The museum was funded primarily by John D. Rockefeller Jr., who also donated the land for Fort Tryon Park to ensure the view across the Hudson River remained undeveloped.
The Cloisters was designed to be an evocative experience of the Middle Ages rather than a strict chronological display, integrating original medieval stones into modern reinforced concrete walls.
The Unicorn Tapestries, a set of seven intricate hangings, were rediscovered in the 1920s being used to cover potatoes in a French chateau barn.
The Trie Cloister garden is planted according to medieval horticultural records, featuring plants known to have been cultivated in the 15th century.
The site contains the Romanesque Chapel, which features original 12th-century stained glass and architectural carvings from the former monastery of Notre-Dame-du-Bourg.
The central Cuxa Cloister features pink marble columns and capitals carved by master stonecutters in the Pyrenees during the 1130s.
The Met Cloisters is a museum branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art exclusively dedicated to the art and architecture of medieval Europe. The building incorporates architectural elements from five medieval French cloisters, including Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa and Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, which were disassembled and transported to New York. It is situated within Fort Tryon Park on a cliff overlooking the Hudson River. The collection focuses on Romanesque and Gothic art, featuring over 2,000 works spanning the 12th through 15th centuries. Notable holdings include the Unicorn Tapestries and the Merode Altarpiece. The site functions as a recontextualized space where architectural fragments serve as the physical container for the medieval art collection. Its design emphasizes the integration of sacred art within reconstructed monastic spaces, including interior gardens. The facility is managed by the Met and maintains a distinct curatorial identity from the main Fifth Avenue building.
The central garden at the Cuxa Cloister for a frame encompassing the Romanesque arches and the inner courtyard.
Visit the medieval gardens in spring or summer when the plants are in bloom to see how they correspond to the herbals displayed in the galleries.
Check the museum's schedule for live early music performances, which are often held in the Fuentidueña Chapel to showcase the building's acoustics.
Take the walking path through Fort Tryon Park to reach the museum, as it provides historic views of the Hudson River.
Do not rush through the gardens; they are designed as integral components of the monastic experience.
Closed on Wednesdays and major public holidays; check for seasonal maintenance closures in winter.
Maintain a quiet volume within the chapels; flash photography is prohibited near sensitive textiles.
