The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the most popular places to visit during the annual Fifth Avenue Museum Mile festival © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
The 39th annual Museum Mile Festival, the biggest block party in the cultural capital of the world, takes place on Tuesday, June 13, 6 pm-9 pm, rain or shine on a mile-long stretch of Fifth Avenue, from 82 Street to 105 Street. The festival kicks off at 5:45 pm on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
It is a fantastically festive event, with street performers – clowns, magicians, bands – plus art on the street activities. Best of all, all eight museums are open at no charge, many offer entertainment and special activities inside.
Kids make art and become the art during the annual Fifth Avenue Museum Mile festival © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
Begun as an initiative to spur the development of new museum audiences and to increase support for the arts during the fiscal crisis of the 1970s, Museum Mile was formed as a consortium by the museums that share the Fifth Avenue address. It has become one of the most popular happenings in a city known for spectacular events – some 40,000 turn out. It’s such a wonderful opportunity to visit museums you might not otherwise see – I am always surprised.
Expect long lines and to get in about 3 or 4 museums during the course of the night, depending upon how much time you spend enjoying the street entertainment.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is one of the museums participating in the annual Museum Mile festival © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
Participating museums include:
El Museo del Barrio, 1230 Fifth Avenue (at 104th Street), New York, NY 10029, (212) 831-7272 (http://www.elmuseo.org/)
Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Avenue (at 104th Street), New York, NY 10029 (212) 534-1672, http://www.mcny.org/
The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Avenue, (between 92nd & 93rd Streets), New York, NY 10128, (212) 423-3200, www.thejewishmuseum.org.
Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum, 2 East 91st Street (off Fifth Avenue) New York, NY 10128, 212-849-8400, http://www.cooperhewitt.org/
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue (at 88th Street) New York, NY 10128, (212) 423-3500, https://www.guggenheim.org/
Neue Galerie New York, 1048 Fifth Avenue (at 86th Street), New York, NY 10028, (212) 628-6200, http://www.neuegalerie.org/.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street), New York, NY 10028, (212) 535-7710 http://www.metmuseum.org/.
Visit http://museummilefestival.org/ for more information, map, and schedule.
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