Dashing Through The Metropolitan Museum of Art!

Located on 5th Avenue and attached to Central Park in New York City is the famous Metropolitan Museum of Art.  On most days, the Metropolitan Museum of Art closes at 5:30pm, making it difficult to visit if you’re someone who works a 9 to 5.  On Fridays, though, the Met stays open to 9pm, making it the perfect Friday evening activity to enjoy in the city!  I went this past Friday and was wowed by some of the incredible exhibits.

Any New Yorker will tell you that entry to the Met is free.  When you actually get there, though, you’ll see signs that say admission is $25.  Don’t let this fool you!  Anyone can enjoy the Met for free simply because these admission rates are actually just “recommended.”  Will it potentially feel awkward asking for a ticket without handing over cash? Maybe. But don’t let that deter you from sticking to your plans of enjoying a cheap/free activity! (The city is an expensive place, after all! That said, the museum does sustain itself on these “donations” people give to get in.)  Realistically, you can pay whatever you want to get in, even if that means paying nothing.

I visited the Met once before a few years ago while in college with my art history class.  I certainly forgot how huge the museum is and just how many different exhibits and galleries there are!  One of my favorites, though, is the ancient Egyptian one, so I made a beeline for it first thing.

You could spend days in the Met just looking at everything, nevermind reading the descriptions.  I, however, always have the read about the objects/paintings/sculptures/art I find interesting, so quite a bit of my time was spent on that (I mean, who doesn’t want to know more about the tomb they’re staring at? Ancient mummies, anyone??).

A hugely popular exhibit at the Met is the Temple of Dendur.  It was transported from Egypt in 1965 and is set up so that visitors can walk all around it and inside.  It is definitely a must-see!

After spending much time with the Egyptians, I continued onward and happened upon a wonderful exhibit that was not there on my previous visit.  Called “China: Through The Looking Glass,” this new exhibit (only around until September 7th, 2015) explores the aesthetics of Chinese culture and influence in Western high-fashion.  On display were modern, high-fashion pieces from the likes of Dior and Yves Saint Laurent juxtaposed with traditional Chinese art and garments hundreds of years old.

As far as museum exhibits go, this one definitely tops my favorites list.  Many of the exhibit rooms also featured film clips of how Chinese culture is perceived via Western film.  Coupled with thunderous sound tracks and traditional Chinese music, the exhibit felt rather “alive.”

After realizing how little time was left before closing, I was able to quickly dash through the Arms and Armour galleries, visit the Greco-Roman art, and also see some Van Gogh! Until August 16th, 2015, Van Gogh’s Irises and Roses are on display.  They are fantastic works and there is even a small digital display showing what the coloring originally looked like (they have faded tremendously over time).  I stood there for quite some time admiring them.  Unfortunately, no photos were allowed.  (There was a rather intimidating guard man curtly scolding everyone who dared take out their phones or cameras.)

A quick run through Arms and Armour was next, where there were some truly beautiful weapons and armour on display, including ornate rifles, rapiers, and even suits of armour worn by King Henry VIII.

I easily wished I had more time to explore the entire museum – there’s just so much to see!  If you ever plan to visit yourself, keep these things in mind:

1. The museum is huge, so make sure you have ample time (a whole day, ideally).
2. Admission is free.
3. There is a rooftop cafe and bar with some nice views!
4. There is truly something for everyone to enjoy!