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Museums and cultural institutions are one of New York City’s greatest resources, with collections that range from fossils at the American Museum of Natural History to modern masterworks at the Guggenheim. Here are some of the top exhibitions currently on view in New York City.
Part of New York’s famous Museum Mile (Fifth Ave. btw. 82nd & 105th Sts.), the Guggenheim Museum is not only one of the 20th century’s most important architectural landmarks (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) but it contains one of the world’s finest collections of modern and contemporary art, including works by artists such as Monet, Pablo Picasso, and Pollock. Current special exhibitions include A Chronology: The Guggenheim Collection, 1909–1979 (through 9/11), a visually dynamic time line of its metamorphosis from private collection to public museum, and A Year With Children 2011 (through 6/15). 1071 Fifth Ave. at 89th St., 212-423-3500; guggenheim.org.
The Upper West Side’s American Museum of Natural History is one of the greatest natural history museums in the world, with over 40 exhibition halls, highlighted by the Rose Center for Earth and Space, the Anne and Bernard Spitzer Hall of Human Origins, and the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life. Current exhibitions include: Brain: The Inside Story (through 8/14), a journey through that essential bundle of neurons offering insight through a sensory feast of imaginative art, vivid brain scan imaging, and engaging interactive exhibits; and The World’s Largest Dinosaurs, featuring cutting-edge research about super-sized sauropods -- including the giant Mamenchisaurus, one of the largest animals to ever walk the Earth. Central Park West at 79th St.,
212-769-5100; amnh.org.
One of the most famous stops along Museum Mile is the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which represents every category of art from just about every country and time period, ranging from the Stone Age to the present. You’ll find some of the finest American art in the world, as well as an impressive collection of European, Greco-Roman, and Ancient Egyptian art. Current exhibitions include Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty (through 7/31) and Anthony Caro on the Roof (through 10/30). Fifth Ave. & 82nd St., 212-535-7710; metmuseum.org.
