Visiting the Metropolitan Museum: all you need to know
Updated: July 31, 2026
The Metropolitan Museum is a must-see when you visit New York City. It welcomes more than 5.7 million visitors a year across its two locations, and it is easy to see why.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the world's largest art museums. Its collection is beyond impressive, with 1 ½ million works of art spanning an amazing 5,000 years.
Since we live locally, Debbie and I have visited every year or so for many years. We find that the museum is so large and has so much to see that each visit seems different.
| 📍 Address | 1000 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan |
| 🕐 Hours | Sun, Mon, Tue, Thu: 10am–5pm | Fri, Sat: 10am–9pm | Closed Wednesdays |
| 🎟️ Admission | Adults $30 | Seniors 65+ $22 | Students $17 | Under 12 free |
| 🗽 NY State Residents | Pay what you wish (one cent minimum, valid ID needed) |
| 🎓 NY, NJ, CT Students | Pay what you wish with a student ID. NJ and CT students must buy in person. |
| 🚇 Subway | 4, 5, or 6 to 86th St, then a 10-minute walk to the entrance |
| 🏦 Free Admission | Bank of America Museums on Us, the first full weekend of every month |
| 🌐 Official Site | metmuseum.org/plan-your-visit |
The Temple of Dendur on exhibit at the Metroploitan Museum.
Getting to the Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, directly adjacent to Central Park.
New York City subway and buses take tap-to-pay. It’s a wonderful improvement; no need for a prepaid MetroCard, just tap your credit card or phone at the turnstile, and you are all set.
Subway:
For the subway, take the 4, 5, or 6 train to 86th Street and walk three blocks west to Fifth Avenue. The walk to the Met takes approximately 10 minutes.
For more info on the subway, check out our post: NYC Subway Guide for Visitors
Bus:
The Met is located on 5th Avenue, which is one-way running south. Take the M1, M2, M3, or M4 bus along Fifth Avenue (from uptown locations) to 82nd Street or along Madison Avenue (from downtown locations) to 83rd Street. From Madison Avenue, it’s just a short walk to Fifth Avenue.
Driving:
There is a parking garage inside the museum at Fifth Avenue and 80th Street. It only opens on weekday evenings and on weekends, and space is limited, so it is not guaranteed.
Private lots nearby are another option. An app like Best Parking can help you find a cheaper reservation.
Planning your visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Keep in mind that the museum will be crowded, very crowded, but it’s also huge so you can always find areas to escape from fellow visitors.
The main entrance is via the iconic steps at the front of the building. While we have visited many times over the years, we almost gave up on our most recent visit when the security line snaked all the way down the steps. Luckily, the museum uses new security screening equipment that doesn’t require bag checks, so the line moved quickly.
We’d strongly suggest buying advance tickets online.
The cost is $30 for adults, $22 for seniors, and $17 for students.
Tip: If you bank with Bank of America, there is a nice perk worth knowing about.
On the first full weekend of every month, the Museums on Us program gets you in free at hundreds of cultural spots around the country.
Each person with their own Bank of America ATM or credit card gets in free. It saves us a good bit of money every year
One thing a lot of locals don't realize: if you're a New York State resident, you can pay whatever you want to get in. The minimum is technically one cent, though most people pay something reasonable. You just need to show proof of NY residency — a driver's license, a utility bill with a NY address, or even a library card works.
If you're a student from New Jersey or Connecticut, you also qualify for pay-what-you-wish admission. NJ and CT students need to buy tickets in person at the museum with a valid student ID.
To use the pay-what-you-wish option online, you'll need a New York State billing address. Otherwise, just head to the box office when you arrive.
Important reminder: The museum is closed on Wednesday.
What to see at the Metropolitan Museum
It’s impossible to see everything at this gigantic museum, so you can adopt two possible plans.
The first way is to just wander around and discover exhibits serendipitously.
The other way is to look at the map they provide and pick a few exhibits. We chose to follow this approach.
Here are a few of our favorites.
Part of the The Temple of Dendur exhibit. This is myfavorite room in the museum.
The Egyptian Art Exhibit
The Met collection of ancient Egyptian art is one of our favorite exhibits.
The highlight of the Egyptian exhibit is the massive The Temple of Dendur. It really feels like you’ve been transported to Egypt, all while looking out the ceiling-to-floor view of New York City.
It was dismantled by the Egyptian government as part of the effort to save the monuments of Nubia from rising waters caused by the building of the Aswan High Dam. The sandstone temple was given to the United States and assembled in a new wing at the Met in 1978.
In 2018, the museum built an exhibition around the first-century coffin of Nedjemankh. Investigators determined that the artifact had been stolen from Egypt, and the museum has agreed to return it.
The American Wing
The Met’s American artwork wing is large enough to be its own museum.
The collection includes 20,000 works of art by Latin American, African American, Euro-American, and Native American.
One of the highlights is the enormous painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware.
The American Wing also houses an impressive collection of period rooms highlighting artifacts from various periods and cities. They are set up like you are actually visiting these rooms as they once existed.
The European Collections
As you might imagine The European sculpture and art collection is one of the largest departments at the Met, comprising in excess of 50,000 pieces.
With an amazing collection of English and French furniture, visitors can enter dozens of completely furnished period rooms, similar to the rooms in the American Wing.
Fabergé Collection
Debbie is a big Fabergé fan so the Met’s impressive collection was on our list.
The exhibition features three of the fifty Imperial Easter Eggs created for the Romanov family by Peter Carl Fabergé.
