The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York is also known simply as the Whitney. This museum in Manhattan is dedicated to contemporary American art. Its twentieth and twenty-first century collections are highly recommended to be seen by modern art lovers. Incidentally, the museum is named in honor of its founder Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney of the famous Vanderbilt family. In 1931, she created the museum as an exhibition space for young American artists with innovative ideas who were having a hard time promoting their unconventional work.
The huge permanent collection has at least 25,000 works created by more than 3,600 artists. The collection provides a glimpse into the currents of American art since 1900. It contains paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, films, photographs, installations and new media technologies. There are also many interesting temporary exhibitions. One of the most inspiring was an exhibition of works by Jeff Koons. Some of Koons’ works are now part of the Whitney Museum’s permanent collection.
From 1966 to 2014, the museum was located on Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side. In mid-2015, the Whitney Museum in New York City moved for the fourth time. By the way, you can now visit the new building between High Line Park and the Hudson River, which are visible from the museum. The building itself is very beautiful and was designed by Renzo Piano. A cantilevered staircase leads to an outdoor area. The Whitney Museum has a gallery in the lobby on the first floor that is free to visit. The 2nd and 3rd floors feature the permanent collection. A special exhibition area for temporary collections is set up on the top floor. The museum has not only indoor exhibition areas, but the building on Gansevoort Street also has several outdoor areas and terraces. By the way, some of them have a great view of the High Line Park.
Another interesting feature of the building is the extensive gallery. It is the largest column-free gallery in New York City. I highly recommend this gigantic exhibition space of almost 1,700 square meters for art lovers. After walking through the halls, go down to the 1st floor to buy souvenirs in the store or visit the restaurant. Hungry on the 3rd floor? Don’t worry, there’s also a café on the upper level!
The museum is located in the Meatpacking District. Combine your visit to the museum with a stroll through High Line Park or Little Island Park on stilts over the Hudson River. If I’m hungry, I usually go to Chelsea Market. It’s a huge indoor food market nearby with a great selection of restaurants. On weekends when the museum is open late, it’s much quieter and you can also grab a drink on the rooftop terrace.
Useful information
After booking, you will receive a voucher that can be printed and exchanged for a ticket at the museum. You can also show it as a mobile voucher on your smartphone to pick up your ticket.
The address is 99 Gansevoort Street.
Opening hours:
The museum is open Wednesday through Monday
Closed on Tuesdays and public holidays