Metropolitan Museum of Art
On the 13th of April 1870, the New York State Legislature granted an Act of Incorporation to establish a Museum and Library of Art in New York City. This legislation created a legal entity with the goal of encouraging the study of fine arts and providing popular instruction to the public. The founders included businessmen, financiers, artists, and thinkers who wanted to bring art education to American people. Theodore Roosevelt Sr., father of the future president, was among these early leaders. Henry Gurdon Marquand donated a significant portion of his Old Masters paintings to help build the fledgling institution. John Taylor Johnston, a railroad executive whose personal collection seeded the museum, served as its first president. George Palmer Putnam came on board as founding superintendent. Eastman Johnson and Frederic Edwin Church acted as co-founders alongside other industrialists and scientists. Luigi Palma di Cesnola became the first director in 1879 and served until 1904. The museum first opened to the public on the 20th of February 1872, housed at 681 Fifth Avenue. Initial holdings consisted of a Roman stone sarcophagus and 174 mostly European paintings. By 1873, the growing collection required more space than the original building could provide. The museum moved to the Mrs. Nicholas Cruger Mansion at 128 West 14th Street that same year. Between 1879 and 1895, the institution operated educational programs known as the Metropolitan Museum of Art Schools.
Negotiations with New York City officials in 1871 secured land between East Park Drive, Fifth Avenue, and the transverse roads from 79th to 85th Street in Central Park. Calvert Vaux designed the first part of the new building as a red-brick and stone structure. Richard Morris Hunt and his son Richard Howland Hunt created the Beaux-Arts style facade, Great Hall, and Grand Stairway during the late 1890s and early 1900s. The firm McKim, Mead & White completed additional wings on the Fifth Avenue facade by 1910. Roche-Dinkeloo added modernistic glass sides and rear sections later. The current main building measures over 2 million square feet, making it more than 20 times larger than the original 1880 structure. This accretion includes over 20 structures, most invisible from the exterior. The museum received city landmark designation in 1967 for its interior and again in 1986 as a National Historic Landmark. John D. Rockefeller Jr. led the principal project that became The Cloisters, located in Fort Tryon Park. Completed in 1938, this separate building houses medieval European works exclusively. Five thousand objects at The Cloisters include the Belles Heures of Jean de France illustrated by the Limbourg Brothers in 1409. The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden sits near the southwestern corner of the main building. From 2016 to 2020, the museum operated the Met Breuer gallery at 945 Madison Avenue before the Frick Collection took over the space. In January 2018, president Daniel Weiss announced a $25 charge for out-of-state visitors starting March 2018. The museum temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, marking the first closure exceeding three consecutive days in over a century.
The permanent collection spans seventeen curatorial departments covering global art history from ancient Egypt to contemporary works. More than 2 million works exist within these divisions, though current listings show approximately 1.5 million items. The Egyptian department contains over 26,000 pieces ranging from the Paleolithic era through the Ptolemaic period. Among rarest items are thirteen wooden models discovered in 1920 depicting daily life scenes from early Middle Kingdom Egypt. William the Faience Hippopotamus serves as an informal mascot while the Temple of Dendur remains a centerpiece attraction since its installation in 1978. Asian art holds more than 35,000 pieces representing four thousand years of civilization including Cambodian, Indian, Chinese, Nepalese, Tibetan, Burmese, and Thai traditions. The Astor Court recreates a Ming Dynasty-style garden courtyard modeled after Suzhou's Master of the Nets Garden. European paintings number over 2,625 works spanning thirteenth through early twentieth centuries housed across multiple galleries. The Robert Lehman Collection includes 2,600 works donated upon banker Robert Lehman's death in 1969. Arms and armor features fourteen thousand objects including flint bifaces dating back 700,000, 200,000 BCE. Costume Institute maintains over 35,000 costumes and accessories displayed annually through rotating exhibitions rather than permanent installations. Musical instruments collection contains about five thousand examples from every continent with playable Stradivari violins and a 1720 Cristofori piano among highlights.
Henry Gurdon Marquand provided foundational support by donating Old Masters paintings between 1889 and 1891 that helped establish the museum's solid foundation. Benjamin Altman's bequest in 1913 gave sufficient range and depth to put painting collections on the map. Jules Bache added great paintings in 1949 while Charles and Jayne Wrightsman donated ninety-four high-quality works over decades. Their final contribution arrived with Mrs. Wrightsman's bequest in 2019. Nelson A. Rockefeller donated his more than three-thousand-piece collection of African, Oceanic, and American art in 1969 after founding The Museum of Primitive Art separately. This gift created The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing which opened to public view in 1982 honoring his son who died collecting works in New Guinea. Robert Lehman Foundation donated close to three thousand artworks upon banker Robert Lehman's death in 1969 creating one of most extraordinary private collections assembled in United States. Leonard Lauder promised a billion-dollar Cubist collection worth hundreds of millions received starting April 2013 including Picasso portraits and Juan Gris pieces. Oscar L. Tang and Agnes Hsu-Tang contributed $125 million largest gift in museum history during November 2021 naming modern galleries after them. Ronald S. Lauder promised ninety-one European arms and armor objects described as most significant grouping since 1942. Mary Elizabeth Adams Brown initiated musical instruments collection in 1889 donating two hundred seventy examples that grew to three thousand six hundred by her death.
