timed 11AM entry. Once inside, we were struck by the refurbished Garden Court with its light-filled curvilinear ceiling and limestone interior (Photo 5). The permanent collection is presented in a series of rooms furnished with fine pieces of decorative art. The European paintings span between the 14th and 19th centuries covering the Dutch Golden Age, the Italian Renaissance, the Spanish masters (like the Prado). French Rococo and Impressionism, and most significantly, British Portrature and Landscapes. In fact, there was a special exhibition of British artist Thomas Gainsborough's works focused on 18th-century fashion through portraiture. Admission for non-members is $30 and well worth it. RELATED - Exploring NYC? Here's a collection of non-culinary places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/sQyiVNCfYP

Come on, it's the Guggenheim. I don't love modern art, but they do pick the best pieces here so…read moreit's still pretty great. The spiral design makes it an easy walk, no getting lost in mazes of rooms, no stress about missing any areas. They have an Infinity Mirrored Room here, and the current exhibit of Carol Bove has some metal pieces with pretty cool textures and shapes. If I have limited time, I'm more about The Met, but the Guggenheim is definitely one for which you should make the time.

Interesting museum of modern art and some classical paintings. Prominent location in NYC on the…read moreeast side of the Central Park in a fabulous setting. I was primarily interested in Thannhauser collection consisting of European artists as Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, and Vincent van Gogh, and more than thirty examples by Pablo Picasso. While most of the modern art is not in my wheelhouse, classical European artists are!!!

I have been to the Whitney twice already…read more Here are the things I love about the Whitney Museum of American Art. - Start on the 7th floor and go through each floor. No two floors are alike. You will definitely tempt all five senses. -Gorgeous Terraces where you can go out grab a drink and take photos of the Skyline of West Side. -Contemporary Art/Artist each work of art is in a league of it's own -Tour guides available to answer your questions and provide tours on highlighted artist and artwork. You definitely need to take the time to absorb the artwork and look for the silver lining. What does this piece mean to you? How do you feel? -Frenchette Bakery at The Whitney- located on the ground floor. Good food and drinks.

The Whitney Museum has been on my list forever. It's such an iconic NYC museum, and even though…read moreI've visited many of the major museums in the city, this one was still on my list. This ended up being a spontaneous pit stop during my walk along the High Line. I hopped off, walked over to Little Island, and then realized the Whitney was right there! I had no idea it was so close to Little Island. The views were amazing, and the exhibits had so many beautiful, iconic, and interesting pieces. Definitely worth visiting, and I'm so glad I finally made it here!

I was continually seeing ads for Luna Luna pop up in my social media feed, so I checked out the…read morewebsite and was in awe of the carnival, larger-than-life vibe it appeared to offer. I gathered some friends, found a 20% off discount code, and we all headed over to The Shed's sprawling, modern space to check it out. Upon entering The Shed, we were basically in a large lounge, which also had a bar and various seating arrangements. My friend and I grabbed a drink at Cedric's, the downstairs bar, and waited for the rest of our group to arrive (please see separate review for Cedric's at the Shed - https://www.yelp.com/biz/cedrics-at-the-shed-new-york-3?hrid=CELSOa2pnnpkj01Q1f57fQ). When we were all settled up, we headed up the escalator into the 2 large showrooms. The story of the exhibit was interesting, in that the amusement park art display from various talents had debuted in Germany in 1987. There had been plans for it to travel the world, but after the curator, André Heller, passed away, many of the pieces had been tucked away in shipping containers to only be discovered recently. Overall, the exhibit was full of colorful and fun pieces, though I wish there had been even more interactive elements. If I had not been there with a large group, I probably could have made it through the two spacious rooms in a half hour. However, we took our time, as there were some circus-type performers that would wander around every so often, and we wanted to witness the show. All in all, we were there for about an hour, which was more than enough. I felt that Luna Luna was definitely lighthearted and amusing, but I would not really call it a must-see.

I like looking at random things and partaking in random activities so this was right up my alley…read more From having gone to a variety of interactive and non interactive art situations this is a little on the pricier side. I bought the tickets at the venue to avoid the random online fees. There was a lot of cool info about the history of Luna Luna, artists, pieces. I was super confused about Drake being involved but then again not surprised...diversify your portfolio LOL. There were a couple of things to walk into and experience, a lot of reading, you can't actually ride any of the rides. The view from the Butterfly Bar on the fourth floor was super cool! I'm a fan of infinity type of rooms so to see the 2 rooms that you could go into and interact in be that type...I enjoyed! Took us about an hour and a half to walk thru it and read things. Kids were there but I don't know if it makes sense to bring younger kids, I would probably pass on doing that.