Whitney Museum of American Art - Tourist Attractions in New York City

The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, USA, harbors one of the most important collections of contemporary American art of the 20th century. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney founded the museum in 1931 with approximately 700 works of art from her own estate.

The present building, located on Madison Avenue at 75th Street in Manhattan's Upper East Side, was planned and built 1963-1966 by Marcel Breuer and Hamilton P. Smith after moving twice. It is impressive with its staircase façade made from granite stones and its external upside-down windows.

The museum displays paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, installations, video, and photography. Every two years, the museum hosts the Whitney Biennial, an international art show which displays many lesser-known artists new to the American art scene.

The permanent collection contains more than 12,000 works of art from many renowned artists. Artists represented include Alexander Calder, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Keith Haring, Jackson Pollack, Willem de Kooning and Edward Hopper, who bequeathed many of his works to the Whitney Museum.

In addition to its traditional collection the Whitney has a website, called Artport, that features "Net Art" that changes monthly.

Address:

Whitney Museum of American Art, 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street, New York, NY 10021

Directions:

Subway: 6 to 77th Street (walk two blocks west to Madison Avenue)


Bus: M1, M2, M3, M4 to 74th Street

Hours:

Wednesday-Thursday: 11 am-6 pm
Friday: 1-9 pm (6-9 pm pay-what-you-wish admission)
Saturday-Sunday: 11 am-6 pm
Monday & Tuesday: Closed


The Museum is open Tuesdays for prearranged school programs. For more information, please contact the Education Department.

Please Note: Photography is not permitted in the Museum's galleries
The Museum is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

Pricing:

Adults: $15
Senior citizens (62 and over): $10
Students with valid ID: $10
Members, NYC public school students with valid student ID, and children under 12: Free
One-day pass to the Kaufman Astoria Studios Film & Video Gallery only: $6