i did something very similar to this the last time i was in new york for an extended time - this was my schedule:

Friday - Met (all day; picked Friday since they're open later)

Saturday - The Cloisters (about 2.5 hrs)
[rest of the day waltzing around 5th avenue & attending la monte young's dream house, maybe of interest to you if you like fluxus]

Sunday - The Jewish Museum (about 3 hours, due to the great Kandinsky/Schoenberg show)

Monday -
1) MOMA Queens (at PS1, during its transition time, about 2 hours)
2) Museum Of The American Indian (about 1.5 hours, nothing on the scale of what has since opened in DC)

Tuesday -
1) The Museum Of American Illustration (small place, more like a gallery, that had an exhibit on Patrick McDonnell & the comic strip Mutts - 30 minutes)
2) The Frick (90 minutes)
3) The Guggenheim (2-2.5 hours not counting the very long line, the only line we suffered on our visit)

Wednesday - Brooklyn Museum (2-3 hours and NOT ENOUGH TIME! especially if you're into egyptian/near-eastern stuff - 4 hours is what i'd recommend)

Thursday - Museum of Natural History (all day)

so you know, my main interests are modern art (1900-1960 or so) & ancient civilizations - the wife's really into the flemish primitives & impressionism...

interspersed with these events were other touristy things, i.e. shopping, going to a few broadway shows, hanging out in particular areas, walking the streets, etc. if you have any questions feel free to ask...

Keep in mind the Metropolitan Museum of Art is an encyclopedic museum spanning over 5,000 years. The other museums highlight areas within that time.

Meaning the Metropolitan Museum of Art will have an incredible section of Modern Art but the Museum of Modern Art is entirely devoted to that genre. Does that make sense?

One biggie, it is easy to museum overload. I once did the Frick in the morning and the Guggenheim in the afternoon.

By 4PM I was a babbling idiot because my brain was so overloaded. Had to head to the Oak Bar in The Plaza and down Bloody Marys and regroup.

I've been checking on temporary exhibtions for my own upcoming visit. The Mapplethorpe and Oteiza exhibitions at the Guggenheim, mentioned above, both close tomorrow. There will be a big Russian exhibition opening in mid-September.

To restate the obvious, your choice really should depend upon personal preference. For example, while I love the Frick and everybody recommends it, I can easily ignore their Fragonards and Bouchers and hustle off instead to the Whitney (mentioned only once in this thread) for their Hoppers. So have fun and remember, you can't possibly see it all.

The Pierpont Morgan Library is, obviously, a library, but many visit it as if it were a museum. If you will be there after Spring 2006, it will be open. (Disclaimer: I've never been there, all my attempts to visit have been frustrated by weather, closings, and other logistical issues, but I hear it's wonderful.) Their website is www.morganlibrary.org.

Scottvan, keep trying! I think that the Morgan is indeed wonderful, and I was totally bummed when I discovered that it would be closed during my visit this time.

Oh, how lucky New Yorker's are to have so many wonderful museums to choose from!

Just a thought to save a half day for any special exhibitions that might be on somewhere that isn't on your list.

The Met, of course!
If the Bi-annual is on at the Whitney don't miss it.
If you can possibly get there, don't miss Storm King, up the Hudson. It's totally uunique. My favorite way of seeing it is to park at the lower lot and work your way up and around till you get to the buildings at the top. (if you park at the top there's a tendency to just look down in all directions, and you'll miss a lot.) This is a all-day trip -there's a picnic area- don't forget bug stuff and sunscreen- depending on the season,
(Also, you didn't say when you're going, but it does close in winter.)

The Cloisters is best on a pretty day, Spring to Fall, when the gardens are also lush. You'll almost think you're in France or Italy...totally delightful. I agree with doing half day at the Met then continue uptown to see the Cloisters, as long as you pick up another day at the Met later in the week.

What can I say? You are more than perfect. It's so much interesting to hear about your experience as I dream about my "museum days", because I can get the feeling of it and also for the helpful insights on time and logistic.
Thanks to all of you and keep it coming!

Whatever you do, don't miss the Jewish Museum. I went today and it's amazing! Just along 5th Avenue from the Frick etc.

One of the best museums I have been to is the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. No art but great history of our ancestors and how they lived. Kind of goes hand in hand with a visit to Ellis Island. Tickets can be ordered on line. It fills up fast so advance tickets are almost a must.It takes about 2 hours to go thru as it is a guided tour of an old tenement building that has been preserved just as it was when our ancestors came over - well maybe not the first batch of ancestors but those that came thru Ellis Island stayed in these fire and rat traps so future generations could have a better life.