NYC Arts: The Complete Guide to Art and Culture

Travel to ancient Egypt, Greece or Rome, the Near East or Asia, Africa or Oceania, the America of an earlier era, or into the imagination of some of the world's greatest artists. Children can wander through time and space without ever leaving New York during a day at the Metropolitan Museum. One of the world's most important art museums, the Met is a place where children can spend hours at a time discovering their own favorites—many of which their parents or teachers may remember from well-thumbed college texts or coffee-table books. Its encyclopedic collection of great art from virtually all periods and continents gives a new and broader meaning to the term "multicultural."

Children are often attracted to three-dimensional works, and the Met has a plethora: ancient Egyptian sarcophagi carved with messages and prayers; suits of armor that look as if the knights inside are ready to joust; and the glamorous gowns of bygone eras displayed in the Costume Institute. A young person can enjoy one of the numerous special exhibits or be drawn back repeatedly to a precious object or painting in one of the permanent galleries.

In fair weather, street performers entertain near the front steps, delighting crowds in a quintessentially New York setting. No wonder the Met is the city's most popular tourist destination, drawing an attendance nearly twice that of Yankee Stadium annually.

Foreign-language Programs
The museum's website can be viewed in many languages and different audio guide programs are available in a variety of languages. Tours are available in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Guided tours and international guided tours meet in the Great Hall. Workshops for Spanish-speaking families with children between the ages of 4 and 10 take place on a regular basis.  

• Directions: Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 86th Street

• ADA Compliant Restrooms
• Archive
• Audio Guides
• Coat Check
• Disability Access: Fully accessible (wheelchairs, special programs and parking available); call (212) 650-2010 or e-mail access@metmuseum.org to make a reservation or for more information. Group arrangements may be made for groups of individuals with access needs.
• Disability Assistance:

  Hearing: American Sign Language-interpreted programs, captioned lectures and films. Audio guides available in print for the hearing impaired. Assistive listening devices available for tours and programs. Infrared hearing devices with headsets and neckloops available in the Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium and the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education.
  Vision: Large-print materials, verbal imaging tours, touch tours and monthly drawing classes. Audio guides and Braille materials are free for visually impaired visitors.

  Voice (212) 650-2010; TTY (212) 570-3828

• Gift Shops: Toys, games, art kits, cards, art and jewelry reproductions, books, sculptures and more.
• On-Site Food: Cafeteria and formal restaurant; no lunch facilities are available for school groups.
• On-Site Parking: On-site lot (entrance at East 80th Street and Fifth Avenue)
• Tours

Get involved with Metropolitan Museum of Art

• Donations through Metropolitan Museum of Art's Web site
• Memberships