Museums to Visit in New York City Posted on 4 Aug 06:30 , 2 comments

  [caption id="attachment_1323" align="alignright" width="278"]Frick Collection courtyard in New York City Indoor Courtyard at the Frick Collection[/caption] Don't know what to do this weekend? One of the interesting things to do in New York City is to visit one (or all) of the many museums. The list of house museums, state museums and private collections is quite extensive. Here is a list of my favorites, click on the name to visit the website of the museum for more info: 1. The Frick Collection The Frick Collection is easily a favorite of the museums I visited this summer. The gorgeous, block wide Frick mansion and incredible collection inspired me.  Henry Frick, a wealthy merchant in his day, designed the mansion with the intention of having it become a museum. Frick's valuable private collection is placed into beautiful rooms designed to display the works of art.

2. Metropolitan Museum of Art

[caption id="attachment_1744" align="alignright" width="343"]Metropolitan Museum of Art Metropolitan Museum of Art[/caption] The Metropolitan Museum of Art has an encyclopedic collection of art. It is one of the largest museums in the world, and has art from all different eras and areas of the world. Entire rooms and ceilings have been brought in from different parts of the world, and installed to their original dimensions. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has something for everyone- their well- displayed collection is massive and would take days to see.

4. Brooklyn Museum

[caption id="attachment_1759" align="alignright" width="285"]Brooklyn Museum Brooklyn Museum[/caption] The Brooklyn Museum is located off the 1 Train in Brooklyn. The museum's Neoclassical architecture grabs your attention as soon as you emerge from the underground train or from your car.. My favorite part of the museum was the interior, the rich collection of Claude Monet's and other well known artists. It reminded me of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but smaller and pleasantly less crowded.

5. Hispanic Society of America

[caption id="attachment_1779" align="alignright" width="250"]Hispanic Society of America Hispanic Society of America[/caption] The Hispanic Society of America is filled with works from Spanish artists. The cherry wood, tile floors and warm colors reflect the Spanish historical colors. Along with stunning paintings and a historic display, the Hispanic Society of New York has a valuable reference library. The uncrowded museum is free, and has breathtaking Spanish paintings that will interest even people that aren't usually interested in history.

6. The Jewish Museum

[caption id="attachment_1798" align="alignright" width="251"]The Jewish Museum's Isaac Mizrahi Exhibit The Jewish Museum's Isaac Mizrahi fashion exhibit[/caption] The Jewish Museum is in a beautifully restored Fifth Avenue mansion. The collection of Jewish history, art, and cultural objects is shown in a modern but religiously respectable manner. The descriptions of objects were detailed, and gave me a lot of interesting information about the Jewish culture. I was, of course, most excited to see the exhibit of Isaac Mizrahi's fashion collection, a temporary display which encompassed an entire floor.

7. The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

[caption id="attachment_1832" align="alignright" width="314"]Thom Brown Exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Thom Brown Exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum[/caption] Located along Manhattan's Museum mile, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is housed in Andrew Carnegie's enormous mansion. The mansion is dedicated to displaying design- fashion, furniture, stairwell models, toys and technology among other items. My favorite part was the temporary Thom Brown exhibit, pictured on the right. The Cooper Hewitt, in my opinion, is an incredible inspiration source for designers. 8. The Noguchi Museum [caption id="attachment_1871" align="alignright" width="245"]Isamu Noguchi Museum Isamu Noguchi's work[/caption] If you're coming from Manhattan, the Noguchi Museum is a bit of a trek... but traveling the distance is certainly worth it. Isamu Noguchi is known to be one of the first American artists that opened up his own museum. He designed the building, and most of the art that is in the museum itself. Noguchi traveled a lot during his life time, learning techniques from various cultures. The result is a unique, satisfactory collection that is serene, thought-provoking and extraordinary. The large sculptors were displayed in naturally lit, spacious rooms, and in the outdoor garden which was also designed by Noguchi.     I listed my personal favorite museums that I visited in New York City. Are there any other New York City museums that you think are worth visiting? If so, comment below so I can visit them and see the collections :)

XOXO,

Kate Stoltz