From art to design to history, the museums on the Upper East Side have a lot to offer.
If you love going to museums, the Upper East Side is an incredible neighborhood to visit. This neighborhood in Manhattan is home to some of the best museums in the city. Some of them are located on Museum Mile but there are also great museums in other parts of the Upper East Side. The collections of the museums are very diverse and there are interesting events at some of the museums, so there’s something for everyone’s liking!
In this Upper East Side museums guide, you can find the best museums in the neighborhood!
Museums on the Upper East Side
The Met
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, or The Met as it is more commonly called, is the largest art museum in the United States, and you can find it on the Upper East Side. It is also one of the largest museums in the world.
The Met has a very large collection of works of art, in total the collection has more than 2 million unique works.
Moreover, the works that you can find at the museum are very diverse as well and cover a large period of time, and the art in its collection also comes from all across the world. From works from ancient Egypt to American modern art to paintings by European Old Masters, you can find them at the museum.
Because there’s so much to see at the museum, you might need more than one day to see everything that you want to see!
Address: 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is also one of the most famous museums in the city. This is a museum on the Upper East Side with a large permanent collection of modern and contemporary art.
The museum’s collection contains works of a wide variety of art styles. For example, there are works of surrealism, impressionism, and many other styles.
Moreover, the works at the museum were created by famous artists, such as Marcel Duchamp, Vincent van Gogh, Camille Pissarro, and Robert Morris.
The bowl-shaped building of the museum is also very special as it has a unique modern architectural design and was designed by the famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Address: 1071 5th Ave, New York, NY 10128
Asia Society and Museum
The Asia Society Museum is a museum of the Asia Society, which is an organization with a focus on educating the world about the continent of Asia.
Temporary exhibitions often take place at the Asia Society Museum. These include both exhibitions of classic and contemporary visual art. The exhibitions showcase objects that are very diverse and may include Chinese ceramics and paintings, and contemporary Asian art.
Moreover, other types of events also take place at the museum. For example, there are often film screenings and performances.
Address: 725 Park Ave, New York, NY 10021
Frick Madison
Frick Madison is the temporary home of The Frick Collection and is located at 945 Madison Avenue, which used to be the location of several other art museums.
You can find The Frick Collection’s works here, while the historic buildings of the Frick are closed for renovations.
At Frick Madison, you can see the works of the Frick in chronological order and the works are organized by region, which is in contrast to the presentation of the works in the original buildings.
At Frick Madison, you can see amazing paintings and sculptures by some of the world’s most famous artists, such as Titian, Vermeer, Goya, and Bellini.
Address: 945 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10021
The Jewish Museum
The Jewish Museum is an interesting museum on the Upper East Side that you can find at 1109 Fifth Avenue. The museum can be found along Museum Mile.
The Jewish Museum is the first Jewish museum in the country and has a large permanent collection through which you can learn about Jewish culture and see Jewish art. In total, the collection comprises about 30,000 objects.
Through the objects of the museum, you can learn about Jewish history, but you can also find modern and contemporary Jewish art at the museum. Moreover, the objects in the museum’s collection come from all areas of the world where Jewish people used to live.
Some of the artists whose works you can find at The Jewish Museum include Andy Warhol, Reuven Rubin, and James Tissot.
Address: 1109 5th Ave &, E 92nd St, New York, 10128
The Frick Collection
The Frick Collection, now temporarily located at Frick Madison while renovations of the historic buildings take place, is an art museum with a large permanent collection of works.
The collection includes works by some of the most famous European artists, such as Vermeer, Turner, and Titian.
Moreover, the collection includes paintings, sculptures, and many other objects.
Besides that, there are sometimes temporary exhibitions at The Frick Collection.
Address: 1 E 70th St, New York, NY 10021
Neue Galerie New York
The Neue Galerie New York is one of the best museums on the Upper East Side that you can find along Museum Mile.
This is a museum where you can see German and Austrian art from the 20th century (Neue Galerie means New Galery in German).
The museum’s collection includes fine art and decorative art by many different artists from Germany and Austria.
For example, you can see works here by Paul Klee, Gustav Klimt, and Otto Dix.
