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NYC Travel Package: Meet Me at the Met

Visiting an art museum is always on my “Must Do” list when traveling. One of the greatest is the Metropolitan Museum of Art –simply known as the Met in New York City.

The massive museum beside Central Park has more than two million works of art. The new American Wing reopened earlier this year with an expanded collection of paintings, sculpture and decorative arts–the comprehensive display covers 30,000 square feet.

One of New York City’s most popular attractions, some five million people visit the Met annually.  Admission to the museum includes all special exhibits and costs: $25 for adults, $17 for seniors, and $12 for students.  You can save up to 45% admission to the Met (and five other NYC attractions) when you buy an NYC CityPass booklet.

The Met can be overwhelming.  The museum provides free guided tours and talks–check the online calendar for times.    Audio guides are also available for $7. The museum has designed many programs for families, such as, the  “How Did They Do That? Roman Glass” program that is every Saturday morning in June. While many events are free, some do require a reservation and a ticket.

I can spend an entire afternoon at the Met. For a break, have lunch in one of the onsitete cafes or cafeteria. From May through fall, the Roof Garden and Martini Bar is open on the fifth floor via the elevator through the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts galleries. Overlooking the treetops of Central Park, the panoramic view of NYC is spectacular. Now until November 4, 2012, artist Tomas Saraceno’s Cloud City–habitat-like modular structure constructed of transparent and reflective material–is open for visitors to walk through. Tickets are required.

Don’t leave the Met without visiting the Gift Shop where the books and objects are based on the museums permanent collection spanning 5,000 years of civilization. I had a hard time choosing between French CDs, Van Gogh notecards and Tiffany-inspired earrings. Luckily, I could splurge with my $10 off coupon I received as part of my hotel package.

If you go to New York City, make sure you visit the Met. It’s one of the most remarkable museums in the world.

WHERE TO STAY

I booked a room at the DoubleTree Metropolitan hotel–it is one of seven Hilton properties offering the “Manhattan Museum Package.” When I checked into the hotel, the staff gave me warm-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookies and an envelope containing discounts and passes.

Participating hotels include:

*Hilton New York Fashion District
*Hilton Times Square
*Doubletree Suites by Hilton Times Square
*Doubletree by Hilton Metropolitan New York City
*Hilton Garden Inn New York/West 35th Street

*Hampton Inn Manhattan Times Square North
*Hilton Garden Inn Times Square

The package includes overnight stay plus two tickets to the American Museum of Natural History, 2-for-1 admission to the Skyscraper Museum and discount coupons for Madame Tussauds New York, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, BODIES the Exhibition, Old Castle Restaurant, City Crab and Seafood Restaurant, Metropolitan Museum of Art Store and the Children’s Museum of Manhattan.

Make a reservation by visiting www.hilton.com/nyc-museum or by calling 1-800-HILTONS and requesting plan code Li1.  The package is available now through February 28, 2013.

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