Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street)
Manhattan
(212) 535-7710
www.metmuseum.org

Summary: Truly one of the world's greatest museums with an enormous collection that includes Egyptian, Greek and Roman art and artifacts; European and American paintings, sculpture and decorative arts; 20th century art, Asian and Middle-Eastern art and antiquities; arms and armor; musical instruments; and textiles.

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There is no doubt that the Metropolitan Museum of Art holds one of the best art collections ever assembled. We love to drop by whenever we can. But even we will admit that a trip to the Metropolitan can be overwhelming. This is not surprising when you consider that, in the words of the Metropolitan's director, the museum's collection includes "every category of art in every known medium from every part of the world during every epoch of recorded time."

We agree with Philippe de Montebello, the Met's director who asserts that the museum "is not meant to be 'done' in a day, any more than one should try to listen to all nine Beethoven symphonies in an evening or to read all of a library's books in a single sitting."

Museum Highlights
One way first time visitors can easily get a good look at the treasures the Metropolitan houses is to take one of the Museum Highlights tours. These tours are given by museum-trained volunteers and are free with your admission contribution. Just call or stop at the Information Desk on your way in to find out when the next tour will be.

Another way that you can make this enormous museum more manageable is to see just a few of the museum galleries each time you visit. To help you plan your next trip, we have listed and described our favorite sections of the Metropolitan below:

Greek and Roman Art
The Metropolitan has thousands of objects from ancient Greece and Rome. To show off this collection, the museum is currently renovating and restoring the Greek and Roman galleries. The first phase of this renovation was completed with the reopening of Belfer Court, which holds the earliest Greek art. Cycladic, Minoan, and Mycenaean items, ranging from small scale bronzes to monumental vases, are on display here.

European Sculpture, Paintings and Decorative Arts
The European Sculpture Court features 17th and 18th century French and Italian sculpture in a gallery filled with natural light. Note that the original exterior wall of the Metropolitan Museum makes up one wall of this gallery. This wall exemplifies the neo-Gothic granite and red brick facade from Calvert Vaux's 1880 design.

The galleries for 19th century European paintings were recently redone. Beaux-Art style, which is more consistent with the original design of the Metropolitan and with the architectural style at the time the paintings were completed, replaced more contemporary, free-floating walls. Look for rooms full of works by the likes of Degas, Manet, Van Gogh as well as the 53 Impressionist and Post-impressionist masterpieces which make up the Annenberg Collection (on view each year from late May to late November).

The Metropolitan has extensive holdings in the realm of European Decorative Art. This becomes evident as you pass through room after room of ornate furnishings. The collection is particularly strong in 18th century French interiors and objects.

The American Wing
If we had to choose our favorite spot in the entire museum, the American Wing would probably be it. We especially love relaxing in the Charles Engelhard Court where you can soak in the sunshine and the views of Central Park through the windows that cover one wall; admire the intricate columns and colorful stained glass windows of Tiffany design; enjoy the whimsy of the subjects chosen for the statuary; and survey the stateliness of the United States Branch Bank facade, which was carefully moved to the museum and which makes up the north wall of Engelhard Court.

A significant portion of the American Wing is devoted to 24 period rooms, which show the range in American design from colonial times through the fussiness of the Victorian era to the return of simple forms in the Frank Lloyd Wright living room. The Luce Center, where more than half of the museum's collection of 15,000 American paintings, sculptures and decorative objects are on view, also takes up a fair amount of space. This exhibit interests us mostly for the sheer magnitude of beautiful objects on display.

Asian Art
In the last twenty years or so the museum has increased the attention it has paid to Asian Art. You can see the results in installations like Astor Court, a spare, elegant space which was built by craftsmen from the People's Republic of China. Another treasure hidden away in these galleries is the ceiling of a 16th century Indian Jain Meeting Hall. It is worth climbing the cramped set of stairs for a closer view of this intricately carved work of art.

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Egyptian Art
In the 1960s, the Metropolitan was awarded the Temple of Dendur, a remarkable, fully intact limestone structure where the goddess Isis was once worshipped. The Temple has become the centerpiece of the museum's extensive collection of Egyptian sculpture, wall paintings, and other art. As you enter the Temple's huge glass enclosed gallery, the imposing columns of the Temple and its forecourt are visible across a shallow pool (which is meant to symbolize the Nile). Look at the drawings on the wall of the gallery which show the original setting of the Temple of Dendur. Then enter the first chamber of the Temple to examine the carvings more closely. In our opinion, the setting is as magnificent as the Temple itself. It is no wonder that the Metropolitan's plan for displaying the Temple beat out those of several other museums. It is also no surprise that corporations and fund-raisers pay huge sums to hold their events in this extraordinary gallery space.

The Costume Institute
Hidden away in the Egyptian section is a flight of stone steps leading down to the Costume Institute. While it may not be easy to find, the Institute's attractive and often thought-provoking exhibits make it worth seeking out.

Roof Garden
If the views of Central Park throughout the museum make you long to be outdoors, hop on one of the elevators near the European Sculpture Court and head up to the Roof Garden. Open from May 1 to late October (weather permitting), the Roof Garden offers views of large-scale sculptures (such as Rodin's The Burghers of Calais) as well as magnificent views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline. Beverages (cappuccino, espresso, soft drinks, iced tea, wine, and beer) are served daily from 10 am until closing. This is an especially nice spot at sunset on Friday and Saturday evenings.

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The Best Time to Go
We recommend that you time your visit to coincide with performances by the classical quintet that plays on Friday and Saturday evenings from 5 pm to 8:45 pm in the Great Hall. The museum is generally quieter in the evenings, and as a bonus, you will be able to enjoy a glass of wine at the Great Balcony Bar when you tire of viewing the exhibits. Sunday afternoon is when the museum is most crowded, so avoid going on Sundays if you can. Because of the crowds, no strollers are allowed on Sundays.

Getting There
The museum is easily accessible by public transportation via the #4, 5 and 6 subway lines to 86th Street. If you prefer to drive, note that the museum provides parking in a garage at 80th Street and Fifth Avenue. Be sure to get your parking ticket validated at the Information Desk.

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