Moreover, you can find a Viennese café at the museum, which is called Café Sabarsky. This cafe includes historic objects and it is possible to get Viennese pastries and drinks here. Furthermore, the cafe and its grand piano are used for performances at the museum.
Address: 1048 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, is an interesting design museum. This museum is located along Museum Mile as well, like many other Upper East Side museums on this list.
This museum is dedicated to design and focuses on both historical and contemporary design.
The collection of the museum includes a diverse set of objects. For example, you can go here to see furniture, decorative arts, sculptures, musical instruments, and much more.
Furthermore, there are often temporary exhibitions with design objects at the museum.
Another interesting aspect of this museum is that it is located inside the Andrew Carnegie Mansion, which is a Georgian-style mansion that was built around the year 1900.
Address: 2 E 91st St, New York, NY 10128
Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden
Located near the East River is the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden.
This is a museum that is located inside a historic antebellum house. This house is very old and dates back to 1799, which makes it one of only a few buildings in Manhattan from the 18th century.
The house was converted into a hotel about 25 years after it was built, this hotel was called the Mount Vernon Hotel.
The hotel was in use till 1833 and was later used as a private residence, and nowadays you can visit the building to learn about the hotel and see the building from the inside.
Address: 421 E 61st St, New York, NY 10065
Society of Illustrators
The Society of Illustrators is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to promoting the art of illustration. The Society organizes exhibitions throughout the year with a specific theme.
In addition to that the Society of Illustrators has a permanent collection of illustrations of which parts are on display in the building. This collection includes more than 2,000 objects.
Furthermore, the Society of Illustrators organizes art competitions throughout the year as well.
Address: 128 E 63rd St, New York, NY 10065
Gracie Mansion
The Gracie Mansion, located in Carl Schurz Park on the Upper East Side, is a historic building that was built in the year 1799. The Gracie Mansion has a beautiful Federal Style architectural style.
This building is currently the official residence of New York City’s mayor but was used for other purposes in the past.
Although the Gracie Mansion is the official residence of the mayor, it is possible to do a tour of the building. There are regular public tours through which you can learn about the building and see it from the inside.
Moreover, the mansion is filled with interesting works of art, and historic furniture and decorative items.
Americas Society
If you’re looking for museums on the Upper East Side, you can also check out the Americas Society. This is an organization that is located on the Upper East Side at 680 Park Avenue.
The organization is dedicated to promoting the diverse heritage of the Americas.
The Americas Society organizes exhibitions of art from the Caribbean, Canada, and Latin America. These exhibitions often change and showcase both historical and contemporary art. Moreover, the exhibitions focus on specific themes related to the Americas.
Besides that, the society organizes all kinds of other types of events. For example, you can often go here to attend concerts in an intimate setting.
Address: 680 Park Ave, New York, NY 10065
Sotheby’s New York
Sotheby’s New York, known for its live actions of art that take place here throughout the year, is also a great place to see art when you are on the Upper East Side.
The presale exhibitions at Sotheby’s New York are free and open to the public and are great to see. What’s great is the items that are on auction are very diverse. From watches to fine art to furniture to jewels, you can find it at Sotheby’s New York.
Besides that, there is an in-house cafe at this place where you can enjoy great coffee drinks and pastries.
Address: 1334 York Ave, New York, NY 10021
French Institute Alliance Française
The French Institute Alliance Française is a non-profit organization that is focused on francophone culture and the French language.
The center often organizes exhibitions that the public can see. These exhibitions focus on a variety of themes. For example, there may be exhibitions of French cinema at the center.
Besides that, you can attend various events at the institute. For example, there are festivals and live theater performances.
Address: 22 East 60th St, New York, NY 10022
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Upper East Side Museums Tips
The Upper East Side museums are very good and I’m sure you’ll have a great time if you visit them. A great thing to know about the museums is that there are often days or times during the week during which you can visit them for free, or pay what you want.
So when you want to visit these museums and don’t want to spend anything, I recommend checking out the websites of the museums in advance!
Museums on the Upper East Side Map
Thanks for reading my guide to the best museums on the Upper East Side. As you see, there are incredible museums in the neighborhood!