Morgan Library & Museum
Renzo Piano's cool, clean 2006 reimagining of this landmark yoked together its three disparate buildings under a glass atrium. And though there are usually fine enough temporary exhibits in the Morgan Stanley Galleries, the real reason to visit is the breathtaking private quarters of financier Pierpont Morgan himself. His red damask-draped smoking room, accessorized with works by Memling and Perugino, drips with understated blue-blooded glamour, while his sumptuous, three-story private library (designed by Charles McKim) is as ritzy as its holdings (think 30-foot walls, floor-to-ceiling inlaid walnut bookcases, and volumes of centuries-old European lit), which include three of the 50 extant copies of the Gutenberg Bible.
Tip: Sit down to a meal at the Morgan Café or more formal Morgan Dining Room, and take advantage of free gallery admission and recitals on Fridays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Admission: $12 adults, $8 seniors, free for children 12 and under with adult. Closed Mon.
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