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BEFORE YOU GO TO THE MUSEUM
The extraordinary Metropolitan Museum of Art is located at 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028. Hours may vary, so please check before planning your visit. Unfortunately, times have changed, and you cannot walk into the museum and get your tickets for the day as you did before.
There are now timed tickets; purchasing online before you go best. General Admission Tickets are $25 for adults, $17 for seniors, and $12 for students. Free for Members, Patrons, and children under 12. The best time to visit is in the morning when they open or before closing. Social distancing and masks are required during your visit.
I had to decide if I wanted to drive into New York or take public transportation. I was taking my children and thought it would be safer for us to go in. However, I knew parking would be a bit pricy, so I researched different garages and places to park nearby.
If you put the destination in Google maps, a list of places to park will come up. I chose ParkWhiz, and although they have mixed reviews, we had a great experience, and the cost was low. Although I scheduled three hours to park, I should have scheduled longer, but I will next time.
We parked two blocks from the museum, so walking was not a big problem. However, wearing comfortable shoes is highly recommended. There was no coat check, so I brought a tote bag to place my coat in. It was a warm day in October, so we all had thin jackets. We took some water due to all the walking we would be doing. There is a restaurant in the museum to eat at.
THE EXHIBITS TO EXPLORE
The Metropolitan Museum of Art was the idea of prominent lawyer John Jay. With a group of friends, he incorporated the museum in 1870 at its first location on Fifth Avenue and 54th Street. As a result, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is recognized as one of the world’s great art galleries.
I suggest getting a map and planning the exhibits you want to visit first. It is like a maze in the museum. Again, we spent three hours here and still did not complete our visit. I have not been to the museum in over 16 years. I think I was more excited than my kids. It felt great introducing them to great art and discoveries worldwide.
AFRICAN ART AT THE MET
I wanted to be an archeologist and discover magnificent relics of history. Indiana Jones and Lara Croft from Tomb Raider are two of my favorite movies. Yes, I’m a nerd. We stepped back into a time of diverse culture from 3000 B.C.E. to the present. Exhibits include decorative and ceremonial objects, sculptures, and images of gods, ancestors, and spirits.
There is currently a fight for control of Africa’s art objects. Yet, museums worldwide hold some of Africa’s most treasured artifacts, stolen initially during the slave trade and the colonial period. I feel honored to witness these precious artifacts that show a time in history when my ancestors were a flourishing country.
The Egyptian government gifted the United States the Temple of Dendur, built by the Roman emperor Augustus around 15 B.C., to glorify the goddess Isis. The Egyptian exhibit has 39 galleries filled with approximately 26,000 pieces dating back to the Paleolithic period.
There is a collection of Greek and Roman Art from the Neolithic period to the Roman emperor Constantine’s conversion to Christianity in A.D. 312. It includes the art of many cultures and is among the most comprehensive in North America.
ART FOR EVERYONE
There is something for everyone to enjoy at the museum. You will be consumed with so much history and fall into the painting of what the artist thought when creating their masterpiece. Sometimes, I wish I could pick up a paintbrush and paint.
To get a brush and let your hands do all the work is incredible. To have the mind and talent to illustrate your inner thoughts is beyond amazing to me. Words cannot describe the feeling I get from these paintings.
There are many virtual tours if you can not visit the museum. Watch my video of all the beautiful and fascinating paintings and sculptures.
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