New York has enough museum exhibitions to fill a calendar, but a useful guide should tell you what is actually on view. These twelve picks combine current art shows with ongoing displays of history, science and film. Choose a neighborhood, check the exhibition’s own visitor page, and build a day around one or two stops.
Last checked September 5, 2026. Closing dates below apply to temporary shows. Ongoing collections can rotate, and individual galleries may close temporarily.
Current museum exhibitions in NYC
1. The Lost World: The Art of Minnie Evans, Whitney Museum
On view through January 10, 2027. Location: Meatpacking District, Manhattan.
Minnie Evans turned dreams, spiritual imagery and the natural world into densely patterned drawings, paintings and collages. The Whitney’s retrospective brings together faces, flowers and imagined creatures in compositions that reward a close look. Start here if you want an art show centered on one distinctive visual language. See the exhibition and visitor details.
2. Andy Warhol Family Album, Whitney Museum
On view through October 19, 2026. Location: Meatpacking District, Manhattan.
This smaller photography exhibition focuses on Warhol’s immediate circle through Polaroids from 1972 and 1973. Friends, collaborators, travels and his dog Archie appear in images drawn from a personal album. It makes a natural second stop on a Whitney visit, especially if you are curious about the everyday life behind the famous portraits. Check the show’s current information.
3. Architects of Liberation: Modernism in Western Africa, MoMA
On view through January 2, 2027. Location: Midtown Manhattan.
Architecture becomes a way to understand independence and national identity in this exhibition about Western Africa. Drawings, models, archival images, photographs and videos show how buildings helped express political and cultural change. The exhibition spans seven countries, including Ghana, Senegal and Nigeria. Choose it for a museum visit that connects design with history. Explore the exhibition at MoMA.
Ongoing exhibitions and collections
4. Collection galleries, MoMA
Ongoing, with rotating installations. Location: Midtown Manhattan.
MoMA’s collection galleries offer a broad route through modern and contemporary art. The fifth floor covers 1880 to 1950, the fourth covers 1950 to 1980, and the second takes the story from 1980 to today. Pick one period if your time is limited. Works move between displays, so check the current gallery listings before planning around a particular artist. Browse MoMA’s current displays.
5. The Temple of Dendur, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Ongoing collection display, Gallery 131. Location: Upper East Side, Manhattan.
The Temple of Dendur is an ancient Egyptian temple from the Roman period, now displayed at The Met Fifth Avenue. It is a good anchor for an Egyptian art visit: spend time with the building itself, then explore the surrounding collection. The Met’s object page identifies its current gallery and provides historical context. Read about the temple and its location.
6. Davis Family Butterfly Vivarium, American Museum of Natural History
Year-round. Additional ticket required. Location: Upper West Side, Manhattan.
The butterfly vivarium in the Gilder Center is a living environment rather than a gallery of specimens. Butterflies fly among tropical plants, giving visitors a chance to watch them feeding and moving at close range. It is an appealing science stop for families or anyone who likes to slow down and observe. Reserve the appropriate admission option before arriving. Check vivarium tickets and details.
7. Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, American Museum of Natural History
Ongoing. Included with museum admission. Location: Upper West Side, Manhattan.
These first-floor halls connect the visual appeal of gems and minerals with the science of how they form. Thousands of specimens give you plenty to compare, from crystal shapes to striking colors. Pair this display with another museum hall for a visit that does not depend on a temporary exhibition’s closing date. Explore the halls and admission details.
8. Invisible Worlds, American Museum of Natural History
Ongoing. Additional ticket required. Location: Upper West Side, Manhattan.
This immersive experience uses large projections to explore connections in nature that are too small, fast or vast to see directly. The roughly twelve-minute loop moves through environments and biological networks, with moments that respond to visitors’ movements. It is a different pace from the museum’s object displays and sits on the Gilder Center’s third floor. Plan an Invisible Worlds visit.
9. Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasures
Ongoing. Free. Location: Midtown Manhattan.
Inside the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, this exhibition brings objects from the library’s research collections into Gottesman Hall. It is a useful choice when you want a free cultural stop near Bryant Park. The display changes over time, so consult the library’s exhibition page for the objects currently featured and the day’s visiting arrangements. See the library’s Treasures exhibition.
10. New York at Its Core, Museum of the City of New York
Ongoing. Location: East Harlem, Manhattan.
For a museum visit about the city itself, this exhibition follows four centuries of New York history. It connects the people and forces that shaped the city with questions about its future. Make it your starting point if you want context for the neighborhoods you are exploring, rather than a survey of a single artist or art movement. Explore New York at Its Core.
11. Behind the Screen, Museum of the Moving Image
Ongoing. Location: Astoria, Queens.
Film and television become tangible through cameras, costumes, props and other production artifacts. Interactive activities introduce parts of the process such as animation, sound and dubbing. This is a good pick for visitors who are interested in how something gets made, and it pairs naturally with the museum’s Jim Henson exhibition. See Behind the Screen details.
12. The Jim Henson Exhibition, Museum of the Moving Image
Ongoing. Location: Astoria, Queens.
Puppets, sketches, costumes and production materials trace Jim Henson’s work across television and film. The exhibition includes material connected to Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. Interactive elements introduce puppetry and character design, making this a particularly inviting stop for fans of the craft behind the characters. Plan a Jim Henson exhibition visit.
How to plan your museum day
Keep your route compact. The two Whitney shows share one building; MoMA and the library work for a Midtown day; the three natural-history displays share a museum; and the two Moving Image exhibitions make an Astoria outing. Check admission options carefully because some experiences require an extra ticket. For temporary shows, use the closing dates above and confirm the official page before booking.
We’ve also written about the best museums in New York City, the best neighborhoods in Queens and the best libraries in NYC.