In this edition of our blog, our resident experts from the Gray Line New York team give you an overview on just some of the city’s best museums, so you can choose which ones to fit into your itinerary.
1. American Museum of Natural History.
This science museum is one of the most iconic museums in the country, if not the world! It attracts over 5 million visitors per year. The highlights of this NYC museum are vast – but be sure to check out the Hayden Planetarium, IMAX Movie Theater, the exhibition in the butterfly conservatory (until late May 2017) and the titanosaur exhibition – which is the cast of a 122-foot long dinosaur. It’s a spellbinding place.
The American Museum of Natural History in #NYC is the largest natural history museum in the world. #FindAReasonToGo
2. The Museum of Modern Art.
This museum is visited by upwards of 3 million people per year. You’ll find art by some of the most well-known and respected artists in the world – including, van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, Warhol and Kahlo. The main gallery is based in Manhattan, with a further gallery in Queens (MoMA PS1). Their overall collection boasts around 200,000 artworks from over 20,000 artists.
#MoMA is one of the largest and most influential museums of #ModernArt in the world.
3. Guggenheim Museum. This museum is as well known for its distinctive exterior as it is for what’s inside. Even more fascinating is the fact the origins of this museum are the private collection of Solomon R. Guggenheim. Since then it has expanded greatly to include other private collections in what is now a vast international collection that dates back to the 19th Century. Situated on Fifth Avenue, it houses some of the most influential artists throughout the period.
The #Guggenheim in #Manhattan. The core of this museum is the mass of works of the 20th Century’s most radical artists, amassed by Solomon R. Guggenheim.
4. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Remaining on the art theme for a little longer, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is another iconic museum, located on the Eastern side of Central Park. The collection is vast, and as with the other museums mentioned here, you need to visit with a plan of what you want to see. It is one of the world’s most comprehensive art galleries since its collection spans most of human history! There’s also a roof garden that offers beautiful views of Central Park and Fifth Avenue.
#TheMet in #NewYork has 2 million square feet of gallery space.
5. Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.
Located next to the Hudson River, this museum offers you the opportunity to explore USS Intrepid – an aircraft carrier that dates back to 1943 and was active in WWII and the Vietnam War. You can also explore the prototype NASA space shuttle – Enterprise – that played a key role in American Space History. You’ll also find Concorde here – a supersonic jet and a US Submarine which was active in the Cold War. It is awesome in every sense of the word.
Zachary Fisher who saved the USS Intrepid from being turned to scrap founded the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. He wanted to honor Intrepid – a national hero.
6. Museum of the City of New York.
Another recommendation is to check out the Museum of the City of New York, which charts the city’s story, the people and events that defined the city and its rich culture. Again, it’s located on Museum Mile on Fifth Avenue and with your admission, you’ll also get access to the wonderful Museo del Barrio – a museum dedicated to Latino, Caribbean and Latin American cultures.
The Museum of the City of New York is focused on celebrating the history of #NYC and its heritage.
7. 9/11 Tribute Center
The Tribute Center is due to reopen late May, but walking tours will recommence May 1st 2017, after relocation to an expanded location on Greenwich Street. It’s an exhibition dedicated to the story of tragedy and survival told by those who were there.
(via Wikimedia Commons) The 9/11 Tribute Center is a truly moving place to visit.
8. New York Historical Society
This is New York City’s oldest museum. It is dedicated to the research and presentation of history and its influence on the world today. Current exhibitions include presentations on Thomas Jefferson, the New York Stock Exchange, a monumental artwork based on the opening line of the constitution: ‘We the People’ made entirely from the public’s shoe laces, to an exhibition on Billy Jean King. It is sure to keep you enthralled.https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGrayLineNewYork%2Fposts%2F10158117645870244%3A0&width=500And, here it is, the #NYHistoricalSociety in NYC. Stop 24 on our #uptown tour.
9. Ellis Island
In one of our previous blogs, we looked in-depth at Ellis Island. A fascinating location that played a huge role in the history of New York City and America since this was where 12 million passed through on their way to making a better life for themselves in New York City or beyond. You can visit Ellis Island, which is today a museum and exhibition remembering those who sought the ‘land of the free’.https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGrayLineNewYork%2Fposts%2F10156702544550244%3A0&width=50040% of today’s US citizens have someone on their family tree who passed through #EllisIsland.
10. The Cloisters
This Upper Manhattan Museum is home to the Museum of Metropolitan Art’s 5,000 piece strong Medieval Collection. The cloisters almost resemble something quite Medieval so it’s a very atmospheric and memorable place to visit.
You’ll find the Cloisters on Upper Manhattan’s Fort Tyron Park set amongst 4 acres of gardens.
The best value way to visit New York City and its museums.
The team at Gray Line New York offer the best way to see the city with our Hop-On Hop Off bus tours or Hop-On Hop – Off Ferry tours . They stop at all the main sights across the city and you can use them throughout the length of your stay – which is genuinely a very cost effective way to tour NYC since you can buy a pass that lasts for up to 48 or even 72 Hours. That’s exactly what our tour guest Russell from the UK did and he shared his views on TripAdvisor: “I used Gray Line city sightseeing in New York on my last trip 2 years ago and enjoyed them so much I was determined to use them again this trip. I would recommend them; I think it was great value for money for a 48-hour pass. We also used the free vouchers including for one of the museums and for the LOL comedy club in Times Square. We also bought Empire State Building tickets which was much cheaper than purchasing them at the ESB itself.”
At Gray Line New York we also offer huge flexibility with our New York Freestyle Pass, which gives you access to our Hop-On, Hop-Off service as well as admission to three, five or even seven attractions – including many of the museums listed above. It’s genuinely worth checking out!
Visit our website at: graylinenewyork.com for more information. Or, you can see what our previous guests thought about their time with us on our TripAdvisor, Facebook and Twitter pages.
See you soon!
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