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Museum Mile, NYC

New York City Museums | Museum Mile

The Museum Mile is a lovely stretch along 5th Avenue chock full of museums and other fine arts institutions. If you are in New York for a short stay and need to cram in lots of sightseeing, Museum Mile is a must. The tree lined walk down the side of Central Park is also a nice treat.

Don't miss the New York Museum Mile Festival in June. Fifth Avenue is closed to traffic, NYC museums are open to the public, and street entertainers and musicians are everywhere.

These are the museums along Museum Mile :

• El Museo del Barrio at 104th Street
• Museum of the City of New York at 103rd Street
• International Center of Photography at 94th Street
• Jewish Museum at 92nd Street
• Cooper-Hewitt National Museum of Design at 91st Street
• National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts at 89th Street
• Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum at 88th Street
• Metropolitan Museum of Art from 82nd to 86th Streets
• Goethe House German Cultural Center at 82nd Street

Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

"The Met is a universal museum: every category of art in every known medium from every part of the world during every epoch of recorded time is represented here and thus available for contemplation or study -- not in isolation but in comparison with other times, other cultures, and other media."

The Met Store is a fabulous place to buy gifts; you will find publications based on past and present exhibits, stationary, puzzles, jewelry and other reproductions produced by the Museum. Upstairs there are rugs and posters for home decorating with style.

There are several large museums in New York but the Metropolitan Museum of Art is truly gigantic. From the sidewalk on Fifth Avenue, the Met, with its tall columns and windows, immense stairways and water fountains, looks like it could be an emperor's palace. The size and diversity of the artwork on display is even more impressive; the museum's collection contains works from every part of the world, spanning the Stone Age to the twentieth century. The Egyptian Art gallery ../includes a whole temple that was shipped to New York as a gift.

Getting at least a little bit lost at the Met is inevitable. Floor plans help, but only so much. Despite their seeming complexity, though, the galleries are arranged to help you navigate through with ease. If you get mixed up, there are always museum personnel nearby who can give you directions If you're planning on visiting the Met and another museum on New York's Museum Mile in one trip, you'll have to prioritize; going through the entire Met is a full day (or two) affair. The Met is a must see when visiting New York and is always worth another trip.