The Met Cloisters: A Medieval Jewel Box in Manhattan

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The Met Cloisters, located in Northern Manhattan's Fort Tryon Park, is the only American museum dedicated exclusively to Medieval art and architecture. Constructed from 1933 to 1938, the museum's harmonious amalgamation of ecclesiastical medieval architecture with modern-built structures evokes an immersive atmosphere. Its galleries contain approximately 2,000 Western European artworks dating predominately from the 12th through 15th centuries, including the famous 'Unicorn Tapestries.'

Why it matters

The Met Cloisters is a unique cultural institution that transports visitors to the Middle Ages, providing a rare opportunity to experience authentic medieval architecture and art in the heart of New York City. Its parkland setting and preservation of the New Jersey Palisades across the Hudson River enhance the museum's ability to create a sense of timelessness and remove visitors from the modern world.

The details

The Met Cloisters' core collection consists of architectural elements from four French cloisters, which were the foundation for an Upper Manhattan museum founded by George Grey Barnard. In 1925, the collection was bought by John D. Rockefeller Jr. for The Met, and two years later, Rockefeller hired the Olmsted Brothers to landscape a nearby tract of land, which became Fort Tryon Park. The museum's architect, Charles Collens, collaborated with Met curators to design a building that incorporated Barnard's original architectural features and new medieval museum acquisitions in a manner that harkened to authentic historic architecture.

• The Met Cloisters was constructed from 1933 to 1938.
• In 1925, John D. Rockefeller Jr. bought the collection of medieval architectural elements for The Met.
• In 1927, Rockefeller hired the Olmsted Brothers to landscape the nearby tract of land that became Fort Tryon Park.