The Best Art Museums In New York City – Perfect for First Timers

Wondering which are the best art museums in New York City for your first trip?

No visit to New York City is complete without a trip to an art museum. This goes for first time visitors and those of us who visit as often as possible! New York is known for being one of the most significant art centers of the world and has some of my favorite art museums and galleries of any city in the U.S. and abroad. 

Yes, there are great history and science museums in the city as well, but the art museums should be at the top of your list!

That being said, it can be really difficult to decide which art museum is right for you, based on your schedule, your taste, and especially when you’re trying to keep everyone in your vacation party happy!

Click on the map for all the art museums in NYC!

The Top Ten Art Museums in NYC for First Timers

This guide will give you the basics on the most popular art museums in Manhattan. I have visited all of these museums many times and am a huge fan of them all – so I believe you really can’t go wrong with any choice. And I’ve added some kid friendly tips as well

#1 The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met)

Location: 1000 Fifth Avenue & 81st Street (Museum Mile)
Hours: Sunday–Tuesday & Thursday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM; Friday & Saturday: 10:00 AM–9:00 PM; Closed Wednesday
Cost: Adults: $30, Seniors (65+): $22, Students: $17, Children under 12: Free
Pay-what-you-wish for New York State residents and students from NY, NJ, and CT with valid ID.
Nighttime Hours: Friday and Saturday Date Night hours from 5:PM until 9:PM 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) is by far one of my favorite art museums anywhere! – and I’ve been to a lot of art museums! The Met has over 1.5 million pieces of art that span over 5000 years of history! This is one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive art museums. The Met has over 5,000 years of art that spans from ancient art to contemporary works. Just choose a couple of things you really want to see, otherwise, you might feel overwhelmed.

The Met recommendations for families:

• Treasure Hunt Guides and Arts & Crafts – Ask at the front desk for kid friendly guides and what’s available for drop in art making opportunities that day.
• The Egyptian Wing – See the Temple of Dendur, the reflecting pool, giant sphinxes, and mummies.
• The American Wing Courtyard – It’s a large plaza within the museum with a cafe, lots of sculptures, and space to explore.
• The European Arms and Armor – Find suits of armor, shields, swords, and all things of medieval knights and castles.
• The Rooftop Garden – Enjoy whatever sculpture exhibit is in place and see views of Central Park while the kids get some fresh air and can move around without being too quiet!
  
  

#2 The Met Cloisters

Location: 99 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park
Hours: Thursday–Tuesday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM; Closed Wednesday
Cost: Adults: $30, Seniors (65+): $22, Students: $17, Children under 12: Free
Pay-what-you-wish for New York State residents and students from NY, NJ, and CT with valid ID.

The Cloisters is a real hidden treasure of New York – literally hidden in Fort Tryon Park in Washington Heights, overlooking the Hudson River. This museum began with the collections of George Barnard and John D. Rockefeller who built the park and the museum using stones from some of Europe’s medieval abbeys. The whole place feels like you’re in a castle. Don’t miss the famous Unicorn Tapestries from the 14th Century.

The Met Cloisters recommendations for families:

• The courtyards within the museum are pretty magical.
• The different rooms and passageways throughout the museum feel secretive and mysterious.
• The outside gardens, staircases, and walks overlooking the river are great spaces for kids to explore.

#3 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Location: 1071 Fifth Avenue & 88th Street (Museum Mile)
Hours: Daily 10:30 AM–5:30 PM; Members-only hours on select Mondays, 6:00 PM–8:00 PM
Cost: Adults: $30, Students and Seniors (65+): $19, Children under 12: Free, Members: Free
Pay-What-You-Wish hours are available on Mondays and Saturdays from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM, with a suggested contribution of $10 and a minimum of $1. 
Nighttime Hours: Saturdays open until 8:PM

The Guggenheim is simply a perfect museum! The building itself, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is art in itself. The collection is all modern and contemporary works displayed in the very cool spiral ramp with the light from the top shining down throughout the whole museum. No need to be overwhelmed because the collection is small enough to enjoy in one visit. 

The Guggenheim recommendations for families:

• Ask at the front desk for kid friendly guides and what’s available for drop in art making opportunities that day.
• The spiral ramp itself is entertaining for children to climb up and down.
• Ask at the front desk for kid friendly, interactive guides.
• A lot of the art will be really colorful and exciting for kids!

