Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met)

Valid for three consecutive days, basic Metropolitan Museum of Art tickets include access exhibits at the museum’s three branches: the Met Fifth Avenue, the Met Breuer, and the Met Cloisters. Visit on a hop-on hop-off bus tour and peruse the Met’s vast collection on your own, or see the highlights on a private tour with an expert guide. Skip-the-line tickets and VIP after-hours admission are also available for visitors who want to save time and escape the crowds.

• Fee-based audio tours are available in several languages.

• Food and drink, other than water in plastic bottles, are not allowed into the museum.

• There are eight onsite dining options, ranging from casual cafés and cafeterias to fine dining spots.

• Flash photography and video cameras are not permitted inside the museum.

• Luggage, carry-on bags, musical instruments, oversized backpacks, and other large items are not allowed in the museum and cannot be stored at the coat check.

• Visitors with an IDNYC card get free admission to the museum.

Set back from Fifth Avenue on the eastern edge of Central Park in New York City, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the star attraction of Museum Mile. To get there, catch a Fifth Avenue bus or take the subway to 86th Street (4, 5, or 6 train); from the Upper West Side, take the M86 bus across the park and get off at Fifth Avenue.

The Met is open year-round and daily from 10am to 5:30pm, with extended hours until 9pm on Friday and Saturday nights. Summer visitors can enjoy incredible views of Central Park from the rooftop café and bar, open May through October. In winter, the museum can be a cozy retreat from chilly weather. Weekends are the busiest time to visit, so visit on a weekday if you want to avoid crowds. For a sophisticated evening treat, visit on Friday or Saturday night, when the Met serves cocktails and snacks with live music on the Great Hall Balcony Bar.

Since the Met opened to the public in 1880, its footprint has expanded to cover more than 2 million square feet (186,000 square meters). While there is something for everyone here, highlights include the collections of European paintings, classical antiquities, medieval armor, Islamic art and artifacts, and American decorative arts. Don’t miss masterpieces such as Canova’s Perseus with the Head of Medusa, Monet’s The Water Lily Pond, and Vincent van Gogh’s Wheat Field with Cypresses. The roof garden showcases a different temporary installation each year.

No, you don’t need a reservation for The Met, unless you’re bringing 10 or more people with you. Tour guides have to secure reservations for their groups, irrespective of group size. If you want to visit one of the museum’s special exhibitions, you’ll likely need to buy a timed admission ticket.

The Met tickets are valid for one day and grant you access to both the main museum, The Met Fifth Avenue, and The Met Cloisters in Upper Manhattan. Tickets are only valid for same-day use, so it’s best to budget at least half a day for both museums.

Yes, you can bring a backpack to The Met, provided it’s a small daypack that you can easily wear on your front or side. Large backpacks, luggage, and food or drinks from outside the museum aren’t allowed inside the galleries, though you can take in a bottle of water.

The price of parking at The Met varies depending on the time of your arrival and how long you stay. It ranges from US$19 for up to an hour, after 5pm to US$55 for 24 hours. Discounted rates are available for members. Parking at The Met Cloisters is free.

You’ll need around three hours to see the best of The Met, but you can easily spend much longer exploring the museum, home to more than 2 million works of art. If you’re in a rush, take a tour of the highlights or opt for the 1-hour tour that the museum operates.

The best day to visit The Met is on Friday or Saturday, when the museum stays open until 9pm—it closes at 5pm on other days of the week. The Met is often less crowded in the evening, when you’ll have more time to see the galleries or head up to The Met Cloisters.