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The Fifth Avenue façade of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

No. 5 Top 100 Most Visited Art Museums 2025 · 5,984,091 visitors in 2025

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

New York, United States · City guide: New York

5,000 years of art from every corner of the world on Fifth Avenue.

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Photo: Epicgenius, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is No. 5 in The Art Newspaper's survey of the world's most visited art museums, with 5,984,091 visitors to its Fifth Avenue building in 2025, up 4% on 2024. Including The Met Cloisters, its medieval art branch in northern Manhattan, the museum welcomed 6,265,898 people.

Founded in 1870, the Met opened on its current site at the edge of Central Park in 1880. It has grown into one of the largest art museums in the world, with collections that span 5,000 years and every continent. In 2025 the museum reopened its renovated Michael C. Rockefeller Wing for the arts of Africa, Oceania and the ancient Americas.

The Temple of Dendur in the Sackler Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Temple of Dendur in the Sackler Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo: 颐园居, CC BY 4.0, source

Best time to visit

Weekday mornings are quietest. The museum stays open late on some evenings. It is closed on Wednesdays; check the official website for current hours.

Highlights & collections

  • 1

    Temple of Dendur

    An ancient Egyptian temple given to the United States by Egypt, rebuilt in a glass-walled gallery facing Central Park.

  • 2

    European Paintings

    Masterpieces by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Van Gogh and many others.

  • 3

    The American Wing

    Period rooms, a sculpture court and Emanuel Leutze's Washington Crossing the Delaware.

  • 4

    Arms and Armor

    Knights on horseback in full armour and weapons from around the world.

  • 5

    Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

    Arts of Africa, Oceania and the ancient Americas, in galleries that reopened in 2025.

  • 6

    The Met Cloisters

    The Met's medieval branch in Fort Tryon Park is built around parts of European cloisters and holds the Unicorn Tapestries.

Getting there

The Met is on Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street. Take the 4, 5 or 6 subway to 86th Street, or the 6 to 77th Street, and walk west. The M1, M2, M3 and M4 buses run along Fifth and Madison Avenues.

Visiting tips

Tickets & hours
Buy tickets online or at the museum. Admission rules differ for New York State residents and some students. Check the official website for prices and hours. Tickets include same-day entry to The Met Cloisters.
Time needed
At least three hours; a full day barely scratches the surface.
Currency
US dollar (USD). Cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere. Tipping is customary: around 18–20% in sit-down restaurants and a dollar or two per drink in bars.
Safety
The emergency number is 911.
Visa & entry
Citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries (including the UK, most EU countries, Australia and Japan) need an approved ESTA before they travel; most other visitors need a visa. Canadian citizens generally need neither for a short visit. Apply only on the official site esta.cbp.dhs.gov and check travel.state.gov for the current rules.

Official information: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (official website). Check opening hours, prices and entry rules there before you go.

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