The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met is one of the largest and greatest art museums on earth, holding some five thousand years of human creativity across two million works, from Egyptian temples and Greek marbles to European masters, arms and armour, and American art. On the edge of Central Park, it is so vast that it rewards focus rather than an attempt to see it all.

What you actually see

• The Temple of Dendur - the whole Egyptian temple reassembled in its glass hall.
• European paintings - the great galleries of Vermeer, Rembrandt and the Impressionists.
• The American Wing and arms and armour - the sweeping national and knightly collections.
• The rooftop garden - the seasonal roof with a view over Central Park.

When to go

Year-round; a fully indoor museum, ideal for any weather and worth a half day at least. Weekday mornings are quietest; the rooftop is a summer highlight.

Honest expectations

It is enormous, so trying to see everything exhausts, and choosing a few wings is wiser. It is busy, especially at weekends and around famous works. Admission is charged for most visitors, though New York residents pay what they wish.

Nearby

Central Park is at its doorstep; the Guggenheim and the other Museum Mile galleries are along Fifth Avenue.