30 Best Sights in New York, USA

Spring 2025 was when the Frick Collection returned to its opulent Gilded Age mansion on 5th Avenue, which has been renovated and modernized with new technology and accessibility features to the tune of $200 million. In addition, a new suite of galleries on the second floor has been unveiled. The museum's namesake, Henry Clay Frick (1849–1919), made his fortune amid the smoke of Pittsburgh, where he was a coke (a coal fuel derivative) and steel baron, but his amazing art collection—Old Master paintings as well as works from the Renaissance through the late 19th century—is decidedly far removed from soot. Expect masterpieces from Holbein, Vermeer, Rembrandt, El Greco, Goya, Van Dyck, Degas, Whistler, Manet, Monet, and Turner. The museum also has 18th-century French furniture, delicate Chinese ceramics, and other decorative arts on display. It also houses a state-of-the-art auditorium, gift shop, and 60-seat café overlooking the 70th Street Garden. Children under 10 are not admitted. 

Perched on a wooded hill in Fort Tryon Park, near Manhattan's northwestern tip, the Cloisters museum and gardens houses part of the medieval collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is a scenic destination in its own right. Colonnaded walks connect authentic French and Spanish monastic cloisters, a French Romanesque chapel, a 12th-century chapter house, and a Romanesque apse. One room is devoted to the 15th- and 16th-century Unicorn Tapestries, which date from 1500 and are must-see masterpieces of medieval mythology and craftsmanship. The tomb effigies are another highlight, as is the Reliquary containing silver and gold religious objects. Two of the three enclosed gardens shelter more than 250 species of plants similar to those grown during the Middle Ages, including flowers, herbs, and medicinals; the third is an ornamental garden.

Concerts of medieval music are held regularly, and there are holiday concerts in December. Concert tickets include same-day admission to the museum, and tickets to either the main Met on 5th Avenue or to the Met Cloisters include same-day admission to the other. The outdoor Trie Café is open during museum hours, rain or shine, April through October, with a light menu of sandwiches, desserts, and coffee.

 If Manhattan had no museums other than the colossal Metropolitan Museum of Art, you could still occupy yourself for days—even a week—roaming its labyrinthine corridors. It is the largest museum in the western hemisphere, with more than 1.5 million works of art representing 5,000 years of world history, so plan ahead and be selective. The famous Egyptian Art collection (including the Temple of Dendur) is reason enough to visit. Other don't-miss sections include the renovated Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, the extensive European Paintings galleries, the magnificent Islamic Art galleries, the vibrant collection of Impressionist paintings, the American Wing, the Anna Wintour Costume Institute (named for the celebratedVogue editor-in-chief, and known for hosting the annual star-studded Met Gala), and tons (literally) of ancient Greek and Roman statues. Kids will love the Arms and Armor displays. 

Be aware of ongoing renovations. A rebuild of the Ancient Near Eastern and Cypriot Art galleries will continue into early 2026; check the website and museum map to plan your visit around gallery closures. In between exhibits, take a break at the Cantor Roof Garden, open late April through late October, or at one of five cafés and lounges offering light bites and cocktails. Or book a reservation for The Met Dining Room, an upscale restaurant with Central Park views and a seasonal menu. Admission includes same-day entry to The Met Cloisters, a combination of medieval European art, architecture, and gardens in Fort Tryon Park in Upper Manhattan. Make the most of your visit by downloading a free digital or audio guide from The Met's website or take advantage of guided tours available in 10 different languages.

A pioneer in the "alternative-space" movement, MoMA PS1 rose from the ruins of an abandoned school in 1976 as a sort of community arts center for the future, focusing on the work of currently active experimental and innovative artists. Long-term installations include work by Sol LeWitt, James Turrell, and Pipilotti Rist. Every available corner of the enormous building is used; discover art not only in former classrooms–turned–galleries, but also in the boiler room, and even in some bathrooms.

