The Best Museums In New York City

By Author: Jesse Henson
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While shopping and Broadway may be the inspiration of many trips to New York City, few people visit without taking in a museum or two. No trip to the Big Apple would be complete without a tour of at least the more famous museums but a few museums are equally worth the trip, even if they are not some of the most popular tourist spots. There's a great deal to see and to do in New York but many of the museums in New York City are reason enough to visit.

One of the most famous attractions in New York City is the Natural History Museum. Entering from Central Park West, museum visitors are greeted by towering columns and the infamous statue of President Roosevelt on horseback. Though much of the museum is nearly medieval looking, Rose Center is the epitome of modern. The museum's gallery space spans four floors and the building itself is spread out over several city blocks. There are over 40 permanent exhibits and any number of special exhibits on display. Plan to spend several hours, if not an entire day, visiting the Natural History Museum.

If you love art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, ...
... and the Guggenheim are must-sees. The Met is a gargantuan museum on Fifth Avenue with a palace-like atmosphere that could conceivably take two days to see in its entirety. With works spanning every period, from the stone age to the 20th century, the Met is a worthwhile experience, even if you get lost inside. Make sure to stop at the Met Store which is an exceptional place to buy gifts and memorabilia.

Visiting New York City without visiting the Guggenheim could be likened to visiting Paris and not seeing the Louvre. Named for Solomon R. Guggehneim and designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the Guggenheim Museum is a modern-day New York City landmark. The Guggenheim is also located on Fifth Avenue, in a stretch coined the "Museum Mile" and features works from Chagall, Picasso, Kandinsky, and Van Gogh. Plan to spend at least a good part of one day at the Guggenheim and ask for a guided audio tour to get the most out of the experience.

Other museums along the Museum Mile include Museum of the City of New York, the Jewish Museum, the Cooper-Hewitt National Museum of Design, and Goethe House German Culture Center. If your trip happens to coincide with the second Tuesday of June, you're in for a treat on Museum Mile as the annual Museum Mile Festival gets underway. Fifth Avenue is closed to traffic, the museums along the mile are open to the public, and the streets fill with entertainers.

A visit to Carnegie Hall and Rose Museum will unveil over a century of musical history and includes signed photographs, letters, and interesting memorabilia. Cataloguing hundreds of items reminiscent of legendary concerts and events held at Carnegie by artists such as the Beatles, Toscanini, and Benny Goodman, this museum experience is enlightening for anyone with a musical interest.

For a taste of true American history, a stop at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum is revealing. Nearly half of the United States population has descended from the approximately 17 million immigrants who passed through Ellis Island starting in the late 1800s. A 27-acre island accessible by ferry from Battery Park in lower Manhattan, Ellis Island Museum is a three-story tribute to those who came here carrying little more than the original American dream.

Less of a museum but a necessary endeavor in conservation, the Central Park Zoo is nonetheless a must-see while in New York City. Though not nearly as expansive as the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo's five acres are designated with outdoor and indoor animal exhibits ranging from sea lions, monkeys, and otters to polar bears and of course, penguins. If zoo life is your cup of tea and you're visiting New York with children, go on across 65th street to the Tisch Children's Zoo, where farm animals await a kibble handout and a scratch behind the ear.

It would be impossible to visit every worthwhile museum in New York City during a short stay but a trip to New York definitely warrants a visit to at least one of the city's many fine museums. Plan your visit ahead of time and inquire about day passes to partnered museums. Visiting any museum during the week, rather than on weekends, also ensures less of a crowd.
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