The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially known as The Met, was incorporated in 1870 by a group of American citizens—businessmen and financiers as well as leading artists and thinkers of the day—who wanted to create a museum to bring art and art education to the American people. It first opened its doors on February 20, 1872, in a relatively modest building located at 681 Fifth Avenue. However, the collection grew so rapidly that it soon required a more permanent and expansive home, leading to the move to its current location in Central Park in 1880. The iconic Gothic Revival building that serves as the museum's core was designed by architects Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould, but it has undergone numerous expansions over the past 150 years. The most recognizable feature is the grand Beaux-Arts Fifth Avenue facade and Great Hall, designed by Richard Morris Hunt and completed in 1902. Today, the museum spans more than two million square feet, making it one of the largest art galleries in the world, featuring a complex layout that reflects the diverse eras of its construction. Throughout its history, The Met has become a global cultural powerhouse, housing a permanent collection that contains over two million works divided among 17 curatorial departments. Its holdings include everything from classical antiquity and Ancient Egypt to paintings and sculptures from nearly all the European masters and an extensive collection of American and modern art. Beyond its walls, the museum also operates The Met Cloisters in Upper Manhattan, which is dedicated to the art, architecture, and gardens of medieval Europe, cementing its status as a cornerstone of the international art community.