Must See Museums in NYC

Must See Museums in NYC

If you are visiting New York City, you should consider checking out some of the museums there. It’s a great way to learn a bit more about world history and get to see cultural heritage right before your eyes.  Search “NYC museums” and you will be blown away by the number of museums this city has to offer. It’s completely up to you to choose, based on your interests, but there are a few that are worth going to, no matter what, because there’s something for everybody.

The American Museum of Natural History is the largest and probably the most widely recognized museum in the entire world. It spans almost 30 buildings that house 33 million specimens. A notable part of this institution is the Hayden Planetarium with its director, popular scientist Neil DeGrasse Tyson. The tens of exhibition halls include Mammal, Bird, Biodiversity and environmental, Human origins and cultural, Fossil halls and so on. Take a look at the Arthur Ross Hall of Meteorites, and, of course, the Harry Frank Guggenheim Hall of Gems and Minerals which has some of the biggest, most popular emeralds, sapphires, and other precious rocks. Other remarkable exhibits are the fossils of Tyrannosaurus rex, Mammuthus and Brontosaurus. Whatever you might be interested in, it’s probably there.

Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art is a spectacular destination, collecting various works of modern art. These include paintings, photographs, books, film, architecture, etc. It is said to be one of the most influential museums on the planet. Famous paintings you might recognize include Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”, Pablo Picasso’s “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” and many others. If art is your thing, then this place is a must.

The Guggenheim

Another artsy place to go to is the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. If you liked the previous location, then you will most certainly appreciate the colossal collection of impressionist, post-impressionist and modern art this museum has in store.

The Met

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, aka the Met, is the largest art museum in the US with over 2 million works from classical antiquity to modern art. If you’re around, make sure you don’t miss Van Gogh’s iconic “Self-portrait with straw hat” from 1887. This place is so gigantic, that it would take you at least a day (most likely two) for a whole tour.

New York has a vast collection of museums with a total of millions of specimens. It’s physically impossible to visit them all on a single trip, which is why you need to prioritize and choose based on what interests you. This list of museums is a great place to start and if your time in New York is limited, pick one or two and you will not be disappointed.