With a wealth of fantastic art galleries to choose from, this was the one that we picked, on the basis that it would be more manageable than the Met and there were more top attractions that we wanted to see than in the Frick Collection, which were my other two top contenders for which gallery to go to on this trip. It's not cheap at $20 entrance fee, but there is a substantial student discount if you have a student card, so make sure you have it with you, and entry is then only $12.

If you're short of time, then just head for levels 4 and 5, which are the main painting and sculpture floors, with so many astoundingly famous paintings that are so familiar, but seeing them 'in the flesh' finally made the wait worthwhile, although it's at times a bit overwhelming constantly turning a corner and being confronted by yet another painting that I've had a postcard of stuck on some wall in my house for years!

The water lilies have always been a favourite of mine, but there are other Monets that I've seen in galleries which I thought surpassed what I thought of as the water lilies. Finally seeing it in all its full, extended glory, all I could do was sit and gaze and be totally overwhelmed by its beauty. Definitely one the most intense art-induced experiences of my life.

There is a fantastic mixture in this gallery - from the more traditional Impressionist and Post-Impressionist romantic nature-inspired pieces, some fabulously coloured Goyas, which are beautifully intense when you see the real thing, through a huge collection of Picasso's work and most of the other famous names of the 20th century and into some great Pop Art pieces and more modern work by people such as Elizabeth Murray.

Other levels have a lot more installation-type work, which I found a lot more interesting than in a lot of other galleries I've been to - and a very spooky pitch-black corridor leading to a room where you're not quite sure where the floor ends and the walls begin (I remember a similar experience in the Guggenheim in Bilbao, probably the result of the same artist), which freaked me out quite a lot. There is some great film work in these lower galleries as well, definitely worth checking out if you have the time. Unfortunately, having a plane to catch meant that we didn't make it to the photography exhibitions.

Well worth the $12, and I'm glad this was the choice we made - the Met and the Frick will have to wait for another visit!

We were there for the temporary exhibition Contemporary Voices: Works from The UBS Art Collection, which was a collection of some of the best work from the past 40 years, a mixture of household names with lesser-known artists, which was very interesting.

The main collection is too big to see at once, so we decided to stick with the paintings and photography, and even that proved to be too much to take in. There were paintings by most of the big names in modern art: Picasso, Dali, Van Gogh, Pollack, Matisse, Warhol, and Lichtenstein. Warhol's "Campbell's Soup Cans" were impressive en masse, but some of the other paintings weren't given as much space, so it was quite easy to almost walk past a masterpiece or two, as we nearly did with Van Gogh's "Starry Night." The photography was equally interesting, but we didn't see much of it before art fatigue hit my partner and we left.

I would certainly like to go again and see more of the collection.

The museum was started in the 1920s by visionaries like John Rockefeller. During the rise of Nazis in Europe, New York quickly became the hub of the modern art world and MoMA was at the center of this growth. The museum was important to promote modern artists like Pollock, Warhol, and Arbus. Today the museum has grown and has a collection of over 150,000 paintings, sculptures, and photographs. Even today, the museum is expanding and growing.

When you enter, you fell the space around you. The museum is not cluttered or boxed in. There is glass, and there are ceilings and atriums that rise up for stories. The museum feels clean and, yes, modern. It allows you to focus on the art.

When you go to the Louvre, you must see Mona Lisa. Here, it's important that you don't miss Starry Nights by Van Gogh, Lavender Mist by Pollock, and the soup cans by Andy Warhol. These are just a few of the "don't-miss" paintings. There are also Picassos, Koonings, and works by Jasper Jones. Many of these works have defined the modern art movement.

I love photography, and MoMA has an outstanding collection of photgraphs. I love the work of Diane Arbus, and some of her most brillant portraits hang here.

In the center of the museum is a wonderful garden. The Abbey Adrich Rockefeller Garden is an oasis in this urban jungle. It's peaceful and inviting. It's the kind of place where, on a warm summer day, you can just spend hours, getting lost in your thoughts and people-watching.

The museum houses three cafes and restaurants. The admission fee is $20 for adults and free for childern under 16. Make sure you save room for some museum shop time. The museum gift shop has a wonderful collection of books and posters. However they also have some unique items like toys, office items, and unique household items. You will always find something here that you can not find anywhere else. The also have a design store acorss the street.

The museum is expanding and the collections do change. The museum often has special exhibits that can be checked out on their website. If you plan to do one art museum while in New York, I would suggest you don't miss MoMA.

NOTE TO PHOTOGRAPHERS:

MoMA, unlike most museums, not only allows photography but actually encourages it, just as long as you don't use a flash.

If you want to see the entire museum, expect to spend several hours there. With the $20 entrance fee, you'll want to get your money's worth.

On Saturdays and Sundays, you'll have to compete with other art appreciators to get an up-close and unobstructed view of the most popular works.

If the weather is nice, grab a chair and plan to linger outside in the garden.