Housing one of the world's finest collections of modern art, MoMA is renowned for its permanent collection, which includes masterpieces by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, Kahlo, Warhol, and Dalí, as well as its first-rate multimedia exhibitions. MoMA completed a $450 million renovation and expansion in 2019, and the building now features walkways between old and new galleries, each organized to showcase familiar masters alongside great, but lesser-known, artists—many of them women and people of color. Contemporary works and those of varied media also are strategically exhibited beside familiar classics. The displays breathe new life into the institution's curatorial experience.

MoMA spans six levels, and it's helpful to explore from top to bottom. See the most famous works on Floors 4 and 5; installations on 6; and galleries of photography, drawings, architecture projects, and special exhibitions on the lower floors. Level 1 remains home to the delightful Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden. Within the museum, dine at high-end The Modern; snack at cafés on Floor 2; and enjoy outdoor views from the Terrace café on Floor 6. The cellar-level cinema screens international films and theme series (museum entry is a discounted $14 with your film ticket). Browse at the famous MoMA Store and MoMA Design Store (across 53rd Street). Entry is free for NYC residents the first Friday of each month, 4–8 pm. The first-floor galleries are always free and open to the public.

Frank Lloyd Wright's landmark nautilus-like building is renowned as much for its famous architecture as for its superlative collection of modern and contemporary art and well-curated shows, some of which utilize the entire museum. Opened in 1959, shortly after Wright's death, the Guggenheim is acclaimed as one of the greatest buildings of the 20th century. Inside, under a 96-foot-high skylight, just over a quarter-mile long ramp spirals down past current exhibits. The museum has strong holdings of works by Vasily Kandinsky (over 150 paintings), René Magritte, Jeff Koons, Paul Klee, Marc Chagall, Francis Bacon, and Faith Ringold.  In 2023, the museum hired its first associate curator of art and technology to promote artists working with technology. 

Wright's superior design was criticized by some who believed that the distinctive building detracted from the art, but the spiraling layout allows artwork to be viewed from different angles and distances. On permanent display, the museum's Thannhauser Collection is made up primarily of works by French Impressionists and Postimpressionists Van Gogh, Degas, Picasso, and Manet. Escape the crowded lobby by taking the elevator to the top and working your way down the spiral. The Cafe Rebay offers snacks, salads, and sandwiches, while the gift shop is near the museum's exit.

The Renzo Piano–designed museum welcomes visitors with a lively plaza, bold works of contemporary and modern American art, plenty of terraced outdoor spaces, and expansive windows. There are eight floors (not all open to the public), with a lauded French bakery on the ground floor and a café on the eighth floor. The galleries house rotating exhibitions from the permanent collection of postwar and contemporary works by artists such as Jackson Pollock, Jim Dine, Jasper Johns, Mark Rothko, Chuck Close, Cindy Sherman, and Roy Lichtenstein. Notable pieces often on view include Hopper's Early Sunday Morning (1930), Bellows's Dempsey and Firpo (1924), Calder's beloved Circus, and several of O'Keeffe's dazzling flower paintings.

The Whitney experience is as much about the setting as the incredible artwork. The outdoor terraces on floors six, seven, and eight are connected by exterior stairs that provide a welcome reprieve from crowded galleries as well as stunning skyline views. Visitors 25 and under get in free with valid ID; Friday night is free to all 5–10 pm. Skip the line and buy tickets in advance online; same-day tickets are often available.

New York’s second-largest museum (after Manhattan’s Metropolitan Museum of Art) is also one of the largest in America, with 560,000 square feet of exhibition space. The colossal Beaux-Arts structure houses a world-class collection of Egyptian art, as well as impressive collections of African, pre-Columbian, Native American, pan-Asian, and feminist art. In addition, you'll find works by Georgia O'Keeffe, Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, George Bellows, Thomas Eakins, and Milton Avery. The museum is also well-known for its contemporary, cutting-edge special exhibits. The monthly First Saturday (except September and November through January) is a free-entry night that's a neighborhood party of art, music, and dancing, with food vendors and several cash bars.

