- National Museum of the American Indian
The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum dedicated to the history and culture of the Native Americans in the Americas. The museum has 3 sections with New York City being home to the George Gustav Heye Center. The museum was established in 1922 and was named after George Gustav Heye, the prime donor of the collections of this museum. The museum moved to its present location in 1994. It is now housed in the majestic Alexander Hamilton US Custom House in Lower Manhattan. With its Beaux Art style of architecture, the building is an attraction in itself. The museum is part of the famous Smithsonian Institution and has a number of permanent and temporary exhibitions.
- Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney Museum of American Art is an art museum that focuses on American Art from the 20th and 21st centuries. Popularly known as simply the Whitney, this museum was established in 1931 and is named after Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, a prominent socialite and art patron. The museum has a collection of over 21,000 items that include paintings, sculpture, photographs, prints, and films. The museum has been instrumental in promoting American contemporary art by showcasing living artists. It is housed in a uniquely shaped building designed by Marcel Breuer. It features artists like Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, and Jackson Pollock. This museum featured Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1975 during a live exhibit of body builders!
- Frick Collection
The Frick Collection is the private art collection of Henry Clay Frick, an American industrialist and art patron. Frick willed his art collection and his mansion to the city of New York. In fact, he built the mansion in 1914 with the very idea of leaving it as an art museum. The museum, located on Fifth Avenue, was established in 1935. The museum is one of the smaller art museums in the city, but is known for its high quality collection of Old Master paintings. Artists like Rembrandt, Vermeer, Francisco Goya, Renoir, and Titian are featured in Frick Collection. The museum also oversees the Frick Art Reference Library, which is very highly revered for its information and research collections.
- Ellis Island Immigration Museum
New York City was the port of entry for millions of immigrants in the late 19th and most of the 20th century. Ellis Island remained the prime inspection station for these immigrants from 1892 until 1934. This US National Monument has been transformed into a museum where visitors get an insight into the immigration system and policies of the US. The museum has an immigrant database where visitors can search for their relatives. You can take a short ferry ride from mainland New York City to Ellis Island. These tours are usually packaged with a ride to the neighboring Liberty Island which has the iconic Statue of Liberty.
- Solomon R Guggenheim Museum
The Solomon R Guggenheim Museum is considered to be one of the foremost art museums in the world. It is located on Fifth Avenue and named after its founder, who was a businessman and an avid art collector. The museum was established in 1937. It was originally called Museum of Non-Objective Painting and got its present moniker in 1952. The building – designed by Frank Lloyd Wright – in which the museum is housed is an attraction in itself. It is a cylindrical building with the base smaller than the top. Visitors take the elevator to the top level and then take the spiraling staircase downward. According to the designer, the museum is actually one continuous floor built on a spiral ramp. Artists featured in the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum include Manet, Robert Delaunay, Modigliani, and Picasso.
- Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art – MoMA – is one of the premier modern art museums in the world. It was established in 1929 and has a footfall of over 3 million visitors every year. The collections of the museum range from painting and sculpture to photography, illustrated books, film, and electronic media. The library of the museum has a catalog over 300,000 books and over a thousand periodical titles. Many renowned artists and their artworks are featured in the Museum of Modern Art. Some of the most notable are The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh, The Dance I by Henri Matisse, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso, and Self Portrait With Cropped Hair by Frida Kahlo, to name just a few.
- American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History is one of the largest museums in the world and one of the most popular tourist attractions in New York City. This is the museum that was featured in the famous Hollywood movie franchise Night At the Museum. It also featured in other popular productions like the Devil Wears Prada and the hit sitcom FRIENDS. The museum is located right across from Central Park in 28 interconnected buildings, having a collection of over a staggering 33 million specimens. Only a fraction of its total collection is put on exhibit in its 200,000 square feet of display space. The American Museum of Natural History was established in 1869 and presently has an average visitor count of over 5 million every year.
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, or simply The Met, is the largest art museum in the USA. With over 6.7 million visitors, the museum is the 4th-most-visited art museum in the world. It was established in 1870 and presently has a collection of over 2 million objects. The collection ranges from the ancient Egyptian civilization right up to the modern times. It is divided into several departments and categories, so it is best to get hold of a floor map from the reception before you start exploring. Other than some stunning historical sculpture, the museum is home to some precious artworks like the Self Portrait with Straw Hat by Van Gogh and The Card Players by Paul Cezanne.
Originally posted 2017-08-21 12:45:32.