A highlight of the exhibition is the Lilies-of-the-Valley Basket, often considered to be Fabergé's floral masterpiece.
The exhibit is small and easy to miss. It’s located in Gallery 555 near the European sculpture exhibition.
Looking for a medieval museum in a park-like setting? We think the Met’s Cloisters is a fantastic stop in the northern tip of Manhattan.
You can visit medieval gardens, tapestries, sculpture, stained glass, and metalwork in buildings imported from Europe. Read all about it in our post: A Trip to The Met Cloisters: everything you need to know
Arms and Armor Collection
The Arms and Armor Collection is impressive not only in the number of exhibits but in the way it is displayed. Life-sized horses and soldiers, both wearing a coat of armor, are sure to impress.
In addition to European armor, the collection includes armor from China, Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Iran, Turkey, and India.
The Armor exhibit at the Met
- The Met Cloisters – Medieval art and gardens uptown, included with your Met ticket.
- The Frick Collection – Old master paintings in a Gilded Age mansion, newly reopened.
- The Morgan Library – Rare books and manuscripts, a quiet gem in Midtown.
- The Tenement Museum – Immigrant history on the Lower East Side, one of our favorites.
- The Intrepid Museum – An aircraft carrier, a Concorde, and a submarine on the Hudson.
- The Transit Museum – Subway history inside a 1936 station in Brooklyn.
Dining at the Met
The Met has no shortage of dining options, with a wide variety of cuisines and prices.
The Cantor Roof Garden Bar
The rooftop bar at the Met has been a favorite spot for cocktails with views of Central Park for years. We have to give you a heads-up that the Cantor Roof Garden Bar is temporarily closed for the construction of the new Tang Wing for Modern and Contemporary Art. We'll update this when it reopens.
The Met Dining Room
The upscale Met Dining Room, which used to offer great views of Central Park on the fourth floor, has permanently closed.
Petrie Court Cafe
The moderately priced Petrie Court Cafe on the first floor features drinks and light meals. You can check out the menu here.
It’s open late (8 pm) on Friday and Saturday.
The American Wing Cafe
Adjacent to the huge atrium in the American Wing, this restaurant features light snacks, coffee, wine, and beer.
You can see the menu here.
The Eatery
The ground-floor restaurant, The Eatery, is moderately priced and features casual dining that offers pizza, sandwiches, salads, soups, and desserts.
It is located by the Robert Lehman Collection Galleries. You can see the menu here
The Gift Shop
The Met Gift Shop is huge and covers traditional museum-type gifts but also has upscale shopping for clothing, tableware, and jewelry. You can also browse their extensive website if you don’t feel like stuffing your suitcase.
What to do after your visit to the Met
View of “Billionaire’s Row” from Central Park
The Met is located directly adjacent to Central Park. We’d suggest walking into the park and then walking toward the south and eventually you’ll wind up in the area of Columbus Circle or the Plaza Hotel. There are easy transportation options to anywhere from there.
For more info on the park, we have a full blog post: What to see in Central Park.
If the park isn’t your thing, you can catch a bus directly outside the front steps. Fifth Avenue is one-way, so all the buses will be heading south towards Midtown. The buses are tap-to-pay, so it’s very easy.
How much does it cost to visit the Met?
General admission is $30 for adults, $22 for seniors 65 and up, and $17 for students. Children under 12 get in free.
If you live in New York State, you pay what you wish. Students from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut can do the same.
Bring a valid ID if you qualify. New Jersey and Connecticut students need to buy in person.
What day is the Met closed?
The Met is closed on Wednesdays. Every other day of the week it is open.
It also closes on Thanksgiving, December 25, January 1, and the first Monday in May.
How long should you spend at the Met?
Give it two to three hours at the very least. Half a day is better.
We have spent a full day here and still not seen it all. If your time is short, pick two or three wings and skip the rest.
Can you visit the Met for free?
There are a few ways. Children under 12 are always free. New York State residents pay what they wish.
If you bank with Bank of America, look at the Museums on Us program. It gets you in free on the first full weekend of each month. That perk saves us money every year.
What are the must-see spots at the Met?
Our short list is easy. See the Temple of Dendur in the Egyptian wing. Walk through the American Wing.
Do not miss the Arms and Armor gallery. Then spend time in the European Paintings for the Van Goghs and Vermeers.
The rooftop garden is lovely in season. It is closed right now for construction, so check before you go.
What is the easiest way to get to the Met?
Take the 4, 5, or 6 subway to 86th Street. From there it is about a 10-minute walk to the Fifth Avenue entrance.
Buses on Fifth and Madison stop close by too. Driving is the hard part, so we skip the car when we can.
Is my Met ticket good for the Cloisters?
Yes. Your ticket covers the main building on Fifth Avenue and the Met Cloisters uptown, same day.
The Cloisters holds medieval art in a quiet spot near the Hudson. It makes a nice pairing if you have the time.
When is the best time to avoid crowds?
Weekday mornings right at opening are the calmest. Friday and Saturday nights work well too.
The Met stays open until 9pm those nights, and the crowds thin out. Weekend middays are the busiest, so we avoid them.
About the Authors
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John and Debbie O'Boyle are the team behind The Empty Nest Explorers. John is a professional photographer whose work has been published by The New York Times, NBC News, and Getty Images. He is a member of the American Society of Media Photographers, has been part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team, and has received two New York Emmy nominations. Debbie is a writer and photographer with 30+ years of experience, formerly with The Star-Ledger and NJ.com. Together, they create in-depth travel guides for couples and empty-nest travelers who want to make the most of every destination. |
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