How to Visit the Whitney Museum of American Art

The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City and is referred to by locals as "the Whitney." The museum was funded in 1931 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, who amassed an incredible personal collection of art. The Whitney now houses over 12,000 works of art in areas as diverse as drawings and video.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Make the Most of Your Museum Visit

1. Try to spread the visit over 2 days if possible. The museum collection is so massive that it would be difficult to cover everything in just one day.
2. The museum is less crowded on weekend mornings. School groups sometimes visit on weekday mornings and many tourists stop by in the evenings.
3. Check the two official websites maintained by the museum before you visit. Aside from the Whitney Museum's official website, the Whitney also has a second home on the web, called Artport: Whitney Portal to Net Art (see Resources below). The Artport is like a virtual changing exhibition, and is a good way to get introduced to the many works of art that are housed in the museum.
4. Make time for the special exhibitions held at the Whitney during the year. Recent examples include a collection of films and videos by Gordon Matta-Clark, a touching exhibit of African American historical photography.
5. Pick up a museum brochure. This will help you understand the layout of the museum and choose the order in which you prefer to see the many exhibits.
6. See the Andy Warhol Film Project, a large archive of the history of one of America's top avant-garde artists. The project includes over 200 movies, ranging from screen tests to feature films.
7. Take the American Voices audio tour. The tour guides you through the museum to help you see the 27 most important pieces in the building.

Tips & Warnings

• The museum is housed in a magnificent building which is a structural masterpiece by itself. Many lovers of architecture stop by simply to admire the place without recognizing it as the home of the Whitney Museum.

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