Maybe because it’s Christmas but the place was crowded and sometimes hard to navigate but it was so worth it. For Seniors it 22 bucks that are made worth it just by seeing the Black Egypt Artist Exhibit. You need to get there early and spend an entire afternoon- from paintings and artwork that inspires to works of art that take your breath away- and admission is good for both places.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is handily situated near Central Park so if you're staying in the midtown area it's a definite must-see. Be prepared for a lot of walking though, this museum is HUGE! Some folk might be put off by thinking this is just an "Art" museum but it's much more than that, spanning the world and showing off some of the most amazing historical artefacts brought together in thoughtfully laid-out galleries and displays. We started off in the Egyptian wing which is a great introduction to the amazing size of the collection, and usually gets very busy - but start early on in the day and you'll get a head start. There are so many photo opportunities, including a huge temple to pose against, and lots of other galleries spanning Ancient Greece, Asia and of course more 'modern' American art too. We made a day of it, and to do this museum justice it really will take you all day as there's just so much to see. The only low point for us was the cafe, which served some pretty awful soggy sandwiches and lacklustre salads (as well as having a really narrow and busy seated area - which thankfully was well corralled by staff kicking people out who were just sitting there to use the free wi fi rather than eating food purchased at the cafe). That aside, there are tons of places to sit and take a breather (you'll need to) and plenty of water on offer to keep you going in the hot weather. Certain galleries get very very busy (the fashion wing for example had a massive queue that could've done with some timed slots rather than just the melee). There's a couple of really excellent shops inside the museum for keepsakes, so don't miss these. A truly amazing place to visit (and not cripplingly expensive either).

I had never seen the Met so crowded during this time of the year. Normally the tourists are gone but with the start of the Lunar New Year, the Met had all sorts of special events to celebrate the holidays. I had gotten there rather late in the afternoon and the museum was already mobbed with people. I have never seen the Asian galleries so packed with people taking walking tour and listening to talks on the art. A Fan Dance was so packed just with the line that it stretched into the Egyptian galleries. I had to bypass that and went to the American Wing to hear the Peter Lin band perform Asian Jazz music. That was wonderful. The free concert went on for a little over an hour and they a lot of classic Shanghai music from the Jazz era. It was a wonderful concert. After the show, I wondered through the Asian Galleries, listening to the docents talks and admiring the art of the region. They had all sorts of arts and crafts for the kids and activities for the family. What I loved was the entrance welcomed everyone for the new year with signs and beautiful cherry blossoms. The museum really had some great activities that day.

Honestly, I'm fascinated by the sheer size of this place. I've visited this place at least a dozen times and yet I always manage to stumble on some new exhibit every single time. It's a palace of art and history. Anyone who is interested in visiting NYC has to visit the Met at least once. Because of its popularity, it's unsurprisingly crowded. The Met opens at 10am every day of the week except for Wednesday. I would recommend getting there around 9:45am to avoid long lines. You will still wait for a few minutes, but it'll speed up. And here's my biggest tip: ORDER TICKETS ONLINE. You'd be surprised how many people and tourists cram themselves in the lobby trying to get in line for tickets. So do yourselves a favor, buy tickets in advance, get there early, and have practically the entire museum to yourself for a blissful 30 minutes before the crowd catches up. I've also seen a lot of people pouring over maps, which are available in the lobby. You should definitely take one, but you shouldn't stress out over getting lost (unless you're on a time budget of course, but then again the Met is huge). Instead, that's the fun part of museums. You let yourself get lost and wander through the corridors looking at timeless pieces.

The museum is enormous and requires a bit of a touring plan or focus as you could be there all day. Staff/volunteers were extremely helpful with maps and information. We only had a few hour window so focused on the Egyptian and Armoury exhibits as well as the 19th and early 20th century European Paintings. We stumbled upon a young man who was sitting on the floor infront of a large painting and explained he was part of the 8 week Copyist Program at the Met that allows artists to sit in galleries during certain days and times to copy/paint works of art to improve their own techniques. It was a neat opportunity to watch him paint. We did not know which day we wanted to go to the Met so did not buy tickets in advance and thought we would just purchase upon entry. The admission line was very long so we purchased tickets online with the Met’s free wifi while waiting in line which saved us a bunch of time. Recommend buying tickets in advance, even if just minutes before you arrive.

We came by for the day to look around. It was my first time but my friends had been here before. The lines for the tickets was very long so we ended up just buying the tickets online there and it was a lot faster. It was handy that they had free Wifi. After getting the tickets in the email, we were able to just head in to the first display. There are multiple levels of things to see and the museum is segregated into different areas. This can make planning for going through the museum easier. I ended up just going floor by floor and seeing what was there. With all the myriad of things to see, I really enjoyed the Egyptian exhibits particularly the Temple of Dendur, which was inside a huge interior space. The Greek and Roman sculptures were also quite fascinating, particularly the intricate ones carved in stone. The war area with weapons and armor was also interesting. The paintings were located on the top floor and the main stairway from the atrium leads directly to it. The numbered room helps with traversing the enormous gallery. There were so many different paintings in the area and I really enjoyed the nature scenes. The ginormous paintings were also quite impressive and nice to look at. It is very hard to see and admire everything in a day. I managed to see most things but I wasn't able to spend much time to take in the displays. It helped that I was there on a Friday and it was open later. I had to leave "early" (1730) for another event but otherwise might have been able to see everything in the day. Definitely, a must-do in New York and can be done over several days to make it less hectic.

The Met App is the way to go to get advanced tickets – very easy, very expedient. We entered the museum just after the 10 AM opening, and even then, the line to get in was a hundred feet long on either side of the door. Galleries are crowded; when we left early afternoon, the floorscape had become a sea of customers waiting in long lines to get into each exhibition. Go early. Use the app!

We go to New York every three years and start our trips through the USA here. A visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a must. We keep discovering new exhibits. After all, the museum manages 3 million objects that are exchanged - such a great "treasure." We love Flemish painters as well as Renaissance painting, basically the period between the 14th century. ==References== ==References== There are also very beautiful bronze sculptures in the museum. The Fabergé exhibition, the knight's armour and the Egypt section are excellent. Sunshine on the rooftop terrace gives you a very nice view of Central Park and the new narrow Skyscrapers near 57th Street (Beautiful Photo Subjects). After 5.5 hours of interesting hours we left the museum. A visit is always highly recommended.

Visiting the Met for the first time was an incredible experience, and I wish I had planned more time to explore! The layout of the museum is fascinating, making it easy to navigate while discovering its vast collection. From ancient artifacts to stunning paintings, every exhibit captivated me. I particularly appreciated the attention to detail in the displays, which added depth to the experience. I highly recommend checking out the "Must See" route on their website before your visit—it really helps in making the most of your time. Overall, the Met is a must-visit, and I can't wait to return to fully enjoy everything this amazing museum has to offer!

Of all main museums in New York, The Met impressed me the most. The collection is massive, one can wander through the rooms for hours and never have enough. Make sure you have plenty of time for your visit, and buy tickets in advance to avoid queues. If for some reason your time is limited, the 19th and early 20th century European paintings collection on the 2nd floor is an absolute must. From Picasso to Monet to Cezanne to many more - not sure if there is one famous artist of this era whose works are not there. I also recommend the “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” exhibition - it tells an an amazing story. Tip: Scan the QR code right when you come to the museum to join the queue, as the waiting time can be quite long. I suppose the same works for other limited space exhibitions at The Met. A side note: The museum shop is great:)