The Museum of Modern Art

Interesting facts

1. 1

   MoMA’s collection includes the original set of 176 emoji created by Shigetaka Kurita in 1999.

2. 2

   The museum holds the first helicopter ever acquired by a museum collection, the Bell 47D1.

3. 3

   The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden was designed by architect Philip Johnson and completed in 1953.

4. 4

   The museum’s film department was established in 1935, making it one of the oldest film archives in the United States.

5. 5

   MoMA famously exhibited the 'Machine Art' exhibition in 1934, which treated industrial ball bearings and propellers as high art.

Overview

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in Midtown Manhattan houses one of the world's most influential collections of modern and contemporary art. The collection includes approximately 200,000 works, ranging from painting and sculpture to architecture, film, and digital media. Notable highlights include Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night, Salvador Dalí’s The Persistence of Memory, and Claude Monet’s large-scale Water Lilies. The museum underwent a major expansion by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in 2019, which added 47,000 square feet of gallery space. The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden serves as an outdoor gallery integrated into the museum's layout. MoMA's film archive preserves over 30,000 films and features daily screenings in its dedicated theaters. The design collection spans industrial objects, including iconic examples of graphic design and furniture. The institution was the first museum to devote itself exclusively to the modern era when it opened in 1929.

Insider tips

• Download the free MoMA audio guide app to your phone before arrival to use with your own headphones.

• Check the daily film schedule upon entry, as tickets are often included with museum admission.

• Visit the second-floor contemporary galleries first, as they are often less crowded than the famous Impressionist galleries on the fifth floor.