Top 8 Must-Visit Museums in New York - 2023

Updated Sep 2023

No.1
4 photos
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
4.8/5
2,059 Reviews

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New York
8.1km from downtown

"The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an absolute gem in New York City. As a cultural enthusiast with a passion for history, culture, and religion, this museum is a paradise of knowledge and inspiration. What makes it even better is that it's free for New Yorkers, a fantastic perk that encourages locals to explore the vast array of art and artifacts from around the world. Walking through its hallowed halls, you'll be immersed in a tapestry of human creativity, from ancient civilizations to contemporary masterpieces. The museum's vast collection includes stunning artworks, sculptures, and historical artifacts that span centuries, cultures, and continents. The exhibitions are meticulously curated, offering deep insights into the rich tapestry of human existence. Whether you're intrigued by ancient civilizations, fascinated by religious artifacts, or simply appreciative of the beauty of human expression, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has something for everyone. From its exquisite Egyptian artifacts to the captivating European paintings, every corner holds a treasure waiting to be discovered. Even beyond the permanent collections, the museum hosts numerous special exhibitions, lectures, and events that further enrich your understanding of the world's history, cultures, and religions. It's a place where you can broaden your horizons and deepen your appreciation for the diverse facets of human civilization. Visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art isn't just a museum trip; it's a journey through time, space, and the remarkable ingenuity of humanity. Whether you're a local New Yorker or a curious traveler, this institution is a must-visit, offering an enriching experience that lingers long after you've left its magnificent halls."
Highlights: Located in close proximity to the beautiful Central Park, Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the world's five major museums. The Museum has art collections in excess of 3 million, holding invaluable artifacts and a art works from across the world, including Egypt, Greece, Rome, Europe, and Asia, and innumerable world-class art treasures such as Egyptian temples, Chinese porcelain, Greek statues, and European paintings. This place is worthy of a whole day's time for an in-depth visit.
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No.2
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American Museum of Natural History
4.7/5
675 Reviews

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New York
7.9km from downtown

"There's way too much to see! You could probably spend a whole day in there and be just halfway done with the exhibits. It was rather crowded with a lot of children running around but the overall crowd control was pretty decent. It's not too expensive but if you really want to avoid the ticket fees, go in 30 min before closing. It's free but I'm not sure how much of it can you enjoy."
Highlights: The American Museum of Natural History has a history of more than 100 years. As soon as you enter the door, you can see two huge dinosaur skeletons resurrected in "Night at the Museum". A large number of specimens and fossils are collected here, covering the entire evolutionary history of human civilization from the beginning of the earth's birth.
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No.3
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The Museum of Modern Art
4.7/5
402 Reviews

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New York
5.8km from downtown

"MoMA understands its assignment as the world leading modern art museum. lots of renown pieces and most importantly, the museum shop itself is worth to visit"
Highlights: The Museum of Modern Art in New York, or MoMA for short, is a cultural icon of New York. Monet's "Water Lilies", Van Gogh's "Starry Night", Matisse's "Dance", Picasso's "Girls of Avignon" and other masterpieces, as well as sculptures, prints, photography, furniture, installation art and other modern artworks as many as 150,000 pieces. The two basement floors of the Modern Art Museum are cinemas, and there are six floors upstairs. The exhibitions are roughly divided into painting, printmaking, photography, drawing, architecture and design, installation art, sculpture and special exhibitions. There is an information desk in the middle of the lobby, and you can ask for a guide map in Chinese.
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No.4
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Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
4.6/5
167 Reviews

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New York
8.6km from downtown

"worth a visit. the architecture itself is very inspirational."
Highlights: The white spiral exterior of the Guggenheim Museum was designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and the visiting route is from the sixth floor down the spiral staircase. The museum exhibits mainly modern and contemporary art works, and is very famous for the original works of Van Gogh and Picasso. The museum in New York is a very large one under the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, next to Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum. The souvenir shop on the first floor, you can buy clothes, crafts and books full of design sense.
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No.5
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The National September 11 Memorial & Museum
4.5/5
183 Reviews

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New York
706m from downtown

"In order to lose the American people's lives in the 9/∙ 11 incident, the site of the 9/∙ 11 terrorist attack in New York, the World Trade Center site, consists of three parts - two square waterfall pools, a museum built underground with a theme, and the trees surrounding them. These trees are designed by American garden designers. I recently came here to visit, it was winter, there was a little rain, the weather was very cold, the surrounding trees have basically lost the leaves, it looks cool."
Highlights: After the 9/11 incident that shocked the world, the current 9/11 Memorial and Museum was built on the site of the original World Trade Center. On August 17, 2006, the reconstruction project of the former site of the World Trade Center in New York, USA started. Its main body consists of two pools implying "reflection" and a square. The reconstructed buildings include One World Trade Center (Freedom Tower), Two World Trade Center (200 Greenwich Street), Three World Trade Center (175 Greenwich Street), World Trade Center Four Building No. 1 (150 Greenwich Street), Building 5 World Trade Center (130 Liberty Street), Building 7 World Trade Center Museum Facilities September 11 National Memorial Museum Transportation Facilities World Trade Center Station. About 23,000 related pictures and more than 10,000 objects are displayed in the museum, among which the text messages and voice messages sent by the victims to their relatives or lovers at the end of their lives are particularly moving.
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No.6
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The Frick Collection
4.5/5
46 Reviews

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New York
7.1km from downtown

"This is the most famous private museum in the United States. The Frik Private Museum has a lot of its master's collections, especially oil paintings. There are a lot of masterpieces to enjoy. The museum itself is a very beautiful building. The decoration inside is particularly gorgeous."
Highlights: The Frick Private Museum exhibits as many as 1,000 European paintings, sculptures and decorative artworks, which are the masterpieces of Henry Clay Frick's lifetime collection. You can admire masterpieces such as Monet and Turner here, and the European classical-style garden courtyard is also worth seeing.
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No.7
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New York Hall of Science
4.5/5
23 Reviews

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New York
13.5km from downtown

"The New York Science Museum is located in the old World Museum in New York. The whole park is also very beautiful. The science museum is oversized. No matter how old or young, I think it is very suitable for adults and children to come and play and learn scientific knowledge."
Highlights: The New York Museum of Science is located in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, New York, USA. It was used as an exhibition site for the 1964 New York World's Fair. The New York Museum of Science is the only science and technology center in New York City today, with more than 400 exhibits on chemistry, physics and biology. The main visitors of the New York Museum of Science today are children aged 1-17, and the exhibits in the museum are also mostly in line with children's tastes and preferences. The New York Museum of Science has a permanent collection of many exhibits and often does some traveling exhibitions.
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No.8
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The Met Cloisters
4.5/5
41 Reviews

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New York
17.9km from downtown

"Founded in 1938, the Monastery is the only museum in the United States dedicated to the collection and exhibition of medieval art and architecture. The most striking point is that the main building in the museum is the building of five medieval monastery churches that have been moved from France. It is built in Roman and Gothic styles. There are also three atrium gardens in the museum, which overlook the river and rock walls from the outside. Unlike the metropolitan pavilion next to the lively Central Park, this side is like crossing into the time tunnel, entering the ancient buildings of the Middle Ages, quiet and leisurely with a touch of mystery, and there are fewer tourists here, you can quietly slow down to enjoy the exhibits."
Highlights: As a branch of the Metropolitan Museum, the Abbey Museum mainly exhibits paintings and works of art from the Middle Ages in Europe. There are more than 2,000 art treasures in this classical castle-like museum, and the lush gardens and courtyards are available for visitors to rest.
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