Can't decide which museum to visit? Use this list of popular New York City museums to help you decide which one to include on your vacation itinerary.
More: Free & Pay-What-You-Wish Days at NYC Museums
1. American Museum of Natural History
Since opening to the public in 1869, the American Museum of Natural History has evolved and grown. In addition to the Rose Center planetarium and regular exhibits, the museum hosts a revolving series of exhibits, so there is always something new to see. AMNH is a wonderful destination for visitors of all ages, with wonderfully engaging experiences for just about everyone.
2. Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
This is the only US museum exclusively dedicated to historic and contemporary design. The exhibits at the Cooper-Hewitt offer visitors a chance to explore the nature and impact of design on their lives.3. Ellis Island Immigration Museum
Temporarily closed due to damage from Hurricane Sandy. Located in the New York Harbor, approximately 12 million steerage and third class steamship passengers were processed on Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954. Immigrants who entered the United States through the port of New York were legally and medically inspected there. In 1990 Ellis Island was renovated and transformed into a museum dedicated to educating visitors about the immigrant experience.
4. Guggenheim Museum
Photograph by David Heald © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York.
5. Lower East Side Tenement Museum
Accessible only by guided tour, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum offers visitors the opportunity to see into the immigrant past of the Lower East Side while visiting the actual apartments where immigrants lived and hearing stories about their lives. They also offer tours in Spanish and American Sign Language.
6. Metropolitan Museum of Art
7. Museum of Modern Art
Timothy Hursley ©2006
Founded in 1929 as the first museum dedicated entirely to contemporary art, MoMA is host to an impressive collection of modern artistic efforts in a variety of media, including paintings, sculpture, design and even film. They even offer special events and activities for families with children as young as four, making it a very family-friendly choice as well!
8. Museum of the Moving Image
Photo by Heather Cross, licensed to About.com
The Museum of the Moving Image focuses on film, television and digital media, and its impact on culture and society. Located in Astoria, Queens, the museum is easily accessible by subway, just a short ride from Manhattan, and is a great destination for film-buffs and families alike.
9. New York Historical Society
Photo © New-York Historical Society / Glenn Castellano
On West 77th Street at Central Park West, the New York Historical Society offers visitors an opportunity to see a collection that reveals much of New York's history. The collection includes Tiffany lamps, decorative objects, paintings, and furniture, and there are frequent special exhibits as well as the Dimenna Children's History Museum.
10. Whitney Museum of American Art
Photo by Ed Lederman, used with permission.
