The Metropolitan Museum of Art

When preparing for a trip to The Met, thoughtful planning proves essential. The museum covers a vast space with long hallways and countless galleries, so a good strategy helps visitors avoid feeling overwhelmed. The crowds can grow thick, especially on weekends and holidays, but quieter moments reward early risers. Ticket lines move quickly, and online reservations make entrance smooth. The Met welcomes museum goers of all ages, with a wide variety of accessibility services provided for families, seniors, and visitors with disabilities.

• Best time to visit: Weekday mornings, especially in spring or late fall, offer gentler crowds and more relaxed viewing.
• How to get there: The Met stands on Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street. The 4, 5, and 6 subway lines stop at 86th Street; city buses M1, M2, M3, and M4 run along Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue. Rideshares and taxis regularly wait nearby, but street parking rarely opens up.
• Accessibility: Elevators span every floor. Stollers and wheelchairs may move freely. Rest areas and accessible restrooms dot the main corridors.
• Average visit duration: Most people spend 3–4 hours, but an entire day slips by when exploring special exhibits or pausing for lunch in the elegant Great Hall Balcony Café.

Inside The Met, world-famous masterpieces and quieter surprises sit side by side. Some visitors arrive with a map and examine a few “greatest hits.” Others trust their feet, discovering a mosaic in a side corridor or an artist sketching in a sunlit atrium. Each wing celebrates a theme, a period, or a culture—so something sparks curiosity at every turn. Museum staff members offer friendly advice, helping travelers find special pieces or family-friendly activities. Even casual art fans recognize famous canvases from books, but hidden corners introduce unexpected favorites as well.

• Key sights or features: The Temple of Dendur (an ancient Egyptian temple bathed in natural light), the Arms and Armor galleries, and the Impressionist wing housing works by Monet, Van Gogh, and Degas.
• Unique experiences: Free daily highlight tours; drawing classes in the galleries; rooftop garden (open seasonally) for art and Central Park views.
• Photo-worthy locations: The central Grand Staircase, reflective Met Cloisters fountain, and sunshine-flooded American Wing Courtyard.
• Cultural or historical facts: The Temple of Dendur traveled from Egypt as a gift in 1965. The Met first opened in 1870—with only one Roman sarcophagus among its entire collection.