The Cloisters

The Cloisters are a lesser known branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, located separately in Fort Tryon Park in the Up-Uptown Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights. Here you find an additional collection of art belonging to the Met, as well as the building itself and the ‘cloistered’ gardens surrounding it. The Museum is devoted to medieval art and architecture, and houses some of the oldest architecture to be found in New York City. The museum is devoted to Medieval Europe, and even the building itself is designed in a Medieval European style and assembled using parts from European Abbeys that were shipped to New York. The beautiful gardens are also done in medieval style, including the cloistered herb gardens that earn the museum its name. The Museum is open 7 days a week from 10 AM to 5:15 in the summer, and entry costs $25 for adults, and is free for children under 12. Like the Met, this is a recommended donation so if you are short on cash, feel free to pay whatever you can. Visit the Cloisters and be transported back to Medieval Europe as you relish the majestic architecture, art and horticulture all while enjoying views of the Hudson River from the hill in Fort Tryon Park.