13 Best Galleries and Museums in New York
Where to Discover New York's History, Art, and Culture?
Museums and Galleries in New York City run the gamut from history to tributes, from modern art to quirky and unique attractions. There’s so much here to explore and discover that you can easily turn an entire vacation into a fun and interactive learning experience that’s impossible to forget.
You can visit a memorial to one of the greatest tragedies in American history. You can head to a world-famous art gallery to view some of the most important and influential works ever created. You can learn about the fascinating history of aeronautics and space travel. You can also view eccentric museums dedicated to subjects like housing and spycraft. Check out some of the best museums in New York City.
1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
A massive collection of art from around the world
Good for: Families, History, Photo
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a colossal building and part of a museum trio that forms one of the largest collections of artworks in the US, encompassing 5 millennia. The exhibitions range from the sculptures of ancient kingdoms to medieval weapons, and even 20th century artworks. It also includes an entire sandstone temple imported from Egypt.
This magnificent museum is world-famous for the size and quality of its collection, and it’s located in the heart of Manhattan. It’s easy to get there with the subway, and it’s a major stop along what is known as the New York Museum Mile. Read more
Location: 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028, USA
Open: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 10 am to 5 pm, Friday to Saturday from 10 am to 9 pm (closed on Wednesdays)
Phone: +1 212 535 7710
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
2. American Museum of Natural History
The history of the world from meteors to minerals and beyond
Good for: Families, History, Budget
The American Museum of Natural History offers vast exhibits covering the entire geographic, anthropological, sociological, and human history of the world in an accessible and easy-to-understand way. While this vast museum is kid-friendly, it’s still a great deal of fun for adults with displays that fascinate visitors of all ages.
The epic collection spans 45 different exhibit halls and showcases everything from meteorites to minerals, prehistoric animals to modern alligators. It includes a planetarium, IMAX and 3D cinema experiences, and a gift shop. Best of all, this Central Park museum allows you to pay what you wish, with no set entry fee. Read more
Location: 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024, USA
Open: Daily from 10 am to 5.30 pm
Phone: +1 212-769-5100
American Museum of Natural History
3. Museum of Modern Art
Vast collection of contemporary and modernist artwork
Good for: Couples, Families, History
The Museum of Modern Art, or MOMA, carries modernist and contemporary artwork from all over the globe in a 150,000-plus artwork collection. Not only does it include paintings, sculptures, and statuary, but it also contains thousands of representative films and photography stills from movies.
Just a few of the important artists represented are Georgia O’Keeffe, Vincent Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, and Salvador Dali. The enormous collection that can easily take several days to go through, and that’s just the ones that are out on public display. Check out the temporary exhibitions to see something out of the ordinary. MOMA is located just south of Central Park within easy walking distance to Times Square and Rockefeller Center. Read more
Location: 11 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019, USA
Open: Monday–Thursday, Saturday–Sunday from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm, Friday 10.30 am to 8.30 pm
Phone: +1 212-708-9400
Museum of Modern Art
4. Whitney Museum of American Art
Contemporary art museum in New York’s Meatpacking District
Good for: Budget, Couples, History
The Whitney Museum of American Art champions the best American artists of the 20th and 21st centuries in a building that’s fittingly modern. The museum, originally founded in 1932, moved to this spacious structure in 2015. It sits close to the Hudson River, a short distance from High Line park.
With a special focus on living artists, the exhibitions at the Whitney are varied and change frequently, so there’s always something new to discover, especially during a biennial year. Don’t miss the balcony and terrace spaces, not only is art displayed here, but the views are fantastic. Go on a Friday evening for free entry.
Location: 99 Gansevoort St, New York, NY 10014, USA
Open: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10.30 am to 6 pm, Friday from 10.30 am to 10 pm, Saturday–Sunday from 10.30 am to 6 pm (closed on Tuesdays)
Phone: +1 212-570-3600
Whitney Museum of American Art
5. SPYSCAPE
The history of spycraft in a hands-on format
Good for: Adventure, Families, History
SPYSCAPE is an independent nonprofit museum dedicated to the entire history of spycraft with interactive exhibits and experience zones. The museum also features a James Bond-themed exhibition, the first of its kind in New York. Themed galleries include encryption, deception, surveillance, hacking, cyberwarfare, special ops, and intelligence.
Exhibits include World War II German Enigma machines and spy gadgets, important figures like Edward Snowden and SOE (Special Operations Executive) agent Virginia Hall, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and many others. You can get hands-on and test your skills in empathy, agility, personality, risk tolerance, and brainpower. It’s located in Midtown Manhattan a few blocks south of Central Park.
Location: 928 8th Ave, New York, NY 10019, USA
Open: Friday–Sunday from noon to 7 pm (closed Monday–Thursday)
Phone: +1 212-549-1941
SPYSCAPE
6. Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration
Insights into the experience of 19th-century immigrants
Good for: Families, History, Photo
Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration is a unique museum on Ellis Island in the Upper Bay. It tells the compelling and sometimes heartbreaking stories of those who came to the USA to start a new life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Rent an audio guide to hear the poignant and fascinating stories of some of the 12 million people who fled economic hardship or religious persecution in pursuit of the American Dream. Stand in the hall where officials processed their applications. Some would get no further. For others, it was the beginning of the most transformative chapter in their lives. Most boat tours also include a visit to the Statue of Liberty on nearby Liberty Island.
