The Met Cloisters is another branch of the famous Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Met.
Contrary to The Met Fifth Avenue, which is dedicated to modern art, the Met Cloisters is your time machine back to the good old days of the Middle Ages.
The Met Cloisters houses several beautiful and stunning pieces of art that offer a sneak peek into the Middle Ages.
The Cloisters was opened in 1938 and has gone beyond displaying and preserving the museum’s components since then.
Let us learn more about The Met Cloisters to help you plan a hassle-free and exciting trip to the Museum.
A Quick Glance at the Met Cloisters
Hours: 10 am to 5 pm (closed on Wednesday)
Last Entry: 4 pm
Time Needed: 2 to 3 hours
Best Time to Visit: Early mornings during weekdays in Spring/Fall
Must-Try:
- The Merode Altarpiece, also known as Robert Camping’s Annunciation Triptych
- Tiny prayer book that the Queen of France once owned
- Austrian glass-stained windows
- Cloisters Ivory Cross
Location: 99 Margaret Corbin Dr, New York, NY 10040. Get Directions.
Ticket Cost: $63
What to Expect at The Met Cloisters
The Met Cloisters is very different from the original Met Fifth Avenue Museum.
This is the country’s first and only museum dedicated exclusively to curating, conserving, and promoting art dating to the Middle Ages.
The picturesque museum is situated overlooking the beautiful Hudson River in Fort Tyron Park in the Northern Manhattan region.
Naturally, visitors can expect to see a range of collections dating to the Middle Ages.
The museum’s exclusive collection contains some of the finest royal pieces, such as a tiny prayer book previously owned by a French Queen.
Apart from the significant and vital collection, the museum has beautiful gardens that make for a picture-perfect spot for all your Instagram posts.
The Met Cloisters NYC’s bespoke gardens, namely, the Judy Black Garden at Cuxa Cloister and the lush green gardens in Bonnefont and Trie Cloisters, are worth seeing.
The beautiful gardens, with the rustic structure in the backdrop, set the tone for the Met Cloisters NYC’s theme and dedication to the Middle Ages.
Where to Buy The Met Cloisters Ticket
The Met Cloisters tickets are available online and offline, but we recommend you purchase them online.
Getting the ticket online has several benefits, including the fact that online tickets are usually cheaper than offline tickets.
Visitors are also saved from the hassle of standing in long queues.
The Met General Admission tickets also include access to the Met Cloisters, so visitors do not need to purchase separate tickets.
You can also get upgrades on their admission tickets and add-ons like private tours, small group tours, etc.
Since the Met tickets sell out very fast, booking your tickets in advance is better to avoid any last-minute disappointments.
How do The Met Cloisters Online Tickets Work
The tickets are instantly delivered to your smartphone, and guests can show the smartphone tickets to gain access to the museum quickly.
The Met Cloisters Entry ticket also includes access to The Met Fifth Avenue.
MET Cloisters Entry Ticket
The Met Cloisters skip-the-line tickets give you access to the museum without waiting in long queues at the venue.
Visitors can also upgrade their tickets and choose private, small group, or self-guided tours to make the best of their trip.
The ticket includes:
- The Met and the Met Cloisters entry ticket
- Skip-the-line access to the museums (through group entrance if you choose the group tour option while booking)
- The Met and the Met Cloisters’ guided tour with a licensed guide (if you choose the guided tour option while booking)
The Met Cloisters Ticket Prices
The Met Cloisters ticket prices are $63 for adults over 12 years and $60 for kids between the ages of 2 and 11.
The Met Cloisters ticket private tour upgrade costs $160 for adults and children.
The minor group tour update costs $126 for adults over 12 years old and $100 for kids between 2 and 11 years old.
| Tickets | Prices |
|---|---|
| Self-Guided Tour Adult Ticket (12+ years) | $63 |
| Self-Guided Tour Child Ticket (2 to 11 years) | $60 |
| Private Tour Adult Ticket (12+ years) | $160 |
| Private Tour Child Ticket (2 to 11 years) | $160 |
| Small Group Tour Adult Ticket (12+ years) | $126 |
| Small Group Tour Child Ticket (2 to 11 years) | $100 |
Met Pay As You Wish
The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters have standard ticket prices for adults and children, but there is an exception for residents and students in certain areas.
The Met Cloisters offers a Pay As You Wish option to all New York State residents and New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey students.
The Pay As You Wish is implemented to make the museums and collections of modern art affordable and accessible to all.
Under this scheme, eligible visitors can pay whatever they wish to and enter and explore the museums.
Visitors must note that entry is not free for eligible visitors, and they are expected to pay at least $1.
Met Cloisters Audio Guide
The Met Cloisters Audio guide is your digital guide to important, interesting information and facts about the Museum and its components.
Visitors can download the audio guide app on their smartphone by visiting the official website.
You must scan the QR code on the website and download the application on your smartphone or tablet to access the guide’s content from home or anywhere else.
Bloomberg Connects, or the Met Cloisters app, are free arts and culture apps you can use to connect audio guides.
The audio guide app helps you access the artworks at all the Met Museums- The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters.
The Met Cloisters audio guide features:
- The Met Cloisters collection highlights tours in two languages – English and Spanish
- The Kids and Families tour
- The Art and Music tour
Top Masterpieces at The Met Cloisters
Several worthy art pieces at The Met Cloisters are worth your time and money.
