The Met Museum is a huge complex packed with art and historical artefacts, located on the edge of Central Park in New York. Coming from the UK, we’re used to museums like this being free and as such the admission price seems expensive. However, once you’re inside, it quickly becomes clear that this is no ordinary museum. Everything here is on a grand scale. Inside there are huge structures which have been rebuilt here, along with art and history gathered from all over the globe.
The museum galleries are linked by the central hall at the main entrance of the Met museum (pictured above). You can enter this area for free before purchasing your tickets. It feels like a bit like being inside a historic stately home! The museum is split into collections from different areas around the world. There’s an American wing, a collection of Egyptian Art, European Sculptures, Greek & Roman Art, Asian Art, Islamic Art and African Art. There are also paintings, photographs, musical instruments, a modern art section and arms & armour on display. We decided to walk around ourselves, but you may get more from your visit by taking a Met Museum Guided Tour.
We loved the Egyptian section the most which includes the Temple of Dendur pictured above. This structure originally stood in Nubia but was relocated when it became in danger of flooding. It was given to the USA by the Egyptian authorities and has been at the Met since 1978. It’s an incredible thing to be able to see so closely. Also in this section are some of the artefacts recovered from a Met exploration of a secret compartment discovered in a the tomb of Meketre. Inside were 24 carved wooden models depicting Egyptian life. The story and photos of how they were discovered is as interesting as seeing the models themselves.
The American Wing includes the incredible house frontage pictured above. Surrounding it are all kinds of exhibits from American history and a small cafe in the atrium too. There’s a section on Native American art too. This museum is so huge that it’s actually quite easy to miss bits out. You’ll be given a map when you buy your tickets, so our recommendation is to check it before you move on from each section to be sure you haven’t missed anything. It’s much easier to do this when you’re in the section than try and come back later.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is open from 10am to 5pm on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays and 10am to 9pm on Friday and Saturday. The museum is closed on Wednesdays. Adult admission is $30 (2025 prices).
LOCATION & CONTACT
Address: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028, USA
Tel: +1 212 535 7710
MORE ON THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
The Met – Official Website
The Met – Wikipedia