Museum Mile

An area consisting of nine different museums all along central park and 5th Avenue. There is The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Goethe-Institut New York/German Cultural Center, Neue Galerie New York, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, The Jewish Museum, Museum of the City of New York and El Museo del Barrio.

Quick Tips:

Most of these museums are city run, so admission tends to be either suggested or severely cheap. And it is all within a general walking distance.

Best Way To Get Around:

Best thing to do is to take the 4/5/6 train to 86th Street stop and walk over to The Met on 85th Street and 5th Avenue and walk north. The last museum is on 105th Street and 5th Avenue.

Opened in 1872 and relocated more than a major sports team, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (www.metmuseum.org) in New York is by far one of the most unique and interesting museums in the world. Situated right on 5th Avenue and 85th Street, The Met is in a prime locale for those looking to escape the world or take a break form the park.

Admission is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and $10 for students. But here is the kicker. It is suggested! Really! You can pay whatever you want and no one cares. Pay a dime and treated just as well as someone who paid full price. I went with two other people and only paid a total of $0.75, as opposed to the $60 we would have paid if we paid full price. And with everything that this museum has to offer, the price can’t be beat, no matter what you pay.

Depending on where you pay, you can start in any of the three entrances that bring into different past worlds of wonder. The first room that has to be a must-do on your list is the Egyptian Room. This room is amazing. Complete with tombs, hieroglyphics, the Book of the Dead, and even a Temple, this section is the coolest attraction. The Book of the Dead is one interesting thing, being that it is the first written book of what happens in the after life. The Temple of Dendur is also a fun sight because you get to actually walk into it and look around.

A great seasonal attraction is the Roof Garden, which is open between spring and mid-fall, overlooks Central Park and has some of the most unique sculptures on display. The exhibit on display now is that of Frank Stella who created some very strange looking sculptures with original ideas. Other great areas of interest are those of the Renaissance Sculptures, the Medieval paintings, the musical section (a whole floor of different instruments throughout time), art from Asia and the Americas, Greek and Roman art and Modern and Contemporary art.

When you find yourself tired from Central Park or in need of a cultural boost to your brain, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (or the Met) should be your first stop. Located right at the bottom of Museum Mile, the Met is full of amazement and wonder and guaranteed to make the child inside awake with excitement.