6 Unforgettable Art Tours in NYC

Where else to start than the Met? The largest art gallery in America and the fourth largest in the world. The The Metropolitan Museum of Art celebrates masterpieces from the beginning of human civilisation to contemporary works and everything in between. Whether you choose to climb the famous front steps of The Met Fifth Avenue or lose yourself in The Met Cloisters’ serene environment, take advantage of this 2-hour, small group, guided tour and gain insights on both well know pieces to more unusual works in the museum’s collection. The Museum admission ticket is already included in the tour’s price. So let the guide take you on an entertaining look at one of the Big Apple’s premier museums. Recommended by Jamie Sharp

Brooklyn is famous for its bold and bright street art, but it’s not always easy to know where to find these creative works as they pop up. Introducing this walking tour of the Bushwick neighborhood. Get the inside scoop on the neighborhood’s street artists whilst taking in the rich diversity and culture. Check out massive murals and intricate designs as you take to the streets to learn how Brooklyn’s best can turn anything with a surface into a stunning work of public art. Admire art covering everything from walls to trucks and learn about the personas of graffiti artists, how to identify their styles and their importance to the local arts community. Recommended by Jamie Sharp

For the high-tech art lover looking for a unique experience, this gallery tour of Chelsea has got you covered. David, who runs the tour, commissioned audio equipment used in museums and Broadway shows to turn his tour into an audio-visual experience. Tour-takers wear earbuds that allow them to hear David’s commentary anywhere within the gallery, releasing them from needing to congregate around the guide or having to strain to hear explanations…even adding a little spy-esque feel to the whole thing. The tour route features the top five galleries chosen from a selection of around 200 that David personally visits each month (hence the name of the tour). Rest assured, this tour satisfies the needs of first-timers, obsessed experts and new collectors.

In its new Renzo Piano building in, located in the Meatpacking District and West Village neighborhoods of Manhattan, New York City, the Whitney celebrates contemporary American artists of the 20th and 21st Century. They’ve helped bring brilliant artists to fore, such as Georgia O’Keeffe, Jackson Pollock Edward Hopper, and Jeff Koons, and many others, whilst hosting their works in an extensive permanent collection. Skip-the-line and prebook your admission tickets to catch temporary exhibits from around the world as you visit the natural light-filled gallery, and enjoy views of the city skyline from the museum’s outdoor terraces. Your Whitney Museum of American Art admission ticket includes free daily tours. Recommended by Jamie Sharp

This customizable tour of client-picked museums, galleries and exhibits is a hybrid of what Lauren (an art historian and museum educator) calls the ‘lecture’ method of tours: giving you facts about that art with a more interactive ‘inquiry’ method, which consists of asking questions to promote discussion while also blending in a variety of historical context and true stories about the artists themselves. Short activities such as sketching and other games often feature into the experience as well. Popular requested tours include highlights or themed tours of the Metropolitan Museum, Chelsea gallery tours and tours of lower Manhattan’s iconic architecture.

This NYC subterranean art tour takes you through the various works of art commissioned by the city to decorate New York’s subways since 1985, including sculptures, mosaics, murals and installations, all of which are easily missed if you move at the pace most New Yorkers do. While many mistakenly believe the tour is about graffiti, Darryl, the Bronx-born tour guide, says the art shown is as legitimate and well crafted as any that would be placed in the MOMA, though sometimes he’ll point out renegade art too. Much favored by repeat visitors to NYC and city natives alike, the tour will have you seeing the subways in a whole new light.