#4 Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Location: 2 East 91st Street & Fifth Avenue (Museum Mile)
Hours: Daily 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
Cost: Adults: $22, Seniors (62+): $16, Students (with ID): $10, Visitors with Disabilities: $10, Children under 18: Free, Members: Free
Pay-What-You-Wish admission is offered daily from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

The Cooper Hewitt is the only museum in the country that is exclusively dedicated to historic and contemporary design. It’s housed in one of NYC’s most famous Gilded Age Mansions, the Carnegie Mansion. The exhibits are so varied and interesting, so it’s great to visit over and over again. From the design of furniture, or Covid related signs, to propaganda art, this museum gives such a unique perspective on design. There are a lot of hands-on opportunities too.

The Cooper Hewitt recommendations for families:

• Ask at the front desk for kid friendly guides and what’s available for drop-in art making opportunities that day.
• Digital pens are offered to draw and design.
• Interactive design tables for creating your own furniture or wallpaper.

#5 Neue Galerie New York

Location: 1048 Fifth Avenue & 86th Street (Museum Mile)
Hours: Monday & Wednesday–Sunday: 11:00 AM–6:00 PM; Closed Tuesday
Advanced Tickets and Reservations for the museum and cafe are strongly advised!
Cost: Adults: $28, Seniors (65+): $18, Students, Educators, and Persons with Disabilities: $15
Nighttime Hours – On the first Friday of each month, admission is free from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. 

The Neue Galerie is a very special place because it is home to exclusively early 20th century Austrian and German art and has one of the most famous paintings in the world by Gustav Klimt, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, AKA The Woman In Gold. The Neue is in a beautiful Gilded Age mansion formerly owned by William Starr Miller. This is a quiet place that feels like you are wandering through someone’s home and viewing the art on their walls. It’s not the best choice for very active younger children but is high on my list of beautiful and fascinating museums.  Also, there is a great Viennese cafe, Cafe Sabarsky, downstairs for strudel!

#6 Whitney Museum of American Art

Location: 99 Gansevoort Street & The High Line
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: 10:30 AM–6:00 PM; Friday: 10:30 AM–10:00 PM; Closed Tuesday
Cost: Adults: $30, Seniors and Students: $24, Visitors 25 and under: Free, Members: Free
Admission is free for all visitors on Friday evenings from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM and on the second Sunday of every month.
Nighttime Hours: Fridays are pay-what-you-wish from 7:PM until 10:PM.


The Whitney is a museum dedicated solely to American art. I love to pop in and out of this museum whenever I’m in Chelsea because it is small and digestible in a short visit. Whether you want to see the permanent collection or just catch a current exhibit, you’ll feel satiated and not overwhelmed. There are beautiful decks for views of the hdson, Little Island, and the High Line. And its in the hub of hip and happening Chelsea with the Chelsea Market, Pier 57 Food Court, and the beloved High Line.

The Whitney recommendations for families:

• Ask at the front desk for kid friendly guides and what’s available for drop-in art making opportunities that day.
• Explore the outdoor terraces and sculpture gardens.
• Find the Calder mobiles hanging and other very colorful modern art pieces that will spark children’s imaginations.

#7 The Morgan Library & Museum

Location:  225 Madison Avenue & 36th Street
Hours: Tuesday–Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: 10:30 AM–5:00 PM; Friday: 10:30 AM–8:00 PM;
Closed Monday
Cost: Adults: $22, Seniors (65+): $14, Students (with ID): $13, Children under 12: Free, Members: Free
Free on Fridays from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM.Reservations are required for Free Friday Evenings

The Morgan Library is one of those New York gems that I only discovered in recent years. Another one of NYC’s legendary figures, J.P. Morgan collected books and art and created this remarkable library in 1906 for his collection of some of the world’s oldest and most important manuscripts and books. 350,000 objects are here!  It’s a magnificent place with rooms that will remind you of the magic of Hogwarts. It’s probably not the best choice for very active younger children, unless they are into history and books! 

#8 The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

Location:  11 West 53rd Street & Fifth Avenue
Hours: Daily 10:30 AM–5:30 PM; Friday: 10:30 AM–8:30 PM
Cost: Adults: $30, Seniors (65+): $22, Students (with ID): $17, Children under 16: Free
Members: Free, Tickets purchased online are discounted by $2.
Nighttime Hours: Free for New York State residents on Fridays from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM.
Tickets must be reserved in advance and proof of residency is required. 

