If you actually list ALL of the Museums located in New York City, this web page would go on forever! Way more than most anyone would want to read. The following is our (partial) list of museums in NYC, focused on the most popular destinations for visitors to our great city. Not in any particular order, all of these museums below are considered some of the intellectual ”jewels” of New York City and would be on everyone’s “Must-See” list when visiting. Enjoy!

American Museum of Natural History

The American Museum of Natural History, in Midtown Manhattan, offers permanent and changing exhibits covering Asian, American Indian, Pacific islanders, South American, Aztec and Mayan cultures. It also features one of the world’s largest fossils displays, including a Tyrannosaurus Rex and Apatosaurus, plus other exhibits ranging from human body to animals and minerals.

Metropolitan Museum of Art (The MET)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the world’s great museums, features Egyptian, Greek and Roman art collections, as well as European and Oriental paintings and sculptures, antiques, plus other art forms from around the globe.

Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)

Located in Midtown Manhattan, The Museum of Modern Art (also called MOMA), and like it’s name the art on display is called “modern and contemporary” art.  Some of the collections on exhibit here include works by artists using drawings, photography, film, and new-age digital media to display their creativity and ideas. Visiting here is a great experience for families and groups of children, as this is an awe-inspiring place and the art itself spawns conversations with everyone of all ages.

The Guggenheim Museum

The full name of this famous museum is The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, named after the man who began collecting art of impressionist and modern/contemporary pieces to put on display in various exhibits.
Guggenheim created a foundation in 1937 to help promote art and expand his collection, which today now includes works of art by Pablo Picasso and other well-known artists. One of the most interesting parts of a visit to the Guggenheim Museum is the iconic building itself, which was designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who died before the museum was completed. The building is a work of art itself; timeless and modern in every way.

Museum for African Art

The Museum for African Art in New York focuses on the culture and artwork of Africa and African experience. The museum and galleries opened its doors originally in 1984, and recently closed in 2005 to undergo a transformation into a modern museum with expanded space. Slated to re-open again in Q4 2012, the new museum and gallery space will exceed 80,000 square feet of exhibitions filled with Art and Artifacts. The art on display is designed to highlight the rich cultural diversity in Africa. Learn More at http://www.africanart.org

The Cloisters Museum

Many people don’t know that the Cloisters is actually part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art! This is a division whose museums and gallery space is focused on architecture of the Medieval European and related time period. The “cloistered” gardens are located inside Fort Tryon Park and contains thousand of works of art.  Download a PDF Map of The Cloisters

Bronx Museum of the Arts

The Bronx Museum of the Arts focuses on contemporary art displaying a true reflection of the human/urban experience. The museum’s highlights include a twenty-first century class exhibits on Asian, African, and Latin-American Art. The museum has programs that cater to children and families, and adults too. The building itself is a piece of art, as it was designed by famous architects at Arquitectonica. Learn More at http://www.bronxmuseum.org

The Brooklyn Museum of Art

The Brooklyn Museum is just a few minutes outside of Manhattan by Subway, and is a half million square feet of masterpieces from world-renowed artists. The building itself is one of the largest and oldest art museums in operation today. The museum consists of gardens and named parks including Prospect Park, Botanic Garden, and of course The Prospect Park Zoo. Learn More at http://www.brooklynmuseum.org

Carnegie Hall

The mission of Carnegie Gall is to promote music and the love  of the arts on a legendary stage and concert hall. Located at 881 Seventh Avenue, this is in the heart of New York City. The museum highlights music and culture in a relevent setting. There are a total of three stages to serve a wide variety of audiences with world-class musical talent. The building itself has a distinct architectural design and is a historic landmark on our national registry. Learn More at carnegiehall.org/Information/Rose-Museum/

Madame Tussaud’s New York

This is one of New York City’s most popular and well-visited attractions! The collection itself dates back to the early days of Paris culture in the 1700′s.   Madame Tussauds’ collection includes the popular wax figures that mirror some of today’s hottest celebrities, but also contains images and artifacts from the days of Napoleon.  Learn More at www.madametussauds.com/NewYork/

New York Transit Museum

The New York Transit Museum is a large museum dedicated to public transportation. The focus here is on the developement and advances in transportation, highlighting the progressive efforts in the New York metro area. There are exhibitions and educational programs, and the museum is children and family friendly. One of the highlights include exhibits on NYC’s subway system that dates back over 100 years ago, with trolleys and early buses too. Learn More at http://www.mta.info/mta/museum/

New York City Police Museum

From Colonial beginnings to official establishment in 1845 to the present, the New York City Police Museum, in historic Lower Manhattan, captures the rich history of the New York Police Department (NYPD), providing abundant insider glimpses. Permanent exhibits include turn-of-the-century mug shots, photos of notorious criminals and “tools of the trade,” a display of police vehicles, and a model of a jail cell. The museum also pays tribute to every NYPD officer killed in the line of duty throughout departmental history.

NYC Fire Museum

The NYC Fire Museum is dedicated to brave firefighters who have given their lives in the line of duty, and all those who serve and man one of our most important and yet dangerous job posts. On display are fire equipment and art representing the group all the way back to the eighteenth century. The exhibits several iconic fire helmets, boots and many of the fire tools used (both early hand-driven pumps & horse-drawn carts, and some motor-driven applications too. Learn More at http://www.nycfiremuseum.org/

Museum of American Financial History

Tracing growth, opportunity and entrepreneurship, the Museum of Financial History, showcases Wall Street activity, the role of capital markets as engines of progress, and American business achievements. The Museum occupies the site of Alexander Hamilton’s law office and the former headquarters of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company, directly opposite the famous “Charging Bull” statue. Collection items include ticker tape from the 1929 crash, a working model stock ticker, and the earliest photograph of Wall Street. As the 35th affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum’s message is how a democratic free market economy creates growth and opportunity — the story of the American dream. The Museum serves as a good starting point for visits to the Financial District.

Jewish Museum

The Jewish Museum, in Upper Manhattan, is the largest such museum in the world outside Israel, with exhibitions covering 4,000 years of Jewish art, history and culture.

Brooklyn Children’s Museum

Open since 1899, Brooklyn Children’s Museum is the world’s first for youngsters, with  cultural objects and natural history specimens. The Museum’s first home was in Adams Building, a Victorian mansion in Brooklyn’s Bedford Park, in 1923 renamed Brower Park. Visitors enter through a trolley kiosk from the 1900′s. A “People Tube” — a huge sewer pipe — connects four exhibit floors, and a corn oil tank serves as “The Tank” — an amphitheater. Learn More http://www.brooklynkids.org/

To browse a more complete list of museums in New York, visit our friends at http://www.ny.com/museums/all.museums.html