Museums in New York

Ah... the museums in New York. A great debate! For some it is unthinkable to come to New York without visiting at least one or two of its museums, while for others this is not a must-do activity at all.

 If you think none are interesting enough for you to visit,  I hope this article will change your mind about the different museums in New York 😊

I myself am not a big fan of museums in general, but I have to admit that there are some great discoveries to make in NY. 

So I propose you to discover the 5 museums in New York that are really worth the detour.

1. The 9/11 Memorial Museum

For me, if there is a museum to visit in New York, it is the 9/11 Museum. It's my first choice.

Opened since May 2014, this museum is simply poignant. The atmosphere, the ambiance, everything is done to relate the tragedy of the 9/11 twin towers attacks.

It was built in memory of the 3000 people who lost their lives that day. 

You will see the foundations of the two towers, impressive debris, firemen's helmets (and even a fire truck!), but also the stairs that allowed thousands of people to escape from what had become hell on earth.

This is the most heartbreaking museum in New York. 

Be sure to get your tickets early, because it is often crowded and it would be a shame not to be able to visit during your stay in New York. Moreover, during your visit to the museum, you will also have the possibility of buying combined tickets that will allow you to visit the museum, and to go to the observation platform One World Observatory, for example. It's always interesting to combine visits that are next to each other and very often, the price becomes cheaper 😉

2. The Metropolitan Museum Of Art

With more than 6 million visitors each year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or MET, is the most visited museum in New York. Far from being a little museum on the corner, it is one of the largest museums in the world with more than 250,000 works on display! 

It is THE museum to visit in New York if you want to see only one of them during your stay.

What I love about this museum is that you don't have to visit it entirely: you can go directly to the sections and eras that interest you. I personally love the Egyptian art section, but also the Roman section.

A reconstruction of the Temple of Isis of Dendur is exhibited there. 

If you are looking for a nice museum in New York to visit with your children, this one is perfect.

Obviously, I recommend the Egyptian and Roman sections, which will interest the whole family… 😉

For more information about this museum, you can check out the official MET website..

And if you want to book your entrance tickets, you can follow this link. As with the 9/11 museum, I highly recommend purchasing your tickets ahead of time, to make sure you will be able to visit when the day comes!

3. AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

If you are looking for another museum in New York, I recommend the American Museum of Natural History.

You will find this museum on the 8th avenue just in front of Central Park.

In this New York museum, you will find a gigantic collection of stuffed animals.

It's not the most glamorous thing when you talk about it on paper, but this collection is really nice.

Dinosaur bones (including the famous Tyrannosaurus), a blue whale skeleton and other life-size reproductions are on display. 

Does "Night in The Museum" ring a bell? Well, this is the very museum of this family movie!  If you have kids, that's a pretty cool way to motivate them to come and discover this Natural History Museum.

It is a fun museum that is suitable for the whole family.

The exhibits that you will find there trace the history of the Earth and of Humanity.

You will also find gemstones and pieces of meteorites. 

To get there it's quite simple, just take the underground and get off at 81st St. Museum of Natural History Station by taking the B or C lines.

4. The MUSEUM OF MODERN ART (MOMA)

For contemporary art and masterpieces lovers, the MoMa is one of the most famous museums in the world.

There, you will find many paintings and sculptures of great masters like Van Gogh, Picasso, Dalí, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock…

There are 5 floors in all, but if you don't have time to see everything, I recommend taking 2 hours to discover the 4th and 5th floors. It is there that you will be able to admire world-famous paintings.

Good to know: on Fridays from 4 pm to 6 pm, the entrance to the MoMa is free. That’s a great way to discover modern art and contemplate the most famous paintings in the world. The rest of the week, admission will be charged. More details by clicking here.. 

5. The GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM of NEW YORK

The Guggenheim is the most beautiful building on the Upper East Side. Even if you're not going to visit it, I recommend passing by the neighbourhood to discover its rather unusual shape with a futuristic white architecture.

The shape of the building was inspired by a snail shell.

This museum is dedicated to modern, impressionist and contemporary art. You will find works by artists such as Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Manet and other exhibitions that are renewed several times a year. 

If you like modern art, this is a very nice museum to visit. To book your entrance tickets, you can click on this link.. 

For more information about this museum, you can read my article on the subject! There I explain more about its history and its temporary exhibitions. 

Of course, you can also visit the museum's official website to get the latest news about the museum.

D'autres musées à New York

There are of course other museums to discover in New York, but in this article I wanted to present what I thought were the best museums in the city.

I recommend that you do at least one museum if it’s your first time visiting New York.

You are in one of the biggest cities in the world, the museums are huge and very different from each other.

As I already said before, I'm not necessarily a big fan of museums, but I had a great time discovering one museum during each of my trips to NYC. It will be the cultural outing of your stay!

And it's an even nicer activity when it's raining outside and you can't do much else 😉