The Cooper Hewitt has taken an ornate, century-old mansion—once the residence of industrialist Andrew Carnegie—and outfitted it with the latest technologies and amenities to create a slick, highly interactive, 21st-century experience, so you don’t just look at design; you engage with it. Download the free app to guide you through some of the wide-ranging collection's more than 215,000 objects from over 30 centuries, including 3-D printed objects, handcrafted furniture, vintage wallpaper, cultural and period textiles, art and design books, and examples of robotics and animation. Rotating exhibits may focus on a particular designer, design era or theme.

The focus on design and discovery extends to the SHOP, where limited-edition objects are for sale. There is a café, and an outdoor garden is free and open to the public. The museum offers guided tours aligned to exhibition topics at 1:30 daily. Admission tickets can be reserved online.

One of the finest art museums in the northeastern United States, the Hyde Collection encompasses some 2,800 pieces including paintings and works on paper by artists such as Josef Albers, Sandro Botticelli, Georges Braque, Alexander Calder, Paul Cézanne, William Merritt Chase, Leonardo da Vinci, Edgar Degas, Thomas Eakins, El Greco, Childe Hassam, Winslow Homer, Wassily Kandinsky, Pablo Picasso, Rembrandt, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Antiques, fine period furniture, and decorative arts are also displayed, as are temporary exhibits. Audio Tours are available.

Housed in a circa-1908 French Gothic, chateau-style mansion that was once home to German-Jewish immigrant and businessman Felix Warburg, the Jewish Museum holds a collection of nearly 30,000 pieces of art and ceremonial objects that explore Jewish identity and culture for more than 4,000 years. The wide-ranging artifacts include almost 1,050 Hanukkah lamps, the world's largest collection; a 3rd-4th century Roman burial plaque, and a plaster model of George Segal's Holocaust sculpture, while works by artists such as Camille Pissarro, Deborah Kass, Lee Krasner, and Kehinde Wiley have appeared. It's suggested that visitors purchase timed admission tickets in advance. For hungry museumgoers, there's a new restaurant on-site: Lox at the Jewish Museum (closed weekends). Traditional Eastern European dishes are served; the Lox Five Ways entrée is a showstopper. The museum's gift shop carries Judaica, ceremonial objects, and suggested gifts, but it's closed on Saturday.

What this small three-gallery museum in the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) lacks in size and effects it more than makes up for in substance and style. You might not find interactive mannequins, elaborate displays, or overcrowded galleries at the self-declared "most fashionable museum in New York City," but you will find carefully curated, fun, and interesting exhibits. The Fashion and Textile History Gallery, on the main floor, provides context with a rotating selection of historically and artistically significant objects from the museum’s permanent collection of more than 50,000 garments and accessories (exhibits change every six months). The real draws, though, are the special exhibitions in the lower-level gallery. Gallery FIT, also on the main floor, is dedicated to student and faculty exhibitions.

 Early-20th-century German and Austrian art and design are the focus here, with works by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Egon Schiele, and designers from the Wiener Werkstätte. It's perhaps best known for having Gustav Klimt's portrait, Adele Bloch-Bauer I or Woman in Gold, a painting with a story almost as compelling as the art. The gallery sits Inside a 1914 mansion created by architects Carrère and Hastings, who also created the New York Public Library. Once the home of Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt III, the Neue Galerie was founded by the late art dealer Serge Sabarsky and cosmetics heir and art collector Ronald S. Lauder. The first-floor Café Sabarsky is popular for its elegant Viennese coffeehouse setting and menu. If busy, try the lower-key and smaller Café Fledermaus, which has much the same offerings. 

This seven-story structure—a glimmering, metal-mesh-clad assemblage of off-center squares—caused a small neighborhood uproar when it was built in 2007, with some residents slow to accept the nontraditional building. It also caused a stir when it shut down in 2024 and reopened a year later with a Rem Koolhaas--designed extension that has nearly doubled its exhibition space. Not surprisingly, given the museum's name and the building, shows are all about contemporary art, often provocative and frequently with a video element. Free tours are offered; check the website for times.

The focus of this museum near Lincoln Center is its incredible collection of work by folk and self-taught artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, including the single largest collection of reclusive Chicago artist Henry Darger, known for his painstakingly detailed collage paintings of fantasy worlds. The gift shop has an impressive collection of handcrafted items.

