New York

All-Art Experience in New York City: Met, MoMA and More

Program No. 8864RJ
Immerse yourself in a world of culture as you explore the Met, MoMA and Frick Collection with experts, learning about art history, the museums and the galleries of New York.

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At a Glance

Author Tom Wolfe said of New York City: “Culture just seems to be in the air, like part of the weather.” Absorb the art treasures of that culture at three iconic museums: the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Frick Collection. First, explore the MoMA, often called the most important museum dedicated to modern art in the world today, boasting works by Dalí, Monet, Picasso, van Gogh and Warhol. Discover The Met, a museum that is to New York what the Louvre is to Paris with collections spanning from Ancient Rome and Egypt to the Renaissance and beyond. Visit the art collection of Henry Clay Frick showcasing works by El Greco, Rembrandt and Vermeer.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Walking up to five miles over uneven ground; extensive standing and strolling in museums; ascending and descending flights of stairs; 3-5 hours of physical activity per day.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

What You'll Learn

  • Lectures by scholars illuminate the history of art and of the great museums and galleries in New York City.
  • Spend a day exploring the world famous Metropolitan Museum of Art.
  • Delight in the masterpieces at the Museum of Modern Art, including Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Profile Image
Richard Turnbull
Richard Turnbull is an assistant professor in the History of Art Department at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and lectures regularly at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art. He has published numerous articles on topics from the challenges of being an adjunct professor to the photography of Luke Smalley, and has forthcoming articles on Islamic art and 70s pop music and culture. Richard earned his Ph.D. in art history from the Institute of Fine Arts.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Richard Turnbull
Richard Turnbull View biography
Richard Turnbull is an assistant professor in the History of Art Department at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and lectures regularly at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art. He has published numerous articles on topics from the challenges of being an adjunct professor to the photography of Luke Smalley, and has forthcoming articles on Islamic art and 70s pop music and culture. Richard earned his Ph.D. in art history from the Institute of Fine Arts.
Profile Image of Angela Christensen
Angela Christensen View biography
Angela Christensen is a licensed New York City excursion leader who has extensive experience in event planning and hospitality. She worked with the Wildlife Conservation Society managing events in the Bronx Zoo, Central Park, Prospect Park, the Queens Zoo and the New York Aquarium. Now, she loves showing off her city with lifelong learners from around the world!
Profile Image of Karl Baudendistel
Karl Baudendistel View biography
A New York City resident for more than 25 years, Karl Baudendistel loves sharing his knowledge of the city with visitors from around the world. Having spent 20 years overseeing ‘the business of show business’ for numerous Broadway and touring productions, chances are he’s been to a city near you. Karl is a member of The Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers, is a trained sommelier and was educated at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Profile Image of Deborah Goldberg
Deborah Goldberg View biography
Deborah teaches in the art history department at the School of Visual Arts. She received her PhD from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University. She lectures regularly at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Museum of Modern Art, where she also teaches courses. For Christie's Education, she lectures on sculpture for the MA program and leads field study for their Certificate Program. Deborah writes about modern and contemporary art, design and decorative arts.
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You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
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6 days
5 nights
11 meals
5 B 2 L 4 D
DAY
1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
New York
D
Hampton Inn Manhattan/Times Square Central

Activity note: Walking up to 1 mile; city sidewalks.

Afternoon: Program Registration. After 4:00 p.m., come to the hotel’s boardroom located on the lower level to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation: 4:30 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Group Leaders on our programs are highly trained and knowledgeable about many aspects of the city. We will also have the benefit of local experts who will provide information and commentary on areas of particular interest. This program will extensively use the NYC subway system. Each participant will receive an unlimited weekly MetroCard for use throughout the week. The cost is included in the program. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/current conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: 5:30 p.m. We will walk to a nearby restaurant.

Evening: Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening will be at leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

DAY
2
Museum of Modern Art, Greenwich Village
New York
B,L,D
Hampton Inn Manhattan/Times Square Central

Activity note: Use of New York City subway system, going up/down flights of stairs, long corridors, often crowded conditions. Walking up to 3 miles throughout the day; city sidewalks, Central Park. Extent of walking and other activities during self-directed field trips according to personal choice.

Breakfast: In the hotel breakfast area.

Morning: We will be joined by an art historian who will give us an overview or our art program in New York City. After a short break, we’ll also have an introduction to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and its collection prior to our field trip this afternoon. This program is structured so that we learn a bit about each museum and its collection prior to our self-directed visits. Once at the museums, the collection may be experienced in a variety of ways: simply strolling gallery to gallery; using an audio guide created and provided by the museum to learn about the art in depth; joining a docent-led tour for various overview looks at collections or galleries, etc.

Lunch: At the hotel.

Afternoon: We’ll take the subway to the Museum of Modern Art for an afternoon of self-directed exploration. Founded in 1929, the museum has been devoted to presenting the most thought-provoking modern and contemporary art as well as promoting the understanding and appreciation of modern art. MoMA will help us consider the question, “But is it art?” The collection numbers nearly 200,000 works including paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, media, and performance art works, architectural models and drawings, design objects, and films. MoMA recommends use of the Bloomberg Connects app which provides in depth information about a great number of museums and their collections.

Dinner: At a restaurant near the hotel.

