The Met Cloisters in New York

The Met Cloisters in New York

The Met Cloisters in New York is a museum constructed in the style of a medieval European monastery. Situated in the northernmost tip of Manhattan and surrounded by beautiful gardens. Furthermore, the museum is part of the renowned Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. The building alone is worth a visit. Already visited the main New York attractions? Or, are you a big fan of museums? You should certainly consider paying a visit to The Met Cloisters.

Buy The Met tickets including same-day admission to The Met Cloisters

The Cloisters Collection

The museum’s primary focus is European medieval art and architecture: the impressive collection comprises almost 5000 works. See sculptures, stained glass, tapestries and much more. The majority of the collection dates from the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries. The collection, as well as the land on which the museum sits belonged to John D. Rockefeller Jr. The Met Cloisters is not a large museum, in fact, you can see the entire collection in around an hour and a half.

Eric’s Tip: One of this museum’s main highlights is the surrounding gardens. Full of trees, much as the park where The Met Cloisters is located. It’s a good idea to plan your visit when the trees are green. In addition, pay a visit to the museum cafe, open from April to October.

The Met Cloisters in New York - Medieval Art The Met Cloisters in New York - Tapestry

Medieval Cloisters

The impressive building that houses this division of The Met seems like it has been here for centuries. In fact, the cloisters weren’t built as such. Rather, it was constructed as a museum in the 1930s. Most noteworthy, the original materials from several different European monasteries were used to piece together this beautiful building.

The Met Cloisters in New York - Garden The Met Cloisters in New York - Architecture

Eric’s Tip: The entrance fee is included in the tickets to the Met, therefore it is not possible to buy separate tickets to this museum. Due to the long travel time to The Met Cloisters, visiting both museums in one day may be difficult.

Practical  Information

  • Opening hours:
    • The museum is open from Thursday to Tuesday
    • Closed on Wednesdays
    • Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day
  • Location: 99 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park
  • Getting there: The Met Cloisters is in Fort Tryon Park, around 30 minutes away by subway from Midtown Manhattan. The A train takes you directly from Times Square to the museum.

Buy The Met tickets including same-day admission to The Met Cloisters

About the Author

Hey there, I'm Eric! I'm a true New York fan with over 20 years of experience visiting and living in NYC. Here on my website, I share all my tips and valuable information to help you make the most of your trip. I personally test and regularly re-test everything on my site to ensure that what I write is useful, honest, and always up-to-date.
If you have questions, need more free tips, or want me to check your itinerary, please email me at eric@newyork.co.uk. You can also follow me on Facebook to get daily updates from New York.

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