The Asian art collection of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller III forms the core of this museum's holdings, with artworks and artifacts dating as far back as the 11th century BCE. A growing contemporary collection features video, animation, photography, and new media art by artists from Asia and the Americas. Founded in 1956, the society has a regular program of panel discussions, film screenings, family events, and performances, in addition to changing on-loan exhibitions of traditional and contemporary art. Trees and flowering vines grow within the glass-enclosed, skylighted Leo Café, whose menu reflects the diversity of Asian cuisine. The AsiaStore carries the best in Asian design and literature. Docent tours are offered regularly; a schedule is posted on the museum's website.

A crowd-pleasing Basquiat show in 2019 marked the inauguration of this East Village art space, and subsequent shows have proved that the privately owned Brant Foundation isn't a one-trick pony. That's not surprising since Peter Brant's own collection includes a vast selection of works by such contemporary artists as Andy Warhol, David Altmejd, Carl Andre, John Chamberlain, Urs Fischer, Dan Flavin, Dash Snow, and the aforementioned Basquiat, just to name a few. The four-level space was once a power station (it later became the studio of conceptual artist Walter De Maria), and it's towering ceilings and giant windows are the perfect setting for large-scale artworks. There’s a quiet garden and a gift shop, too. Check the website to confirm opening times, price of admission, and to make a reservation to visit.

At this nonprofit organization, the focus is on drawings—contemporary and historical. The frequently changing exhibits often push the envelope on what's considered drawing so there's usually some thought-provoking material. Many projects are commissioned by the center.

El barrio, Spanish for "the neighborhood," is the nickname for East Harlem, a largely Spanish-speaking community; the museum, on the edge of this neighborhood, focuses on Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean art. Founded in 1969, the museum's permanent collection of more than 8,500 objects is highlighted through evolving themes, including women, African and Indigenous artists, Latinx representation and more. Art and crafts from Latin America are prominent. One highlight is the over 300 santos, carved wooden folk-art figures from Puerto Rico. El Teatro, formerly the Heckscher Children's Theater, has stunning 30-foot murals and stained-glass roundels. The museum's events include lectures, films, festivals and parties for Latin and Caribbean holidays, including a Three Kings Day parade.

Occupying almost an entire city block between Broadway and Riverside Drive East on 155th Street in upper Manhattan, the Hispanic Society Museum & Library, a repository of an extraordinarily rich collection of more than half a million items relating to the art and cultures of the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking world, opened to the public for the first time in six years in early 2023. Founded in 1904 as a museum for Spanish and Portuguese art, with Goya’s Dutchess of Alba (1797) as a major draw of the collection, the museum reopened with a mission to connect the Society to the art of the 20th and 21st centuries and to its Latino neighborhood of Washington Heights. The Dutchess of Alba is still here, and still a big draw in the arcaded, Spanish Renaissance--style Main Court, which features luscious terra-cotta details. Other highlights include the Sorolla Vision of Spain Gallery housing 14 monumental paintings from the Valencian master painter Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, and the Upper Terrace, an open-air space that looks out over the bronze equestrian statue of El Cid and other fine sculptures. Renovations to the museum continue and will include a visitor center and an education center.

Founded in 1974 by photojournalist Cornell Capa (photographer Robert Capa's brother), ICP continues to put on exhibitions that explore the timely social and political aspects of photojournalism. The institution, which has moved its collection of more than 150,000 original prints—spanning the history of photography, from daguerreotypes to large-scale pigment prints—several times, finally has a permanent home with both education and exhibition spaces. The new building's spacious, second- and third-floor galleries really allow the exhibits to shine. There's a gift shop and small café on the ground floor. It's pay-what-you-wish ($5 minimum) on Thursday night 5 pm–8 pm.

Atop Lighthouse Hill sits this replica of a tranquil Tibetan monastery so impressive, it's listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Founded by an American collector of Tibetan art, it's partly a museum comprising a temple and a garden, holding her formidable collection of Tibetan and Himalayan sculpture, paintings, and artifacts. It's also an active community center for visitors to mediate, practice yoga or tai chi, or attend other events posted on their website's calendar. Views from their terrace truly transport you to another place, far from an urban center.

