There’s a proverb that says – home is where the heart is.
While the Oxford dictionary goes on to explain – that your home will always be the place for which you feel the deepest affection …
In New York City there are a few people that have gone a step further and opened up their homes for visitors to take a glimpse into their own abodes of affection ….and art collections.
Here are 3 stand out open houses and some tips based on our experiences.
The Frick Collection
Industrialist tycoon Henry Clay Frick always had the intention to leave his house, opposite Central Park, and his art collection to the public.
His well-placed confidence now enables the public to enjoy a unique way to appreciate masterpieces from the likes of Manet, Rembrandt, Degas and Turner, still arranged as Henry originally had.
Some tips and rules that will help you enjoy the ambience of Mr. Frick’s abode:
- Be sure to visit the Garden Court, a gorgeous courtyard with a fountain and natural light where you can sit whilst contemplating the Frick family’s daily activities. It’s also the only spot in the house where one can take photographs.
- no children under the age of 10
- No sitting on Henry’s priceless antique furniture – except in the courtyard
- $22 entry fee can be avoided if you go on the First Friday evening of the month (except September and January), from 6 -9 p.m. Also Wednesdays between 2-6pm is pay what you wish.
- Closed Mondays.
Location
1 East 70th Street
New York, NY 10021
The Morgan Library and Museum.
In 1924 J. P. Morgan Jr. gave his father’s extraordinary library to the public in accordance with his father’s last will & testament (John Pierpont Morgan was worth $46 billion from his days as a banker and financier!).
Today, we have full access to Morgan’s 1906 library, which has been breathtaking preserved in all its original splendour. Additions over the years now allows The Morgan complex to serve as a museum and scholarly research centre, as well as a music venue.
If all this culture makes you hungry during your visit, consider two dining options – The Morgan Café or the Dining Room. Finish your day at the Morgan Shop, located in J.P. Morgan Jr.’s former brownstone mansion.
Tips for an enjoyable visit to the Morgan Family residence include:
- Museum admission is not required to visit the eating facilities.
- Highly recommend the free hourlong “highlights” tour of the permanent collection are available Tuesday to Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
- Fridays 7-9 pm is free and that’s plenty of time is see everything
- Closed Mondays
- No flash light photography
Location
225 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
www.themorgan.org/visit/group-tours-and-visits
Neue Galerie
Time for a splash of yellow? Go to this “home” that was originally built for the industrialist William Starr Miller in the early 1900s and you can get a glimpse of Klimt’s portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (made more famous by the movie The Woman in Gold starring Helen Mirren).
If you’re devoted to early twentieth-century German and Austrian art and design, this gallery is perfect for you. It was conceived by two mates. An art dealer and museum exhibition organizer Serge Sabarsky and heir to Estée Lauder cosmetics, Ron Lauder.
A few tips to make this special:
- Free, forty-five-minute tours that covers the highlights of the permanent collection and the special exhibition start at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
- Closed Tuesday & Wednesday
- To avoid $22 admission charge, go from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the first Friday of every month.
- Photography is permitted in limited areas including the ground floor and lower level
- no children under the age of 12
- Hungry? There are two excellent restaurants – Café Sabarsky or Café Fledermaus.
Location
1048 5th Avenue and 86th Street
There is plenty of evidence highlighting that creativity makes you more productive, better leaders & workers and happier. Creative Cities 21 re-energise people through creative escapes in great cities of the world. The program combines the best elements of immersive travel and workshops in painting, acting and innovation, providing a unique, fun and impactful creative learning experience.
Find out more about our 2019 programs at www.creativecities21.com
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