In December 2021 the Met began its seventy-million-dollar renovation of The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing originally planned for 2020 completion now set for May 2025. Investigations determined an artifact stolen from Egypt in 2011 was returned after being displayed at the institution. The museum came under immense scrutiny regarding hazy provenance of items displayed in Art of Native America exhibition opening July 2018. Patricia Marroquin Norby appointed September 2020 became inaugural Associate Curator of Native American Art following debates surrounding mismanagement of Indigenous art collections. In May 2021 a plaque installed on Fifth Avenue facade recognized indigenous communities and historical Lenapehoking location. Several protests targeted the Met during Israel-Gaza war citing board members' investments in RTX company and lack of public comment around destruction of cultural heritage. Advocates laid a quilt on front steps March 24 calling for Palestinian art showcase from storage. Museum president Daniel Weiss announced review of financial donation policies under pressure from activist group P.A.I.N. regarding Sackler family role in whitewashing institutional history. The institution removed Sackler name from locations within museum December 2021. Financial setbacks reported September 2016 included outstanding debts approaching forty million dollars plus two hundred fifty million bond debt leading to indefinite postponement six-hundred-million-dollar architectural expansion planned for modern art collection.
The Metropolitan Museum recorded five million seven hundred twenty-seven thousand two hundred fifty-eight visitors in 2024 making it most visited museum United States and fourth-most visited globally according to The Art Newspaper the 16th of September 2025 report. Admission policy changed January 2018 charging twenty-five dollars out-of-state and foreign visitors while New York state residents pay what they wish. In 2013 the museum launched Open Access initiative releasing three hundred seventy-five thousand plus images public domain works Creative Commons Zero format available Google BigQuery platforms. Over one point two billion views generated with seven million downloads since digital project began. Thomas J. Watson Library central facility contains nine hundred thousand volumes including eleven thousand periodical titles supporting staff researcher activities accessible anyone eighteen years registering online providing valid photo ID. Nolen Library open general public holds eight thousand items arranged open shelves books picture books DVDs videos children reading room materials teachers. Department Live Arts presents performances Grace Rainey Rogers auditorium galleries main building The Cloisters made available YouTube website platforms. Sarah Jones replaced Limor Tomer 2025 as Head of Live Arts after moving department away from classical recitals customary previously. Since January 2020 museum uploads film archive weekly onto YouTube marking fifteen-hundred films collected since 1920s. Digital Media Department organized purpose increasing access collections resources using expanded website services Sree Sreenivasan first Chief Digital Officer departed 2016 replaced Loic Tallon.
Common questions
When was the Metropolitan Museum of Art established and who were its founders?
The New York State Legislature granted an Act of Incorporation to establish a Museum and Library of Art in New York City on the 13th of April 1870. Founders included businessmen, financiers, artists, and thinkers such as Theodore Roosevelt Sr., Henry Gurdon Marquand, John Taylor Johnston, George Palmer Putnam, Eastman Johnson, and Frederic Edwin Church.
Where is the main building of the Metropolitan Museum of Art located and when did it open to the public?
The museum first opened to the public on the 20th of February 1872 at 681 Fifth Avenue before moving to Central Park land between East Park Drive and 79th to 85th Street. The current main building measures over 2 million square feet and received city landmark designation in 1967 for its interior and again in 1986 as a National Historic Landmark.
What are the key departments and collections within the Metropolitan Museum of Art permanent holdings?
The permanent collection spans seventeen curatorial departments covering global art history from ancient Egypt to contemporary works with more than 2 million works existing within these divisions. Key departments include Egyptian art with over 26,000 pieces, Asian art holding more than 35,000 pieces, European paintings numbering over 2,625 works, and Costume Institute maintaining over 35,000 costumes and accessories.
How many visitors does the Metropolitan Museum of Art receive annually and what is the admission policy?
The Metropolitan Museum recorded five million seven hundred twenty-seven thousand two hundred fifty-eight visitors in 2024 making it the most visited museum United States and fourth-most visited globally according to The Art Newspaper the 16th of September 2025 report. Admission policy changed January 2018 charging twenty-five dollars out-of-state and foreign visitors while New York state residents pay what they wish.
When did the Metropolitan Museum of Art close during the COVID-19 pandemic and how long was the closure?
The museum temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 marking the first closure exceeding three consecutive days in over a century. This event occurred after financial setbacks reported September 2016 included outstanding debts approaching forty million dollars plus two hundred fifty million bond debt leading to indefinite postponement six-hundred-million-dollar architectural expansion planned for modern art collection.