New York Online - Top Museums of New York City

1.Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the largest museums in the world, is the most popular of all the New York's singlesite tourist attractions. It boasts two million individual objects in its collection, which makes Metropolitan Museum of Art one of the richest coffers in the arts world. The museum, frequently referred to as the ''Met'' or the ''MMA'', displays 5,000 years of history of the civilization. The origins of the Met trace back to 1870 when three private collections, made up of 174 paintings, were purchased by private individuals.Since then the collection has been steadily growing, attracting over five million visitors each year. The whole museum is divided into thematic galleries, of which major ones include European Painting, the American Wing and the Rockefeller Collection. The Iris and B. Cantor Roof Garden is a perfect venue for having a drink and enjoying a splendid view of Central Park and the whole city of New York.

2.Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art, well known for its physical design, is commonly regarded as the world's most influential museum of modern art. MoMA, as it is referred to, is situated in Midtown Manhattan. It possesses a rich collection of over 100,000 pieces in the following departments: Painting and Sculpture, including the works of Cezanne, Picasso, Matisse, Pollock and many others, Film and Media, Architecture and Design, Drawing, Prints and Illustrated Books. Worth paying a visit to is also a cosy sculpture garden and the museum's cinema.

3.American Museum of Natural History

The American Museum of Natural History, founded in 1869, is situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Apart from 46 permanent exhibition halls, there are research laboratories and a library within the museum complex. The American Museum of Natural History has a renowned collection of over 30 million artifacts and fascinating interactive exhibits. It is a treasure chest of attractions: the Halls of Dinosaurs, the Ocean Life, Minerals and Gems, the IMAX film screenings, the Butterfly Conservancy (from November till May), etc. In 2001 the American Museum of Natural History has been expanded by adding the Rose Center for Earth and Space, home to the high-tech planetarium and the space show theaters.

4.Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, housing one of the most precious collections of modern and contemporary international art, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Thanks to its original spiral-shaped interior design, the Guggenheim Museum is a valuable work of art in itself.
In the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum there are 5,000 works of abstract painting on permanent display plus temporary exhibitions held in the main gallery. The best idea to view the precious collections of Chagall, Kandinsky, Pollock, Miro, Brancusi and other modern artists as well as Monet, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Gauguin and Degas, donated by Justin Thannhauser, is to take the elevator to the top of the Guggenheim Museum and go down the stairs of the coiled building. What is special about the collection displayed is that, unlike in other museums, there is no division of works of art into historical periods or media used by artists, as it should be rather viewed as an integrated whole.

5.Whitney Museum of American Art

Whitney Museum of American Art is famous for both its rock-like structure, designed by Bauhaus architect Marcel Breuer, and its stellar collection of art works by such well-established artists as Jackson Pollock, Jasper Johns, Georgia O'Keeffe, amongst others. The highlights include top contemporary art Biennials. It is located at 945 Madison Ave at 75th Street, Upper East Side.

6.Frick Collection

The Frick Collection is situated in one of the grand mansions of the renowned ''Millionaires' Row''. It is an intimate museum with a private collection of works arranged in 16 galleries which were donated by, as the name of the art venue suggests, Frick, a steel magnate. As it rarely gets crowded, one can leisurely appreciate valuable works of art, mainly masterpieces of Western sculpture, painting and decorative art, by such eminent artists as Vermeer, Titian, John Constable, Goya, amongs others. The Frick Collection is reputed for being the finest of all smart art museums in the United States.

7.Brooklyn Museum of Art

The Brooklyn Museum of Art, which is considered as one of major art venues in the world, boasts a substantial collection of over 1.5 million exhibits. It is also known for its Egyptian collection, the largest one in the United States. The Brooklyn Museum of Art ranks second, just after the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in terms of popularity among visitors. Housed in a beautiful Beaux Arts Building, the Brooklyn Museum of Art displays a varied selection of exhibits, ranging from ancient Egyptian works of art to contemporary art objects, from all over the world.

8.Morgan Library

The Morgan Library and Museum houses a unique collection of rare books, prints and manuscripts donated by J. Pierpont Morgan. His well-furnished study and library are also part of the museum.It is here that one can see the original manuscripts of such prominent writers as Sir Walter Scott, Honore de Balzac, Robert Burns, Charles Dickens, Lord Byron, amongst others and drawings by eminent European artists like Rubens, Raphael, Rembrandt, etc. It is situated at 33 East 36th Street.

9.Ellis Island Immigration Museum

The extensive Museum of Immigration is devoted to the history of Ellis Island and the immigration process, which is presented in the form of interactive displays, artifacts, photographs and prints. To learn more on the experiences of the immigrants processed at Ellis Island, one can also take a 50-minute audio tour or watch ''Island of Hope, Island of Tears '' documentary or the Ellis Island Living Theatre play. Listening to the recorded memories of real Ellis Island immigrants in display areas of the self-guided museum is also possible.
In 2001 the American Family Immigration History Center was opened at Ellis Island. It is here that
thanks to paper documents and modern technology facilities each visitor can trace their family's ancestry. The Ellis Island Immigration Museum has profound significance to present day America as over 40 percent of Americans claim to be the descendants of the first immigrants who passed through Ellis Island. It ranks among the country's most popular attractions.