Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll board our motor coach and ride to the Upper West Side neighborhood where we’ll stroll across Central Park to The Met Museum. An art historian will join us to provide an overview of the museum.
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy what you like. The Metropolitan offers both a cafeteria on the lower level of the Lehman Wing offering a wide range of choices and a café in the American Wing offering soups, sandwiches, coffee and pastries. Or you might take the opportunity to grab a famous New York City hot dog from one of the vendors out on Fifth Avenue. Our badges allow re-entry to the museum.
Afternoon:
During this self-directed field trip, we’ll explore The Met, each at our own pace. Bring your smart phone and ear buds. The Met has recently moved all of their audio guides online for easy and free access in the galleries. The Met, founded in 1870, is one of the world’s greatest museums with a collection spanning more than 5,000 years of creativity. Its artistic treasury from every corner of the world includes paintings, arms and armor, costume, decorative arts, musical instruments, photography, works on paper, and much more. There are 26,000 objects from ancient Egypt, the largest collection outside Cairo; 2,500 European paintings, one of the most extensive collections anywhere; and the most comprehensive collection of American decorative arts, paintings, and sculpture in the American Wing. The Beaux-Arts façade and Great Hall of the flagship building — designed by architect and founding museum trustee Richard Morris Hunt — opened in 1902. Today, tens of thousands of objects are on view at any given time. We’ll regroup mid-afternoon and return to the hotel for a little break before dinner.
Dinner:
At a neighborhood restaurant. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening is at leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure after our closing session in the morning.