Founded in 1969 in a basement on Prince Street, the museum has its roots in the collection of its founders, Charles Leslie and Fritz Lohman, two lifelong champions of LGBTQ+ artists. The well-curated exhibits in the spacious first-floor galleries are usually photographic (and sometimes sexually charged), though the museum's impressive archive leads to new exhibitions in various media as often as six times a year.

Housed in a glass-and-glazed-terra-cotta building on the rim of Columbus Circle, the museum is an epicenter of experimental and innovative craft, art, and design, with a focus on contemporary jewelry, glass, ceramic, fiber, wood, and mixed-media works. Pieces are human scale, with many neatly housed in display cases rather than hanging on walls. Exhibitions offer new ways of thinking, experiencing, and telling stories about art and design. Recent special exhibitions included "Barbie: A Cultural Icon," a hugely popular exploration of the doll's history and impact on fashion and popular culture. The gift shop has an excellent selection of MAD merch, housewares, jewelry, and other artful items. Free docent-led tours are offered Friday to Sunday at 11:30 and 2:30. The top floor houses Robert at MAD, a full-service restaurant with glorious views of Central Park through floor-to-ceiling windows.

Founded in 1901, the Society of Illustrators holds many events and programs at this former town house--turned-museum. There are eclectic exhibitions on comics, science fiction, fashion, animation and 3-D, and historic illustrations from the permanent collection of 2,500 pieces, including the holdings of the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA). In addition, there are lectures, costumed sketch nights and more. On the third floor, order a drink from the 128 Bar, which sports Norman Rockwell's "The Dover Coach," a large-scale oil painting for the Saturday Evening Post that was donated by the illustrator himself.

Noted American artist and sculptor Walter De Maria's 1977 avant-garde installation consists, quite simply, of 280,000 pounds of gently sculpted soil filling 3,600 square feet of a second-floor loft maintained by the Dia Art Foundation since 1980. You can't touch or walk on the dirt, nor can you take photos, but looking at it is quite peaceful. De Maria's equally odd and impressive work The Broken Kilometer, an 18.75-ton installation that consists of five columns of a total of 1,000 meter-long brass rods covering the wooden floors of an open loft space, is a few blocks away ( 393 W. Broadway) and is a good complement. The two installations have the same hours. 

An 1898 Upper West Side town house contains this small, eccentric museum dedicated to the work of Russian artist Nicholas Roerich, who immigrated to New York in the 1920s and quickly developed an ardent following. About 200 of his paintings hang here—notably some vast canvases of the Himalayas.

In 1985, the Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904–88) transformed this former industrial plant into a showcase for his modernist and earlier works. A peaceful central garden is surrounded by galleries, showing a comprehensive selection of Noguchi’s sculptures in stone, metals, paper, and ceramics, as well as architectural models, drawings, designs, and photographs. Temporary exhibits rotate, like their 40th anniversary exhibit, along with collaborations with other artists. The museum is about a mile from subway stops, but less than half a mile from the Astoria stop on the NYC Ferry; check the website for complete directions.

Between the zoo and the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Corona Park lies the Queens Museum. Don't miss the astonishing Panorama of the City of New York, a nearly 900,000-building model of NYC made for the 1964 World's Fair, and the world's largest scale model. There are also rotating exhibitions of contemporary art, a massive map of the NYC water supply system, a permanent collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass, and an ongoing a mural display by Caroline Kent. Parking is free but limited.

In 1968, the Studio Museum in Harlem opened to celebrate artists of African descent. In 2018, the museum closed for a $300 million renovation and expansion project, and is slated to finally reopen in fall 2025 after a seven-year hiatus. The reopening will feature work from Tom Lloyd, an activist who was a focal point of the institution's opening 56 years ago. There will be works of art dating back to the early 1800s, showcasing more than 200 years of work by Black creatives, such as Houston E. Conwill, David Hammons, and Glenn Ligon.