MoMA

Situated in Midtown Manhattan, the Museum of Modern Art (or MoMA, for short) ranks among the most popular museums in the United States.

Dreamed-up by three wealthy and well-connected ladies, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, Lillie P. Bliss, and Mary Quinn Sullivan, the institution opened to the public in November 1929, days after the Wall Street Crash. With this, it became the first American museum exclusively devoted to modern art, and quickly gained both national and international recognition. 

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The gallery moved to its current home, designed by architects Philip L. Goodwin and Edward Durell Stone, in 1939 (though it was later given a much-needed overhaul by Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi). 

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With a permanent collection of around 200,000 works of art, spanning fields including painting, photography, film, and electronic media, this renovation and expansion enabled the museum to exhibit more of its holdings than ever before. 

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This includes works from the late 19th century through to the present day – and features major paintings by artists like Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, and René Magritte. Oh, and the place also seems to have as many cafés as it does exhibits – providing gallery-goers with ample opportunity to rest their weary eyes and legs!

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