Where MoMA, the Met, and the Guggenheim Are Located in Manhattan

Where exactly are MoMA, the Met, and the Guggenheim?

Three museums. Three distinct neighborhoods. All in Manhattan.

MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) - Address: 11 West 53rd Street, between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue - Neighborhood: Midtown Manhattan - Nearest subway: E/M to Fifth Ave-53rd St, or B/D/F/M to 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Center - MoMA sits in the thick of Midtown, steps from Rockefeller Center and the shops of Fifth Avenue. You walk in off a busy commercial block; inside, it is a different world.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) - Address: 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street - Neighborhood: Upper East Side, right on the eastern border of Central Park - Nearest subway: 4/5/6 to 86th Street, then walk west through the park or along 82nd Street - The Met’s grand staircase faces Fifth Avenue. Behind it, Central Park stretches west. This is Museum Mile territory.

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum - Address: 1071 Fifth Avenue at 89th Street - Neighborhood: Upper East Side, also on Museum Mile - Nearest subway: 4/5/6 to 86th Street, then walk north three blocks on Fifth Avenue - Frank Lloyd Wright’s spiraling white building is impossible to miss. It is seven blocks north of the Met on the same avenue.

Can I visit all three in one day?

Yes, but plan carefully. Each museum deserves at least two hours, and that is moving at a brisk pace.

A smart route: 1. Start at MoMA in Midtown when it opens. 2. Take the 4/5/6 train uptown from 51st Street to 86th Street (about 10 minutes). 3. Walk west to the Met. Spend your time. 4. Walk north on Fifth Avenue for 10 minutes to the Guggenheim.

This sequence moves you from south to north and keeps the two closest museums back to back. Trying to bounce between Midtown and the Upper East Side more than once wastes time.

What are the main differences in what I would see at the Guggenheim versus MoMA?

MoMA holds one of the world’s deepest collections of modern and contemporary art. Think Picasso, Warhol, Monet’s Water Lilies, Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, and Dalí’s The Persistence of Memory. The collection spans painting, sculpture, film, design, photography, and architecture across six floors.

The Guggenheim focuses on modern, Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and contemporary art. Its permanent holdings include major works by Kandinsky, Picasso, Chagall, and Mondrian, plus the Thannhauser Collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces. But the building itself is half the experience. Wright’s continuous spiral ramp means you take an elevator to the top and walk down through the exhibition in one unbroken flow.

In short: MoMA is encyclopedic in scope. The Guggenheim is more curated and architecturally singular.

What famous artworks are currently on display at MoMA?

MoMA’s permanent collection highlights are almost always on view: - Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night (1889), fifth floor - Pablo Picasso, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907), fifth floor - Salvador Dalí, The Persistence of Memory (1931) - Claude Monet, Water Lilies (triptych, 1914-26) - Andy Warhol, Campbell’s Soup Cans (1962) - Henri Matisse, Dance (I) (1909)

Special exhibitions rotate regularly. Check MoMA’s website the week of your visit for what is in the temporary galleries.

Are there any free admission programs or discounts available for MoMA?

MoMA offers free admission every Friday evening from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, courtesy of Uniqlo’s sponsorship (branded as UNIQLO Free Friday Nights). Lines can be long, so arrive by 3:30 pm or after 5:30 pm when the initial rush thins.

Other ways to save: - Members get unlimited free admission and guest passes. - Children under 16 are always free. - Students with valid ID receive a discounted ticket. - New York City residents with a valid IDNYC card receive free admission. - General adult admission is $30 (as of 2024).

What is the story behind the crowd of people taking photos out of the fifth-floor window at MoMA?

On MoMA’s fifth floor, a large window looks directly out over the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden and the Midtown skyline. Visitors cluster there because the view frames the garden’s sculptures against the glass towers of 53rd and 54th Streets. It is one of the best free photo ops in the museum, and it sits right next to the galleries holding The Starry Night and other iconic works, so foot traffic is already heavy. No special installation needed. The architecture does the work.

Ticket prices at a glance

The Met operates on a pay-what-you-wish basis for New York State residents and students from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Everyone else pays the listed price.

Hours worth knowing

• MoMA: Open daily, 10:30 am to 5:30 pm. Fridays open until 8:00 pm. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
• The Met: Open Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Friday and Saturday, 10:00 am to 9:00 pm. Closed Wednesday.
• Guggenheim: Open Thursday through Monday, 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. Saturday, 11:00 am to 8:00 pm. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Always confirm hours on each museum’s website before heading out. Holiday schedules shift.

Local tips

• Coat check is free at all three museums. Use it. You do not want to carry a winter coat through four hours of galleries.
• The Met’s rooftop garden (open seasonally, roughly May through October) offers panoramic views of Central Park and the skyline. It is easy to miss if you do not know to look for it.
• Eat before the Guggenheim. Its café is small. The Met’s dining options are more varied, and Midtown around MoMA has endless choices.
• Buy timed-entry tickets online for MoMA and the Guggenheim to skip the line. The Met allows walk-ups more easily, but timed tickets still save hassle on weekends.