Location: Ellis Island Bridge, Jersey City, NJ 10280, USA
Open: Daily from 9.45 am to 4.45 pm
Phone: +1 832-960-0009
Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration
7. The Cloisters
Medieval art and architecture in a replica castle
Good for: Families, History
The Cloisters is one of a triad of institutional art museums that comprise the Metropolitan in New York, and it offers medieval art and architectural exhibits. The museum overlooks the Hudson River and takes you along a winding path through tended green spaces to a reproduction medieval castle built from actual French cloisters.
Some highlights of the exhibits include the famed Unicorn Tapestries, the Annunciation Triptych by Robert Campin, and the Fuentidueña, which dates to the 12th century. The entire museum is dedicated to the architecture, weapons, and artwork of the Middle Ages. It’s ideal for history buffs and fans of medieval fantasy interested in seeing the inspirations behind their favorite genre.
Location: 99 Margaret Corbin Dr, New York, NY 10040, USA
Open: Monday–Tuesday and Thursday–Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm (closed on Wednesdays)
Phone: +1 212-923-3700
The Cloisters
8. Brooklyn Museum
An art museum in a magnificent Beaux-Arts building
Good for: Families, History, Photo
Brooklyn Museum is the 2nd-largest museum in New York, after The Met. Though distant from Manhattan’s famous Museum Mile, it’s worth the detour across the East River. Opened in 1895, its collection amounts to around 1.5 million paintings and sculptures from as far afield as Europe, Africa and Asia.
The museum celebrates the work of artists such as Edgar Degas, Edward Hopper, Norman Rockwell, Mark Rothko, and Georgia O’Keeffe. Outside, wander through the museum’s sculpture garden which showcases architectural salvage rescued from places like Penn Station and Coney Island.
Location: 200 Eastern Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY 11238, USA
Open: Wednesday-Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)
Phone: +1 718-638-5000
Brooklyn Museum
9. The Frick Collection
Works from Renoir and Rembrandt in a stunning mansion
Good for: Families, History, Photo
The Frick Collection houses a private set of classical art representing all of the great masters from the 14th through the 19th centuries. The collection is housed in an opulent mansion originally built for Henry Clay Frick in 1914 based upon 18th-century European architectural styles. The building features a reflecting pool and a stunning interior courtyard.
Collections include sculpture, furniture, and paintings by artists such as Rembrandt, Renoir, Vermeer, and Rosalba Carriera, among others. It’s located along 5th Avenue right at the border of Central Park. Read more
Location: 1 E 70th St, New York, NY 10021, USA
Phone: +1 212-288-0700
The Frick Collection
10. Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Explorations from the ocean floor to the moon
Good for: Adventure, Families, History
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum covers the entire history of aeronautics, seafaring, and space travel, including an aircraft carrier lined with real fighters and a space shuttle. You’ll be able to check out the original Concorde airliner and explore an actual nuclear submarine.
This museum covers just about everything you ever wanted to know about the military history of air and sea, and the efforts to explore the cosmos. From outer space to the skies above, from the ocean surface to the seafloor, you’ll find exhibits, artifacts, photos, information, and real vessels to explore and experience. It’s located in the dynamic Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. Read more
Location: Pier 86, W 46th St, New York, NY 10036, USA
Open: Daily from 10 am to 5 pm
Phone: +1 212-245-0072
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
11. The New York Hall of Science
A celebration of STEM
Good for: Families, History, Adventure
The New York Hall of Science is your hands-on opportunity to experience and explore all things science, technology, engineering, and math with over 450 exhibits. The New York Hall of Science is Manhattan’s answer to a genuine science museum and has been in place since the 1964 World’s Fair. Today, it houses interactive exhibits in all areas of STEM. Many of the exhibits are hands-on and encourage visitors to experience and explore the world of technology and technological development for themselves. It’s a wonderful place for kids to get involved in STEM paths and for adults to learn something new, too. It’s just off the 111th Street 7 train stop. Read more
Location: 47-01 111th St, Queens, NY 11368, USA
Open: Wednesday–Monday from 10 am to 5 pm (closed on Tuesdays)
Phone: +1 718-699-0005
The New York Hall of Science
12. Tenement Museum
19th-century building that housed 7,000 immigrant workers
Good for: Families, History
The Tenement Museum is an unusual attraction encompassing both a landmark tenement that dates to 1863 and the surrounding neighborhood. The museum is only accessible by group tour, which are frequent but should be booked in advance, and allows visitors inside a building that once housed nearly 7,000 working-class immigrants.
The indoor exhibits tell the story of early American workers and the socio-political issues that shaped their lives and society at the time. At the end of the tour, you can visit a gift shop with books, housewares, puzzles, and toys as souvenirs to take home.
Location: 103 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002, USA
Open: Daily from 10 am to 6 pm
Phone: +1 877-975-3786
Tenement Museum
13. 9/11 Memorial & Museum
Commemorating one of the most tragic days in American history
Good for: Families, History, Budget
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum is located at Ground Zero and commemorates the historic terrorist attacks that permanently altered the fabric of American life. The museum recounts the events of that day and the outcome of the attacks. It also explores the individual stories of families who were directly affected.
Going beyond the events of the day, the museum looks at how the lasting impacts changed our society, how it’s become a part of our collective memory, and why it’s important to memorialize 9/11. It’s easy to access by getting off the Subway at the World Trade Center stop. Read more
Location: 180 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10007, USA
Open: Wednesday–Monday from 9 am to 7 pm (closed on Tuesdays)
Phone: +1 212-312-8800
9/11 Memorial & Museum
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