The Cloisters

This is the Metropolitan Museum's medieval branch, opened in 1938 on land given by John D. Rockefeller Jr, who also bought the New Jersey palisades opposite so the view across the Hudson would not be built on. The building is new but incorporates architectural elements from five French monastic cloisters, dismantled and shipped, arranged around gardens planted with species documented in medieval texts and manuscripts. The best-known holding is the set of seven Unicorn Tapestries, woven around 1500, whose meaning is still argued over. There are also the Merode Altarpiece, ivories, stained glass and reliquaries. It is a long way north of the main museum, which keeps it comparatively quiet.

Background

The museum sits in Fort Tryon Park, straddling Washington Heights and Inwood, on a steep hill that gives the building upper and lower levels. Its core came from the sculptor and dealer George Grey Barnard, who acquired the Cuxa, Bonnefont, Saint-Guilhem and Trie-sur-Baïse cloisters in France before 1913, allegedly paying $100,000 for Cuxa. Rockefeller bought his collection for around $700,000, and objects from J. P. Morgan and Joseph Brummer followed. Rockefeller purchased the site in 1930 and gave it to the Metropolitan in 1931. Charles Collens designed the building and its 4 acres of gardens, built over five years from 1934 and opened on May 10, 1938. About 5,000 works are held, mostly from the 12th through 15th centuries.

Source: Wikipedia, "The Cloisters"

What you'll find

• Elements of five French cloisters - shipped and reassembled.
• The seven Unicorn Tapestries - about 1500, meaning still debated.
• Gardens of documented medieval species - planted from texts.
• A protected view across the Hudson - the palisades were bought to keep it.

When to go

April to October for the gardens. Two to three hours.

What to expect

It is far uptown - allow travel time. Gardens are bare in winter. The walk from the subway through the park is uphill. Closed on some days; check before going.

Nearby

Fort Tryon Park surrounds it; Inwood Hill Park is north.

Key facts