With Visitors
When guests come to town, you want to show off the city. Where to take them? Here are some options we think they'll like.
Situated mid-park at 64th Street, The Carousel draws close to 250,000 riders each year, Even so, there are those who don't know where it is. The fourth to stand at this location since 1871, the carousel sends calliope music into the air while its 57 horses carry riders. The current carousel, crafted by Brooklyn firm Stein and Goldstein, dates to 1908. Open April to October, daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., weather permitting. Tickets, $3 per ride, cash only; 212.439.6900, ext. 12. To reach the Carousel, enter the park at 65th Street off Fifth Avenue or at 59th Street off Central Park South.
Frick Collection
It's an ideal place to go with guests. It's known for its Old Master paintings and European sculpture and decorative arts. Arrive between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday and pay what you wish. Pittsburgh industrialist Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919) collected the works that are displayed in his former residence at 1 E. 70th St. on Fifth Avenue. The collection includes works by Bellini, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Gainsborough, Goya, and Whistler. Stop by The Garden Court, modeled after a grand Roman atrium.
Hours 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday; closed Mondays and holidays; regular admission is $18, adults; $15, senior citizens 65 and older; $10, students with valid identification; children under 10 not admitted.
Theodore Roosevelt Memorial and Hall of North American Mammals
View the recently restored dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History at 81st Street and Central Park West which depict wilderness areas and wildlife that Roosevelt's policies helped to preserve. The project was three years and $40 million in the making. Roosevelt set aside five national parks, four game preserves, 51 bird refuges, and 18 national monuments in addition to creating or expanding 150 national forests.
The Morgan Library and Museum
Take vistors to see the once-private library of financier Pierpoint Morgan at 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street. Admission is free Fridays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Of particular interest is the 2006 expansion, adding 75,000 square feet to the campus. The Morgan continues to focus on the written word, the history of the book, and master drawings. Hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.. Open on Memorial Day. .
Metropolitan Museum of Art and MOMA
You'll never go wrong with a visit to the The Mertopolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street or the Museum of Modern Art, 11 W. 53rd St. between Fifth and Sixth avenues. Both are the best in their class. Whether you visit the permanent collections or spend time at a current exhibition, your guests will be impressed. Besides, when it's hot and humid, museums are a place where the air-conditioning keeps up as the temperature soars and humidity soaks.
Decorative Arts, Design History, Material Culture, located in a six-story townhouse at 18 W. 86th St. between Columbus and Central Park West. The BGC Gallery is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday. Admission is $7; $5 for seniors and students (valid ID). Admission is free Thursdays after 5 p.m.
Museum of Arts and Design
In Columbus Circle, visit the Museum of Arts and Design, 2 Columbus Circle, at 59th Street and Eighth Avenue, for a visual treat. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday and Friday. Closed Monday but open Memorial Day and Labor Day. Admission is $16; seniors, $14; students, $12; members and those 18 and under, free. Pay what you wish from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday.
Neue Galerie
Want a smaller venue for guests? Stop at the Neue Galerie at 1048 Fifth Ave. at 86th Street, which focuses on early 20th century German and Austrian art and design. Wander the two-story townhouse, and you may just enjoy the smaller scale. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Monday. General admission is $20; students with a current ID and seniors 65 and older, $10; children under 12 not admitted; children ages 12 to 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Admission is free from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. the first Friday of each month.