// NEW YORK CITY // MIDTOWN //
the museum of modern art
the cultural record for modern and contemporary art
In a city abundant with art museums, MoMA is an easy one to hate on. The constant crowds and cramped midtown address almost ensure it’ll be an unpleasant visit unless you come on a winter weekday morning. It’s easy to forget how much of an institution this place is, until you go up and remember that MoMA’s collection has all the greatest hits of modern art. The kind that you are taught from elementary school. The images that we have all seen printed in textbooks. And not just the art history ones. It’s a star studded line up, an ensemble cast of all of the biggest names. And then you realize that this isn’t just a great museum of modern art in the city, it is the Museum of Modern Art. The kind people flock to from around the world. A global cultural institution in its own right, even though it’s a ways off from Museum Row.Â
A visit to MoMA is a curated journey through the evolution of modern to contemporary art, witnessing the seismic shifts that defined the 20th and 21st centuries. The experience begins in the Gund Lobby, best known for the expansive Hyundai Digital Wall that welcomes you in with bright mesmerizing digital graphics, which in turn opens up into the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, an oasis amid the midtown chaos. From there, four floors of galleries are topped by a rooftop terrace and cafe. Right up the stairs from the lobby is the showstopping Marron Family Atrium that usually features custom commissioned installations and leads to the permanent collection of contemporary art post 1980s. The 3rd floor has three exhibition galleries, followed by the 4th and 5th floor that are home to some of the most famous works in the collection from the 1880s through the mid 20th century.
From the mesmerizing swirls of “The Starry Night” to the provocative Duchamp “Bicycle Wheel,” from the monumental “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” to the small and surreal “The Persistence of Memory,” the permanent collection is a parade of pivotal masterpieces from some of the most celebrated titans in art history. There’s Warhol’s pop art revolution, Pollock’s bold abstractions, Mondrian’s stark geometry, Seurat’s delicate pointillism: going through the museum feels like walking through the pages of an art history book.Â
The museum has a robust programming of special exhibitions throughout the year, and the Film Center hosts an extensive film program featuring classic and contemporary cinema. As an art institution, MoMA also does a lot of educational programming with gallery talks, lectures, workshops and family programs.Â
And of course, no visit to MoMA is complete without stopping by the expansive gift shop and book shop (nothing hits quite like shopping for art books at a museum or gallery), and of course the design store across the street. Which is a great place to seek inspiration and pick up design objects in its own right. If it weren’t branded with the museum it might be celebrated as a well-curated boutique design shop.Â
the details
| Address | 11 W 53rd St, New York |
| Website | https://www.moma.org/ |
| Reviews | https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d105126-Reviews-The_Museum_of_Modern_Art_MoMA-New_York_City_New_York.html |
| @themuseumofmodernart | |
| Hours | 10:30-5:30pm every day, open late to 8:30pm on Fridays |
| Price | $$$ – general admission is $30, with discounts for seniors and students, children 16 and under are free |
| Aesthetic | sleek, contemporary, with clean lines and tall ceilings |
good to know
Go here for:Â a full dose of modern art, admiring iconic modern masterpieces, checking out the latest exhibitions
Don’t miss:Â the rooftop terrace, the sculpture garden, the book collection at the gift shop, and the restaurant as a nice break
Amount of time to spend: if it’s your first time, give it at least 3-4, otherwise about 2 hours to peruse current exhibitions
When to come:Â weekdays are best to avoid a crowd, come at opening and start at the top to get the galleries to yourself for a few precious moments
Getting here:Â about a 5 minute walk from the 7th Ave B/D/E station, the 57th St F station or a 10 minute walk from the 57th St/7th Ave NQRW station
Other things to note: There’s free admission for New York residents on Fridays from 5:30 – 8:30pm
Last visited: June 2025
Last updated: June 2025
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