The MET Cloisters
The Cloisters is a museum in Upper Manhattan, New York City filled European medieval architecture and sculptures. Located in Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park, you can easily go there with the M4 Bus that stops directly in front or the Subway A Train and stop at the Dyckman St.
The area where the museum is in isn’t the safest, so it isn’t recommended to bring a car because there isn’t a secure parking space where you can leave valuables without the fear of theft.
It is an extension of the MET Museum, so if you’ve purchased a ticket there you can use it in the Cloisters a week after admission. Like many museums in New York, the admission fee for the Cloisters is only suggested. This means you can actually just pay $0.50.
The entire museum is like a collage of European architecture that resembles a castle. It’s less than a quarter of the size of the MET so if you’re going to trek all the way up north for it, make sure to manage your expectations!
Despite having artefacts older than even the Gregorian Calendar (read: 2200+ years old), many of the structures were very well maintained. It was an interesting glimpse into the Catholic faith, the role of women, fear and awe, through art.
The outdoor cloister gardens were my favorite because they gave you a place to meditate, especially when you go at a quiet time and there are less people around. They reminded me a lot of the monasteries I had visited back in the Philippines.
Personally, I enjoyed it for a quiet afternoon museum walk and mostly because I had already been to most of the museums in the area that I was interested in. If you’re pressed for time, it might not be optimal to go here because the travel back and forth this far north will take you about an hour each way. You’re better off enjoying the MET museum instead and saving this for a different time.