The New York MoMA is always a great time! This museum houses modern and contemporary art from around the world and always has exciting temporary exhibits. You’ll find all your favorites here, like the famous Van Gogh’s Starry Night, Monet’s Water Lilies, and Warhol’s soup cans. This is a great museum for starting at the top floor and working your way down. You can also enjoy the Sculpture Garden for sitting and relaxing.

The MoMA recommendations for families:

• Ask at the front desk for kid friendly guides and what’s available for drop-in art making opportunities that day.
• Get the family audio tour.
  Visit the Heyman Family art lab for some hands-on fun.
  

#9 The Frick Collection

Location:  1 East 70th Street & Fifth Avenue (Museum Mile)
Hours: Wednesday–Sunday: 11:00 AM–6:00 PM; Friday: 11:00 AM–9:00 PM; Closed Monday & Tuesday
Cost: Adults: $30, Seniors (65+): $22, Students (with ID): $17, Youth (ages 10–18): Free, Members: Free
Pay-what-you-wish on Wednesdays from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
Nighttime Hours: Free on the first Friday of each month from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

The Frick Collection is a New York treasure that has recently been renovated and reopened in the Spring of 2025. Perfect for an amazing art collection, The Frick is housed in the Gilded Age mansion formerly owned by Henry Clay Frick. Henry Frick was a huge collector of Old Masters paintings, European decorative arts, and Impressionists works. The space is so gorgeous from the carved wood paneling, to marble stairs and incredible floors, I was a little overwhelmed with looking at the art and the mansion! Be sure to spend time in the courtyard. I would actually recommend taking a guided tour so you could ask questions. The audio tour is available on an app, but the wifi wasn’t great and the descriptions on the app were limited.This is a popular and coveted ticket not only for the art collection, but to experience the stunning renovation, so book your tickets well in advance! 

#10 The Museum of the City of New York (MCNY)

Location:  1220 Fifth Avenue & 103rd Street (Museum Mile)
Hours: Monday–Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Saturday–Sunday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Cost: NY State Residents Pay what you can. Adults $23, Seniors $18, Students $14, Members and Under 18 Free, Wednesdays Free for all

The Museum of the City of New York is a little known uptown treasure that has over 1.5 million objects dedicated to telling the history of New York City. It was founded in 1923 by Henry Collins Brown with the mission of telling the unique story of NYC and its five boroughs. You’ll find photographs, paintings, drawings, manuscripts, furniture, and more. 

The MCNY recommendations for families:

• Ask at the front desk for kid friendly guides and what’s available for drop-in art making opportunities that day.
• Story Time for ages 3-5 at 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM on every second Saturday and third Sunday of the month.
• Story Time for ages 18 months to 3 years at 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM every third Thursday of the month.

NYC Museums Bonus Info

Art museums are some of the best reasons to visit New York City. This town has some of the world’s most famous museums and I can’t get enough of them each time I’m in NYC.

Here’s a list of some more interesting museums in the city. I’m slowly working my way through each one and promise to share more as I go!

• American Folk Art Museum: 2 Lincoln Square
• American Museum of Natural History: 200 Central Park West
• Asia Society Museum: 725 Park Avenue & 70th Street
• Brooklyn Museum: 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn
• El Museo del Barrio: 1230 Fifth Avenue & 104th Street (Museum Mile)
• International Center of Photography (ICP): 84 Ludlow Street
• Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art: 26 Wooster Street
• MoMA PS1: 22-25 Jackson Avenue
• Museum at the Fashion Institute (FIT): 227 West 27th Street
• Museum for African Art (now The Africa Center): 1280 Fifth Avenue & 110th Street
• Museum of Arts and Design (MAD): 2 Columbus Circle
• New Museum: 235 Bowery
• Poster House: 119 West 23rd Street
• Rubin Museum of Art: 140 West 17th Street
• The Bronx Museum of the Arts: 1040 Grand Concourse, Bronx
• The Drawing Center: 35 Wooster Street
• The Hispanic Society Museum & Library: 613 West 155th Street
• The Jewish Museum: 1109 Fifth Avenue & 92nd Street

Where is the best place to stay in New York City?

One of the best things about New York City is its distinct neighborhoods, each with its own set of charms. Here are some of the safest and best places to stay with great reviews in great neighborhoods.