Evening: With a local expert, we’ll stroll through Greenwich Village and learn how the NYC art scene was influenced heavily by the famous artists and patrons who called this historic neighborhood home.

DAY
3
Central Park Stroll, Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York
B,D
Hampton Inn Manhattan/Times Square Central

Activity note: Use of New York City subway system, going up/down flights of stairs, long corridors, often crowded conditions. Walking up to 3 miles throughout the day; city sidewalks, slight inclines in parklike setting.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will take the subway uptown and then stroll across Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art — known to art lovers as the Met — for an introductory session with our art historian and get tips on navigating the galleries. The remainder of the morning will involve self-directed exploration to see what interests each of us most. Founded in 1870, the Met 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 iconic 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. The Met has moved away from hand held audio guides and highly recommends use of their proprietary app 'The Met' for use in the galleries.

Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like at the Met. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. The museum features several choices including a formal, sit-down restaurant; a cafeteria, and an informal café. Don’t forget the food carts out on 5th Avenue!

Afternoon: Continue exploring The Met according to personal choice.

Dinner: At a restaurant near the hotel.

Evening: The Group Leader will take those who are interested on a walk to Rockefeller Center where we’ll consider the public art included as part of this iconic landmark. Those who prefer not to join will have the evening at leisure.

DAY
4
The Whitney; The High Line; Chelsea Galleries, Free Time
New York
B,L
Hampton Inn Manhattan/Times Square Central

Activity note: Use of New York City subway system, going up/down flights of stairs, long corridors, often crowded conditions. Walking up to 3 miles throughout the day; city sidewalks. Extent of walking and other activities during self-directed field trips according to personal choice.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll start our morning with an introduction to The Whitney Museum of Art then take the subway downtown to the trendy Meatpacking District where The Whitney is located. Founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, the museum specializes in American Art. While boasting an extensive permanent collection of well-known artists and its share of famous pieces spanning the late-19th Century to the present, the museum is also known to showcase younger and lesser-known, more avant-garde artists.

Lunch: On the neighboring High Line, we’ll have bag lunches. The High Line is the adaptive reuse of an old freight rail trestle. Today, it is a wonderful linear park two stories above the city, winding its way mid-block, tucked behind buildings - many of which are new and designed by award winning architects. The High Line also features a well-curated collection of public art.

Afternoon: For those interested in checking out a few of the art galleries in the Chelsea arts district this afternoon, our Group Leader will lead us to that neighborhood via a short stroll along the lower section of the High Line. Those who prefer not to join will have the afternoon free to do as you like. The Free Time opportunities are virtually limitless in NYC. Perhaps take in another museum or see a Broadway matinee. The Group Leader will be happy to help with suggestions and assist with logistics.

Dinner: On your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Evening: At leisure. Our hotel is in the heart of the theater district. You might like to attend a Broadway show, explore independently, spend time with fellow Road Scholars, or just relax.

DAY
5
The Frick Collection
New York
B,D
Hampton Inn Manhattan/Times Square Central

Activity note: Use of New York City subway system, going up/down flights of stairs, long corridors, often crowded conditions. Walking up to 3 miles throughout the day; city sidewalks. Extent of walking and other activities during self-directed field trips according to personal choice.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll have two talks this morning. First up, we'll learn a bit more about the NYC art scene. Then, we’ll have an overview of The Frick Collection.

Lunch: On your own to have what you like.

Afternoon: We’ll regroup and take the subway up to The Frick Collection. The Frick Collection, one of the world’s most impressive private galleries, has been housed in the grand Fifth Avenue mansion of Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919), who became one of the wealthiest men in America thanks to his manufacturing and railroad interests. Frick was an enthusiastic patron and collector of the arts. His personal collection was opened to the public in 1935. We will see not only extraordinary works of art — including masterpieces of Western painting, sculpture and decorative arts — but also get a sense of how Mr. Frick viewed and enjoyed his collection in his home. Highlights include works by Bellini, Constable, El Greco, Fragonard, Gainsborough, Holbein, Titian, Turner, and much more. The paintings in many of the 16 galleries are still arranged according to Frick’s design, with additional works purchased by the Frick Collection over the years in a manner deemed to correspond with the aesthetic of the collection. The house, furnishings, and works of art are an oasis in this sometimes chaotic city. Note: As of Summer 2022, The Frick Mansion is undergoing extensive renovation and expansion that will likely continue through the entirety of 2023. The entire collection has been moved and rehung in the Marcel Breuer museum building on Madison Avenue which previously housed The Met Breuer and Whitney Museums. This temporary home allows us to encounter and interact with the classic Frick masterpieces in an entirely different context and gives us the rare and exciting opportunity to consider them anew.

Dinner: At a restaurant near the hotel. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

Evening: Our Group Leader will take us for one final art experience to wrap up the week. This will be determined based on what is current in the city at the time of the program. The Group Leader will announce the location at Orientation. The evening is free for those not wishing to join.

DAY
6
Wrap-up Session, Program Concludes
New York
B

Activity note: Hotel check-out 12:00 Noon.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll have a wrap-up discussion with our Group Leader and review of the week to provide some further perspective on everything we’ve seen and done. We expect to end by 10:30 a.m. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!






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