The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum stands at 1071 Fifth Avenue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, across from Central Park. Frank Lloyd Wright’s curving white building makes the visit distinctive: galleries follow a spiral ramp around a central atrium, so you can take in the architecture as you move through the art. The collection spans Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early modern and contemporary work, with artists including Kandinsky, Picasso and Van Gogh. Check the current exhibition calendar before you go, since shows change over time.
A museum designed around a spiral
Frank Lloyd Wright received the commission in 1943 to design a home for Solomon R. Guggenheim’s collection of modern art. The project took 16 years, and Wright died shortly before the museum opened to the public in 1959. The building’s unusual form challenged the conventional arrangement of separate, rectangular galleries.
Inside, a broad ramp winds around a central atrium beneath a skylight. The route links the galleries in a continuous circuit, with art displayed along the sloping walls. The building’s shape has been compared to a nautilus shell and an inverted stepped pyramid. Look up from the ramp to take in the open rotunda as well as the artwork around it.
Art across several movements
The collection includes Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early modern and contemporary art. Among the artists represented are Wassily Kandinsky, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Paul Klee, Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet and Edgar Degas. Works by artists associated with Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism also appear in the collection.
The museum’s curatorial approach brings the building and its art into close contact. The sweeping galleries give you a different view of works as you move between levels, while the open atrium keeps the spaces visually connected. Since the displays and special exhibitions change, consult the museum’s current exhibition information to see what will be on view during your visit.
Temporary exhibitions and programs
Changing exhibitions are an important part of the museum’s program, and some use the rotunda as a setting for a single artist’s work. Past exhibition formats have included photography, video, text and sculpture, as well as painting. The museum also presents educational initiatives, lectures, performances and film screenings connected with art and artists.
For a visit focused on a particular show, check the calendar before setting out. The museum’s digital guide and app provide information about exhibitions and the architecture. The foyer is another place to appreciate Wright’s design, and it can be viewed without entering the ticketed galleries.
Preguntas frecuentes
How long should you spend at the Guggenheim Museum?
Plan on 2 to 3 hours to explore the collection, current exhibitions and building.
What kind of art is at the Guggenheim Museum?
The collection spans Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early modern and contemporary art, with works by artists including Kandinsky, Picasso and Van Gogh.
Can you see the Guggenheim’s architecture without a ticket?
The museum foyer can be admired without a ticket. Access to the galleries is separate.