Here is a list of the top masterpieces at The Met Cloisters:
- Cloisters Ivory Cross
The Cloisters Ivory Cross is a beautiful piece of Romanesque art example, carved out of Walrus Ivory.
The altar cross contains 92 miniature figures and 98 inscriptions and includes Hebrew prophets, too.
Another notable feature of this cross is that it contained four evangelists’ symbols and was used in the abbey at Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. - The hours of Jeanne d’Evreux
The Hours of Jeanne d’Evreux is a small and tiny prayer book, and what makes it unique is that Jeanne d’Exreux, a former French Queen, once owned it.
The prayer book, as understandable, is named after its royal owner and is a stunning illuminated manuscript completed by 1328.
The book features intricate illustrations and also contains religious texts. - Rober Campin’s AnnunciationTriptych, also known as the Merode Altarpiece
The Flemish painter Robert Campin’s Masterpiece is housed at The Met Cloisters NYC and is considered among the Museum’s top masterpieces.
The masterpiece shows Gabriel, the angel, greeting Mary at the center while St Joseph is on the right and two benefactors on the left.
It also features a vase of lilies that symbolize Mary’s purity. - The Belles Heures, or The Beautiful Hours
The Belles Heures, or The Beautiful Hours, was completed in 1409 by John, the Duke of Berry.
It is an illuminated manuscript and is famous worldwide for its stunning illustrations and features seven picture cycles.
The said picture cycles are devoted to prominent Christian figures. - Bust of the Virgin
The Bust of Virgin at The Met Cloisters originally dates back to the 1390s and is a medieval Bohemian sculpture.
The Bust of Virgin is a sculpture of the bust of the crowned Virgin and not her complete body. It shows her in a sorrowful expression with a crown on her head.
How to Reach The Met Cloisters
The Met Cloisters is easily accessible for visitors using different modes of transportation such as buses, the subway, and by car.
Here is how you can easily reach The Met Cloisters NYC:
By Bus
Take the M4 bus without stopping between the last stop from Madison Avenue/83rd Street.
By Subway
Take the A train to 190th Street; exit the subway station using the elevator.
Now you must walk north along Margater Corbin and drive for nearly 10 minutes.
Alternatively, you may transfer to the M4 bus and ride north one stop.
By Car
Take the Henry Hudson Parkway northbound and take the first exit after the George Washington Bridge.
Keep in mind that this exit is exclusively accessible from the northbound lane.
When coming from the north, you must take the Henry Hudson Parkway southbound, exit at 14 and 15, and make a U-turn now.
After that, ride approximately one mile north and take the exit marked Fort Tyron Park & The Cloisters.
Met Cloister Opening Hours
The Met Cloister remains open from 10 am to 5 pm on all days of the week, except on Wednesdays.
The Met Cloisters remain closed on Wednesdays.
Besides Wednesdays, The Met Cloisters NYC remains closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas (25 December), and New Year (1 January).
Best Time to Visit The Met Cloisters
The most ideal time of the day to visit The Met Cloisters is at 10 am when the Museum opens.
Visiting early lets you stay ahead before the crowd gets there, allowing you to explore some collections peacefully.
The Met Cloisters remain more crowded during the weekends, so visiting The Met Cloisters during weekdays is a great idea if you wish to avoid the crowds.
The Met Cloisters NYC attracts more tourists during the winter months, especially around the holiday season, as it is the peak tourist season in New York around Christmas and New Year.
Spring and Fall are the ideal months to visit The Met Cloisters.
How Long Does It Take at The Met Cloisters
The time taken at any attraction or tourist destination depends on the kind of tourist you are, and the same goes for The Met Cloisters NYC.
Exploring The Met Cloisters takes significantly less time than The Met Fifth Avenue, which takes anywhere from six to seven hours if explored thoroughly.
Exploring The Met Cloisters with justice takes around three to four hours if the Museum is not too crowded.
It might take more than three to four hours on jam-packed days, but the general advice is to keep around three hours if you want to explore The Met Cloisters.
If you want to explore the cafes and stores, it can take around four hours to explore The Met Cloisters NYC.
Contents
FAQs related to The Met Cloisters
1. What is The Met Cloisters?
The Met Cloisters is another branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art or The Met at Fifth Avenue.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eThe Met Cloisters is dedicated to European medieval art dating back to the Middle Ages and includes some pieces from Romanesque and Gothic periods.
2. How long does it take to see The Met Cloisters?
Exploring The Met Cloisters normally takes around three to four hours when the museum is not too crowded, including the Trie Cafe and The Met Cloisters Store.
3. Where is The Met Cloisters parking?
The Met Cloisters has no dedicated parking space, but guests can use the free parking facility at Fort Tyron Park.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eThere are, however, two free designated parking spaces in front of The Met Cloisters for visitors with disabilities.
4. Can you get married at The Met Cloisters?
You can rent The Met Cloisters for your wedding ceremony, and the museum offers a picturesque and unique setting for wedding celebrations and other events.
5. Are The Met Cloisters free?
The Met Cloisters are free for museum members and patrons who can avail themselves of free and unlimited entry into The Met Cloisters and guests under two years of age.
Featured Image: Wikipedia.org