Best Budget Spot – Arlo SoHo Arlo SoHo is in the heart of Greenwich Village, has a rooftop bar, and views of the river. This spot can cost you $292 and up.

Best Mid-Range Spot – The Hotel Beacon The Hotel Beacon is a historic building on the Upper West Side with apartment style rooms near Central Park. This hotel can cost you $479 and up.

Best Luxury Spot – Lotte New York Palace Lotte New York Palace was formerly the historic Villard Mansion, on Madison Avenue. This grand, 5 star hotel can cost you $595 and up.

Where are the best places to eat in New York City?

One of my favorite things to do when I visit New York is try new restaurants! I try to keep track of all the best ones to share with you. If I didn’t love it, I didn’t include it on my list. Check out all of my recs for the best dining in NYC.

Here are just a few of my top places to eat in NYC. (They all have Gluten Free options.)

• Dante – Italian – 79 MacDougal Street
• Jack’s Wife Freida –  American/Mediterranean – 226 Lafayette Street
• La Pecora Bianca – Italian – 1133 Broadway
• Lola Taverna – Greek – 210 Avenue of the Americas
• Lure Fishbar – Sushi – 142 Mercer Street
• The Waverly Inn – American – 16 Bank Street
• Via Carota – Italian – 51 Grove Street

If you’re looking for an iconic experience and don’t mind tourist prices, then check out:

• The Russian Tea Room near Carnegie Hall – 150 West 57th Street
• Tavern On The Green in Central Park – Central Park at West 66th Street
• Katz Deli in the Lower East Side – 205 East Houston Street

How to get around New York City

Walking Around NYC

Walking in NYC is the best way to get around. It’s safe, easy to do, and you get to see a lot more of the city that way.

NYC By Subway

The NYC Subway system will get you wherever you need to go. This is the most used and convenient public transport in the city.

PRO TIP:  Download the MY MTA app on your phone. This is the official Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) app for NYC subways and bus system.

PRO TIP: If you’re using your Maps/GPS App on your phone, hit the “transit” view and it will tell you exactly where the closest subway station is and which train to take to your destination.

PRO TIP: There are several ways to pay for the public transportation systems. THE EASIEST thing to do is have your credit card loaded on your phone in your “wallet.” When you open that card you simply TAP the OMNY (One Metro New York) screen at the turnstile of the subway stop and it charges you. Like magic!

• Each ride costs $2.90. The easiest thing is to TAP TO PAY with your smartphone, credit card, or OMNY (One Metro New York) card.
• If you tap with the same device within 7 days, you’ll be capped at $34 and ride free the rest of the 7 days! If you spend less than $34, you’re only charged for the rides you take.
• You can tap in up to 4 people on your same device or card.
• Note: if it’s your first time tapping, it takes a few minutes for your bank to approve a new user, so you might not be able to tap in others on your first time.
• Subways and bus fares are $1.45 for 65 or older and those with disabilities – if you have applied for the reduced fare program. More info here.

NYC By Uber, Lyft, Revel, or Taxi

Ride share apps are always a great, safe, and convenient way to get around NYC, but not cheap!

PRO TIP:  Load all the ride share apps onto your phone ahead of time. Then check the prices of Uber, Lyft, and Revel before your order, to compare. Taxis are also available everywhere, but still require hailing-from-the-curb. If the light on the top of the cab is on, that means it’s available. There is an app called Curb that you can download, but according to locals who’ve used it, the cabs don’t come as quickly as the other ride shares do.

Which will be your favorite art museum in New York City?

In a nutshell…

Whether you’re visiting New York City for the first time or you’re a seasoned museum-goer like me, the city’s art museums offer something unforgettable for everyone. From iconic institutions like The Met to lesser-known gems like the Morgan Library and the Cloisters, each one has its own personality, treasures, and quiet corners to fall in love with.

My advice? Don’t try to do it all—pick one or two that speak to your interests (and your travel crew’s attention spans), and give yourself time to soak it in. Art in New York is everywhere, and these museums are just the beginning.

Start exploring! You never know what treasures you’ll find in these museums. You’ll love playing art critic on a fun mother daughter getaway to the city!

Check out these New York City posts for more places to see as a first time visitor or repeat customer! I’ve made itineraries for 1 day in NYC, 2 days in NYC, 3 days in NYC, 4 days in NYC, and 5 days in NYC to make your planning stress-free!

xx,
Carrie