Museum of Modern Art

Forever at the forefront, the Museum of Modern Art New York (MoMA) located on West 53rd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues in Midtown Manhattan is not only devoted to presenting the best collection of contemporary art, but the museum is also devoted to promoting the understanding of modern art and expanding the definition of art in today’s modern world. Whether it's showing you something you've never seen before or something you already familiar but in a new way, the MoMA NYC is always an eye- and mind-opening experience.

Home to the world’s greatest assemblage of modern and contemporary art, the Museum of Modern Art NYC is, unsurprisingly, one of the most visited art museums in NYC—welcoming about 3 million people annually. Ready to start exploring the MoMA NYC’s vast collection of 200,000 pieces but don’t know where to start?

Below are our tips for 4 pieces you must see at MoMA New York:

Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night (1889)

This illustrious Dutch post-impressionist needs no introduction. Van Gogh created this particular work while admitted to an asylum in the south of France. The artist used short brushstrokes and thick paint applications to depict his view from his asylum room. The central focus in this famous piece is a bright yellow morning star, viewed just before the morning sunrise.

Salvador Dali, The Persistence of Memory (1931)

At just 9.5x13 inches, this painting is quite small—but remains a prime example of Dali’s technical skill. The Spanish surrealist once claimed to work in a hallucinatory state, which would explain the melting clocks, dripping watches and ants in the pieces. Dali said he was inspired by the sight of Camembert cheese melting in the sun.

Georges Seurat, Grandcamp, Evening (1885)

One of several post-impressionist painters featured at the MoMA New York, Seurat contributed to the development of pointillism technique. This technique uses the precise placement of small dots in various colors throughout the canvas. Viewing this technique from afar creates the appearance of a seamless blend of color, giving the very little indication that the work is actually an infinite series of multi-colored dots that, when viewed up close, can have a dizzying effect. In this particular piece, Seurat depicts Grandcamp-Maisy, a seaside village in his home country of France.

Henri Rousseau, The Sleeping Gypsy (1897)

Due to the atypical subject matter of this oil painting, and the fact that it was unlike any other works the artist had previously created, led some in the art community to believe that it was a forgery. He was a dedicated student of primitivism, which focuses primarily on non-Western themes. Rousseau, who was largely self-taught, used sharp colors, fantastic imagery, and precise outlines in his work, which struck a chord with a younger generation of avant-garde painters. Rousseau elaborated “A mandolin player, lies with her jar beside her (a vase with drinking water), overcome by fatigue in a deep sleep”

MoMA Hours 

Daily 10:30am-5:30pm

Fridays 10:30am-8:00p

MoMA is easily accessed from either or Uptown or Downtown hop on, hop off tours.