New York City’s best museums are going to teach you something, and will also expose you in some way to beauty. Some museums are enormous, others are teeny, tiny, and extremely specialized. And still more fall somewhere in the middle. The only difficulty about them, for each is wonderful in at least a few ways, is parsing which ones to visit when one has limited time and limited energy—even the best of us, after all, can fall victim to museum fatigue when too much standing and looking gets crammed into an itinerary.
We’ve tried to provide a brief overview of each museum worth visiting, in a city that is bursting with fun and interesting things to see. There are essential art institutions that everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime—the Met, namely, but also the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim—alongside museums concerned with the history both of this city and beyond as well as rarely-considered operations in Manhattan and the outer boroughs alike that are nevertheless worth a visit. For a more focused list, take a look at our selection of the best exhibits currently on view in New York City.
Please read our entire article New York City guide hereThe following is a list of:
How do we select the best museums in New York City?
All reviews on this page have been written by a Condé Nast Traveler A journalist who is familiar with the destination, and has visited this museum. Our editors choose activities based on institutions that provide an insider view of the destination. They also consider authenticity, location and service credentials, as well as sustainability credentials.
Visit our list of the best places to visit in order to complete your plan. the best United States museums.