Overview

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, known affectionately as The Met, is more than just New York’s premier cultural attraction — it’s one of the world’s greatest repositories of human creativity. Founded in 1870 and located on the eastern edge of Central Park along the famed Fifth Avenue, The Met boasts a collection that spans over 5,000 years and touches every corner of the globe. From the ancient Egyptian Temple of Dendur to European Old Master paintings, from intricate Islamic textiles to Ming Dynasty porcelain, the museum is a tribute to the diversity and depth of global art.

Its grand façade gives way to a maze of galleries, each curated with scholarly precision and visual drama. The Arms and Armour collection dazzles with medieval knights in shining steel; the American Wing evokes the colonial and revolutionary spirit of the United States; and the Costume Institute captures the cultural zeitgeist through fashion. The Met is also renowned for its rotating exhibitions, which blend historical context with contemporary relevance, attracting art lovers, critics, and the curious in equal measure.

But what truly distinguishes The Met is its ability to make the world feel smaller and more connected. Wandering through its halls feels like stepping through time and space — one moment, you’re in a Japanese teahouse, the next, inside a Roman villa or under a Gothic cathedral’s vault. The museum manages to balance scholarly rigour with public accessibility, offering something meaningful to the casual visitor and the seasoned art historian alike. The Met Gala, held annually in its honour, reflects the museum’s cultural cachet — but it’s the everyday experience of awe and wonder that keeps millions returning each year.

Curated by the World Travel Awards