The Morgan Library & Museum occupies the corner of Madison Avenue and East 36th Street in Murray Hill, where financier Pierpont Morgan once kept his private collection. Today it is a museum, research library, and concert venue, and it draws readers, art lovers, and history buffs for its rare books, manuscripts, and drawings.
The centerpiece is the original 1906 library building designed by Charles McKim of McKim, Mead & White. In the East Room, three tiers of walnut bookcases rise toward a painted ceiling, and the collection holds three Gutenberg Bibles. Other rooms include Morgan’s red-walled study and the marble rotunda. Elsewhere you’ll find original Mozart scores and literary manuscripts. A glass-and-steel expansion by Renzo Piano links the historic buildings around a skylit central court. The court houses a café, and the shop sells books, accessories, and collection-inspired gifts. Rotating exhibitions draw on the museum’s holdings of drawings, letters, and illuminated manuscripts.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
General admission is $25, and the museum is closed Mondays (source: World Museum Guide). Free Friday evening tickets go quickly, so reserve them online in advance (source: Why Manhattan). For quieter galleries, arrive at opening on a weekday. Plan on two hours. The museum is a short walk from Grand Central and Penn Station (source: The Morgan), and the 6 train stops at 33rd Street. Check the official site for current exhibitions and hours before you go.
