When friends visit and have never been to a museum in the city, I take them to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met.)  It is huge and has a collection of artwork that spans thousands of years and covers the entire globe.  Simple as that.

However, not all New York museums focus on broad collections.  Some represent niche areas of the art world and have a specific style of artwork or region of the world.  The New Museum is just that; a contemporary art museum located on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

Before attending, I would suggest checking out the website to see what collection is currently being exhibited.  If you are familiar with the artists or what to learn more, you can spend a lot of time immersing yourself in their artwork.  If you are not, or just looking to check out a museum, then you can spend about an hour in the New Museum briefly checking of the work as you stroll through the multiple story building.

Admission is $16 for adults and photography is allowed in the galleries (without flash.)

Below is a quick photo tour of the museum before your next visit.