What began as a plan for one museum visit turned into a two-part immersion that stretched from a crisp morning opening to the final notes of closing at 9 pm.

Early arrival

An early start set the tone, with a subway-and-bus combo getting to The Met Fifth Avenue just after the doors opened at 10 am. Arriving near opening meant quieter galleries and an easy glide past the Main Hall into the collection, a reliable tactic on days when the museum is fully open.

First guided tour

A few minutes of wandering led straight into a guided tour on Impressionism and Post‑Impressionism, tracing luminous brushwork from the 1860s through the early twentieth century.
These collection tours are free with admission and depart from the Vélez Blanco Patio, with space first‑come, first‑served.

Lunch interlude

Lunch in the café broke the morning into two neat halves, a chance to reset before the afternoon galleries.
Planning around on‑site dining keeps momentum without leaving Fifth Avenue, especially when timing back‑to‑back guided tours.

Second guided tour

The afternoon tour pivoted to Modern and Contemporary Art, spanning works from roughly 1890 onward and shifting the palette from hazy boulevards to bold forms and new media.
Tour topics and times vary day‑to‑day, so catching both Impressionist and Modern tracks felt like stitching two eras into one visit.

Midday pause

After the second tour, it was time to head back to Queens to check on Lucky, a strategic intermission before the evening session.
With extended hours on select days, The Met can flex around a split itinerary that includes a mid‑visit break.

Evening return

Evening brought a return ride by subway and bus for The Met’s late hours, when galleries stretch open until 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Those nights often coincide with Date Night at The Met, when the atmosphere tilts mellow and the building hums with live programming and unhurried viewing.

Modern and Contemporary sweep

Back inside, the focus turned to a full sweep of the Modern and Contemporary galleries, letting the afternoon’s tour become a roadmap for deeper exploration.
Covering these spaces in the evening makes sense—lines thin out, and the late open hours favor longer, contiguous gallery time.

Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries

From there, the path curved back to the eighteenth and nineteenth century paintings, a satisfying counterpoint to the night’s modernist angles.
Toggling between centuries underscores how movements echo across time, especially after anchoring the day in Impressionist foundations.

Closing bell

At 9 pm, closing arrived right on schedule, and it was back to the bus and subway for the ride home, the day neatly bookended by transit and art.
Two visits in one day turned a museum trip into a rhythm—arrive early, linger late, and let the tours frame everything in between.