Many tourists visiting New York end up with the question, “MoMA or The Met”?
And if you are an art lover who can see the works of art and hear them talk in their stillness, then it’s always better to visit both museums.
However, if you are on a budget trip to New York City or are inclined to visit both the art Museums, Check out our MoMA vs. The Met analysis.
Is MoMA the same as The Met?
No, these tourist attractions are different and not the same.
In its expanded form, MoMA is the Museum of Modern Art and focuses on Modern and Contemporary Art.
Whereas, The MET or the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the United States, is the largest art museum, showcasing over 5,000 years of art belonging to various cultures and periods.
MoMA and MET tickets
MoMA and MET are one of the most visited museums in the country.
With millions of guests visiting these museums annually, they must book their tickets online to secure entry.
The MoMA tickets are cheaper when compared to MET tickets.
The Museum of Modern Art entry ticket costs $25 for Adults between 13 and 64 years.
Senior citizens over 65 years, Students with ID and children enjoy a discount ticket to MoMA.
Senior Citizen ticket costs $18 and Student ticket costs $14.
Children below the age of 13 enjoy free admission to the Museum.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art ticket costs $74 for adult visitors above 15 years.
Tickets for children of 2 to 12 years costs $64.
Kids below the age of 2 enjoy free admission to the MET.
Opening hours – MoMA vs MET
Tourists sometimes select one museum over the other due to its timing restrictions.
The Museum of Modern Arts stays open from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm.
It stays open till 9 pm on Thursday and Saturday during the summer.
During the summer, MoMA has better visiting hours than the Met Museum.
The Met stays open from 10 am to 5.30 pm from Sunday to Thursday.
You can access the museum on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 am to 9 pm.
So other than summers, The Met has better hours than the MoMA throughout the year.
Whichever museum you opt for, it is always good to go there in the mornings as they get crowded by noon.
MoMA is smaller in its building size and therefore seems more crowded than the Met all the time
Note: All tickets to MoMA and MET are timed.
Hence visitors need to book their tickets in advance to secure entry during their preferred time slot.
Buy MoMA tickets | Buy MET tickets
Distance between MoMA and The Met?
MoMA and The Met lie 2 miles (3.2 km) apart.
Even after exploring any one of the museums, you can always walk through Central Park and reach the other – in around 35 minutes.
However, to avoid any last-minute disappointments after reaching the museums, as the tickets and daily entries are limited, we suggest tourists buy the tickets online in advance.
The Met vs MoMA
Both museums are excellent in their collection and major attractions in New York City.
A few visitors will compare and choose between the two due to their lack of time and inclination.
Although, it’s impossible to tell to consider one museum as the best over the other one.
But to better understand what makes them better, we will compare these two museums, MoMA and The Met.
Here are some parameters on which we will compare the two museums based on the building, Modern Art on display, their respective art collection, Modern art on display, outdoor space, opening hours, location and ticket prices.
The buildings
The building of both museums symbolizes a major difference between MoMA and The Met.
MoMA’s building is relatively newer and more suitable for the structure of a Modern Art Museum.
It was inaugurated in 1929 and the museum’s building merges with the rest of the city so it can hardly be identified from the outside.
Therefore, the building comprises a large sign put outside to help tourists identify the tourist attraction.
However, in contrast, The Met has a much larger building measuring 2 million square feet.
It is widely regarded as the largest museum in the USA.
It was inaugurated in 1880 and the building itself of The Met Museum is beautiful and colossal – a piece of art.
Several TV shows and movies, such as ‘Hitch’ and the ‘Gossip Girls’ were shot in the building.
The Met’s building has served as a venue for various events like the Met Gala and Superbowl of Fashion, which occurs on the first Monday of May every year.
So, the winner is The Met.
Modern Art Collection
MoMA must be your first priority for tourists who love to take a sneak peek into the world of modern art.
The museum comprises various world-famous exhibits of modern artists dedicated to Modern Art, like Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso and Warhol.
Tourists also love to see the pieces of contemporary art here.
The Met is home to more classic global artworks belonging to various periods.
Visitors can see a fantastic collection of modern artworks too. However, it isn’t as good as MoMA, which focuses on modern art.
Hence, the winner of having the best modern art collection is MoMA.
Overall Art Collection
As the name suggests, MoMA’s museum entirely focuses on Modern art. Thus, there’s less variety in the artworks present.
Although, the collection at MoMA is comprised of many commendable modern artworks that are good enough to charm Modern Art Enthusiasts.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a better option offering 360-degree exposure to art in its exhibits for tourists.
Another advantage of visiting MoMA is seeing modern and traditional art pieces in the same place.
The Met Museum comprises a collection of 20th-century paintings, sculptures and Egyptian exhibits, including an entire Egyptian temple.
It also has an excellent armor gallery, decorative artistic items, furniture pieces, ancient musical instruments and statues from many periods and cultures.
And therefore, the winner is The Met due to the variety it offers to tourists.
Outdoor space
It is another crucial aspect of Manhattan buildings. Both museums have an ambiance invested in a quiet atmosphere and beautiful outdoor areas.
Opened throughout the year, despite the weather conditions, MoMA is famously known for its sculpture garden.
The Met has a rooftop garden where with every passing year, tourists get to see a different art exhibit.
On Mondays, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s garden is closed and it opens from 10 am to 4.30 pm on all the other days of the week.
The garden closes at 8 pm on Friday and Saturday.
The Met’s rooftop also has a Martini Bar, open only on weekdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 5.30 pm to 8 pm.
The rooftop of The Met’s Museum is accessible only in warmer weather conditions.
But to catch a glimpse of city skylines, the location of the Met Museum is more fortunate than MoMA.
It offers a view of Central Park, providing the visitor with mesmerizing looks.
Hence the winner in this category is The Met.
Buy MoMA tickets | Buy MET tickets
Met Museum or MoMA – which is better?
You may have guessed by now that MoMA and The Met are poles apart after comparing them on many criteria.
We don’t want to endorse one over the other, but because you haven’t given us a choice, here is our recommendation given the circumstances.
Based on your area of interest
Modern art is centered at MoMA.
Its primary areas of interest are photography, architecture, and contemporary art.
MoMA is the greatest option if you are solely interested in modern art or works created after 1900 and don’t care about other aspects of art.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art houses contemporary artwork and historical artifacts from ancient periods.
It doesn’t concentrate as much on modern art as MoMA does, although it has a small collection.
So the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the spot for you if you’re more interested in various exhibits than just Modern art.
Based on how much time you have
MoMA is more compact and takes around three hours to visit completely.
The Met Museum, on the other hand, is a lot bigger and can keep you interested for more than five hours.
We advise choosing MoMA if you’re short on time but want the satisfaction of visiting a New York museum.
And save The Met for your subsequent trip.
Buy MoMA tickets | Buy MET tickets
Note: Also read about the Museum of Modern Art vs Guggenheim Museum for more information about the art museums of NYC.
Featured Image: Getyourguide.com, Timeout.com