The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is situated on the Museum Mile stretching alongside Central Park with the main building of the museum perched on the eastern edge of the park.
One of the world's greatest art museums and second only to the Louvre in terms of the number of visitors, the museum is New York's most famous tourist attraction that sees over five million people walk through its entrances every year! The museum features over 2 million works of art that are spread over nearly 400 galleries in a ginormous and palatial building. This monumental building is actually a complex of 21 structures that one can rather easily get lost in!
The entrance fee to the Metropolitan Museum of Art is based on a voluntary donation and you can explore this art haven for as little as you like or can afford; there is however a recommended admission fee indicated for adults, seniors and children at the entrance and you can accordingly decide how much you would like to pay. Children under the age of twelve years are exempt from the entrance fee. Unlike other museums that have pricey admission fee and entrance passes with limited validity, the 'pay as you wish' system at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is most flexible and convenient. Given that it is nigh impossible to explore the museum's permanent collection and special and temporary exhibitions in entirety; one can choose to visit multiple times and pay the entrance fee accordingly.
The experience of walking through the hallways of the Metropolitan Museum of Art feels a lot like going back in time - an impressive display of artefacts from the Greek, Roman, Egyptian, European, Pre-Columbian eras amongst multiple others allow you to trace history through art. Recently, in 2011, nearly a dozen galleries were renovated to feature a comprehensive collection of art from Turkey, Iran and regions of Central and South Asia. Its permanent collection and special exhibits are nothing short of phenomenal and over whelming. The collection is diverse and encompasses a wide assortment of paintings, sculpture, textiles and fascinating artefacts seeped in history; something to enamour everyone from history buffs to art lovers, family travellers or just the inquisitive traveller. If you find yourself being intimated by the sheer size and diversity of the display, you could opt for the Highlight's Tours that are rather popular with tourists: it's conducted throughout the day at fifteen minute intervals. There are gallery specific talks as well and several tours in foreign languages are conducted that have been designed specifically for the comfort of the international traveller.
The museum is expansive and spread over multiple wings; if you plan on spending the entire day it can get tiring but there are several cafes and lounges within the museum for you to take a break and grab a bite. Cafes and lounges are priced within the moderate to expensive range. During the summers, the rooftop terrace garden is lovely to socialize over a drink with excellent views of Central Park.
The museum is open seven days a week: Sundays through Thursdays, it's open till 5.30 and up till 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
