How Long to Spend at MoMA – For Every Kind of Visitor

One of the most visited museums in the world, New York’s Museum of Modern Art welcomes more than a million art lovers every year. Its vast size and collection can be daunting but with some careful planning, you can design a visit to suit your interests. To help, this is your guide on how long to spend at MoMA – no matter what kind of visitor you are.

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How long to spend at MoMA for families with young children

1 hour for under-5s; 1 ½ hours for 5 years and up

Museums and art galleries have made enormous strides towards becoming more family-friendly in recent years, and MoMA is at the forefront of this change. There are plenty of ways children can enjoy a visit and engage with the art without getting bored or feeling overwhelmed.

Visit early in the day – MoMA opens at 10.30 am – to enjoy the galleries with fewer visitors and less chance for little ones to toddle into the crowd. Start at floor 5 with Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Monet’s Water Lilies, colorful child-pleasing pieces which have their own dedicated kid-focused audio guides. Then browse floors 5, 4 or 2, letting the little ones seek out artworks that interest them; the kids’ labels are a handy guide.

Around 30-45 minutes is ample time for gallery wandering; at the first sign of flagging, head to the ground floor to The Samuel and Ronnie Heyman Family Art Lab. Here young children and families can experiment, play and create in an artistic space. 

So, why should families with young children spend 1 to 1½ hours at MoMA? To maintain interest and encourage a love of art, don’t overdo it. You don’t want kids to get bored. You can always continue their modern art journey using the free do-at-home resources on MoMA’s website. 

And remember that entrance is free for visitors under 16, and pushchairs are allowed.

How long to spend at MoMA for the time-pressured

1 hour

It’s worth visiting MoMA even if you’re short on time; even an hour allows viewing of a few remarkable modern artworks. Focus your energies on a handful of key pieces, and use an audio guide to add extra depth of understanding to your short visit. And don’t forget to book, or you may miss out altogether!

So, how can you fit the highlights into an hour? Start at floor 5, room 515 with Monet’s Water Lilies and the nearby 512 with Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie Woogie. Then spend some time with Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon in room 502 before viewing Van Gogh’s masterpiece The Starry Night in room 521.

In room 405 on the 4th floor, you’ll find a confronting collection of Abstract Expressionism, Helen Frankenthaler’s seminal work Jacob’s Ladder among them. Your last essential visit is to the pop art of Warhol, Liechtenstein et al in room 412. Round out your remaining time on the second floor with the best of the museum’s most recent pieces.

So why should the time-pressured spend an hour at MoMA? Because it offers some of the finest modern art you’ll ever see, and even a whistle-stop hour affords some time with amazing artworks. And this guide to how to get to MoMA will help you find your fastest route.

How long to spend at MoMA for art aficionados

Half a day, on multiple visits

Art aficionados are, of course, spoiled for choice in MoMA’s endless galleries. In fact, devotees of modern and contemporary art may struggle to limit their viewing, and risk being overwhelmed by the delights on display. So how long to spend at MoMA if you’d love to see, well, everything?

A half-day is about the longest anyone can concentrate on artworks, and that includes bathroom breaks and a snack (or lunch). So the best thing to do if you’re an art lover is plan for multiple visits so you can tour the displays with enthusiasm. Linger over the less well-known pieces and forms: watch a film, appreciate photography, study a sculpture. The Gordon Parks Collection in room 409 is a fascinating glimpse through photography of the criminalization of marginal communities. 

Then there’s 407’s On Plexiglass, which is a tribute to the use of industrial materials in art. A must for art lovers interested in alternative and multimedia artworks.

You can also visit a temporary exhibition; these give a deep dive into one artist, subject or era, shining a light on a particular corner of the art world.

If you’re planning multiple visits, make sure to check the MoMA opening hours. At the time of writing, Sunday to Friday 10:30 – 17:30, Saturday 10:30 – 19:00. Try Sunday mornings for a quieter visit.

How long to spend at MoMA for the not-really-an-art-lover

1 to 2 hours

What if you’re desperate to visit MoMA but your holiday companion just isn’t that interested in modern art? You need to seek out the compelling, thought-provoking pieces which will engage even the least passionate of gallery wanderers. And these fine pieces will allow you to indulge your passion for modern art too. 

Here’s an overview of the art at MoMA that will enchant even the least committed of visitors, but remember to accommodate unplanned stops at works that catch the eye. Begin on the 5th floor with colorful Matisse in room 506, and enjoy the glamorous world of 1920s Paris in 513. See the vital work of women artists from the late 1960s to early 1980s on the 4th floor, and browse the multi-colored Rothkos in 404. Finally, descend to the ground floor to the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden for a relaxing stroll in this unexpected urban oasis.

So why should the less enthusiastic visitor spend 1 to 2 hours at MoMA? It’s long enough to engage with some compelling artworks and not so long as to risk boredom. Sweeten the deal with a promise to stop by the Design Store for some high-quality shopping. And work around MoMA’s opening hours to fit in lunch or dinner at The Modern – an experience designed for you both to enjoy!

How long to spend at MoMA for the early adopter

2 to 3 hours

For some, art is at its most potent when it addresses the vital questions of the day and introduces new techniques and responses to what has gone before. Happily, there is no better place to find such innovative, imaginative contemporary art than MoMA.

Start with a step into history to see some of the 20th century’s most influential modern art movements. In the aftermath of World War II, the Abstract Expressionists pushed the boundaries of abstract art, shaping the form to express profound human values. Immerse yourself in the Action Painting rooms (403 and 405) and you’ll feel the shocking power of Abstract Expressionism even now.

To experience the cutting-edge of contemporary art, visit the 2nd floor for the 1970s – Present collection. This whole floor is dedicated to the most groundbreaking art of today, from architecture and design for living to sculptures created from found materials.

Why should the early adopter spend two to three hours at MoMA? MoMA is a temple to provocative modern art and its 1970s – Present collection deserves two to three hours of attention.

Don’t forget to check MoMA’s opening hours and book your entrance in advance!

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Planning a visit to MoMA? Here’s a full insider’s guide to what to see.