Your guide to The Metropolitan Museum of Art hours & best time to visit

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Metropolitan Museum of Art Highlights Guided Tour with Skip-the-Line Access

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Best time to visit the The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Weekday vs Weekend

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Closed

Peak season vs low season

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Your guide to The Metropolitan Museum of Art's opening hours & best time to visit

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Timings: The Met is open between 10 AM and 5 PM from Sunday to Tuesday, and on Thursday. It is open from 10 AM to 9 PM on Friday and Saturday.

Night hours: Open until 9 PM on Friday and Saturday.

Closed: Wednesdays, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day, and the first Monday in May.

Duration of visit: With tens of thousands of objects on view at any given time in The Met's two-million-square-foot building, give yourself about 3-4 hours to explore the museum’s various collections.

Best time to visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Peak season vs low season

  • Late May through early September are peak tourist months in New York city with holiday goers making the most of the Summer months and warmer weather.
  • The museum would offer a great respite from the summer heat. You can easily spend hours exploring The Met while still getting the full New York experience albeit with some air conditioning.
  • Visiting New York in late Spring which falls in late March through late April will mean lesser tourist footfall. Winter falls between December and February in New York and the city will be bustling with winter activities.

Peak season: May to September
Low season: December to March

Weekday vs weekend

  • Wednesday and Thursday mornings are often less busy than other times of the week at The Met. Mornings are generally less busy than afternoons and evenings.
  • For smaller crowds, shorter lines and a quieter experience, visit The Met on weekdays.
  • With fewer people around, you can also spend as much time as you want on each collection and on your favorite artwork.

How long should I spend at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

We suggest you keep aside three to four hours when you plan on visiting The Met. The Museum is one of the biggest in the world in terms of size and has an exhaustive collection of artwork spread across various galleries.

You might not be able to completely enjoy the full museum in one visit. Make the most of your visit to The Met through guided tours.

These guided tours help you cover the must-visit attractions within the museum while giving you brief histories of the artwork. This includes walking through the Ancient Egyptian Galleries to see the Temple of Dendur, seeing paintings by famous artists like Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet, and more!

Frequently asked questions about The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art welcomes visitors from 10 AM to 5 PM from Sunday to Tuesday, and on Thursday, extending its hours to 9 PM on Friday and Saturday.