Met vs MoMA New York: Which Museum Should You Visit?
The Met covers 5,000 years of human history across 2 million square feet. MoMA covers 1880s to now in a focused Midtown building. Different museums for different people — here's how to pick.
The Met and MoMA are not competing for the same visitor. One is an encyclopaedia of human civilisation. The other is a focused argument about what art became after 1880. Pick wrong and you'll spend three hours feeling like you ordered the wrong thing.
In 3 minutes
- The Met covers 5,000 years of human creativity across 2 million square feet — plan a full day
- MoMA covers the modern and contemporary era, 1880s to now — doable in 2–3 focused hours
- Both are $28–$30 in 2026, with free options for New York residents
What's actually in each museum
The Met holds Egyptian temples, Vermeer, samurai armour, Caravaggio, Byzantine gold, a Frank Lloyd Wright room — 5,000 years of objects from every culture. The collection has a separate site uptown (The Cloisters, included). Most visitors cover one wing thoroughly. That's by design.
MoMA holds The Starry Night, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans, Mondrian's Broadway Boogie Woogie, and six floors of modern and contemporary art. Focused enough to feel finished in one visit.
How they actually feel
The Met overwhelms. Pick three departments and commit — that's how you enjoy it. The Egyptian Wing first thing in the morning (the Temple of Dendur in a glass-walled gallery) is one of the best museum experiences in any city.
MoMA rewards a plan. Floor 5 first at opening — by 11 AM the Starry Night room is shoulder to shoulder. Then work down: Floor 4 (Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art), Floors 2–3 (contemporary, often the most interesting and almost always empty).
The price and free-entry comparison
| The Met | MoMA | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | $30 | $28 online / $30 door |
| Ticket validity | 3 consecutive days + The Cloisters | Single day |
| NY residents | Pay what you wish (in person) | Free Fridays 5:30–8:30 PM |
| Students | $17 (NY/NJ/CT: pay what you wish) | $15 online |
| Under | 12 free | 16 free |
Who should go where
Go to the Met if you: have a full day · want art across cultures and eras · have kids (mummies, samurai, Greek pottery all land) · are a NY resident and want pay-what-you-wish value.
Go to MoMA if you: have 2–3 hours · love modern and contemporary specifically · are a NY resident visiting Friday evening (free) · want The Starry Night without a full-day commitment.
Both in one day: MoMA at 10:30 AM (3 hours), then subway uptown to the Met by 2 PM (3 more hours). Manageable if you're selective at each.
Where to book — The Met
Our take: Entry on the official site is the same $30, avoids any partner markup. GYG's guided tour ($65, 1.5h) is worth it if you want a routed highlights visit — the Met is easy to get lost in.
Where to book — MoMA
Our take: Same $28, but GYG adds skip-the-line access and MoMA PS1 included in the same ticket. NY State residents: book free Friday evening tickets directly on the MoMA website.
- Met tickets
- $30 · 3-day validity · NY residents pay what you wish (in person)
- MoMA tickets
- $28 online · NY residents free Fridays 5:30–8:30 PM
- Time needed at the Met
- 3–4 hours (highlights) · Full day (thorough)
- Time needed at MoMA
- 2–3 hours (highlights) · 4–5 hours (full building)
- Met location
- 1000 Fifth Ave · 4/5/6 to 86th St
- MoMA location
- 11 W 53rd St, Midtown · E/M to 5th Ave–53rd St
Prices and hours can change — confirm on the official sites before your visit.
Last verified: April 2026
Frequently asked questions
Should I visit the Met or MoMA?
Met for art across 5,000 years: Egyptian temples, old masters, arms, Asian art — plan a full day. MoMA for modern and contemporary: Starry Night, Warhol, Rothko — 2–3 focused hours.
Can you do the Met and MoMA in one day?
Yes, but rushed. MoMA at 10:30 AM (3 hours) then the Met from 2 PM. Better as separate days.
Which is cheaper, the Met or MoMA?
MoMA $28 online. Met $30 — includes The Cloisters, valid 3 days. NY residents: pay what you wish at the Met; free MoMA Fridays 5:30–8:30 PM.
How long do you need at each?
Met: 3–4 hours highlights, full day thorough. MoMA: 2–3 hours highlights, 4–5 full building.
First visit to either? Start with MoMA — smaller, focused, harder to get wrong. Save the Met for a longer stay. Individual guides: Met tickets · MoMA tickets. Rankings: best art museums in New York.
Last verified: April 2026