by Rebecca Weinstein

Created on: January 12, 2009

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a wonderful place to visit, whether you are alone, with friends or family, or on a field trip. It has something for everyone, from young to old, from conservative to liberal, and from old-fashioned to modern. I recently paid a visit to the Met with seventeen junior and senior year high schoolers, and now a week after the trip, they're still talking about it.

In the past few years several of the Met's galleries have been renovated. In fact, it had been so long since I had visited, I only knew where the Egyptian exhibit was! These newer galleries are exquisite, most notable are the Greek and Asian art exhibits.

The collections of the Met are so vast, that a one day trip is certainly not enough time to see everything. Athough I would like to spend much time describing each and every gallery in fine detail to you, it would negate the purpose of your own visit! However, I will point out some highlights that are must-sees.

Egyptian Exhibit and Temple of Dendur: If you are interested in archaelogy, want to feel like Indiana Jones, or even if you'd like to see some 19th century graffiti (yes, it's really there), check out these two exhibits. While you're there, throw some coins into the reflection pool or gaze out at Central Park.

Asian Art: See fantastic giant Buddha sculptures, carved epitaphs, miniature villages, and even take a stroll in a Chinese garden while you are here. Don't miss the beautiful kimonos and Hokosai's "Great Wave" in Japanese Art.

Byzantine Art: Past the Great Hall and on your way to the Medieval Art exhibit there is Byzantine art tucked away under the great staircase. It's a neat little place to see ancient pieces of embroidered cloth, jewelry, and other everyday items. Most people walk right by this area.

The Robert Lehman Collection: Way at the back of the Met, behind the Medieval art section, is this collection. It is centered around a hexagonal shaped rotunda. Fantastic works by even more fantastic artists are in this collection, including work by Degas, Monet and Rembrandt.

There is so much more to see at the Met, including but not limited to the European Paintings, American Art, Modern Art, Ancient Near East, and Arms and Armor, not to mention the traveling special exhibits. Although there is so much good, this cannot be an objective review without the bad.

A few drawbacks to the Met:

You'll never see it all in one day, and exhibits change all the time. Plan a few visits a year.

The food in the cafeteria, at least,

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