I agree, Fantomas, the Met is one of the world's best. I've lived in NYC for years and have been going to the Metropolitan since I arrived from Florida, and it's always a joy. Another great (albeit small) museum is in my home state: the Salvador Dali museum in St. Petersburg, Fla. It has one of the biggest collections of his work, and if you're into Dali, you have to visit.

I'm looking forward to seeing the native american antiquities collections in Costa Rica. The museum in Mexico City only wetted my appetite for more detail about the adz-like pieces so common in central and south america as well as those huge mysterious stone spheres they made. Hopefully the Jade Museum will be a good place to start.

[ July 13, 2004, 02:42 PM: Message edited by: sportinlife ]

One of my favorite museums is the Toledo Museum of Art. You might scoff, but go visit it sometime. It is truely a world class museum.

This museum sounds cool. Have you ever visited the Museum of the American Indian, which used to be in Washington Heights in upper Manhattan, but now is right down near Bowling Green, in the old Customs House, I believe, near Wall Street? It's part of the Smithsonian, and definitely worth seeing. It has whetted my desire to see more intact Native historic and cultural one of these days.

I had the marvelous opportunity to go to college in the same town as the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, which boasts one of the largest Impressionist collections in the world. This place blew me away when I first saw it, especially as my family was not that cultural (my father liked to embarass us by pronouncing Renoir, Manet and Monet as "Renner," "Man-ette" and "Mo-nette"), and left me with a lifelong love of these artists.

Interesting side note: apparently the Clarks' set the museum high in the Berkshires because they figured that was the least likely place to get nuked - the paintings would survive, even if humanity didn't.

I also live in museum central here in DC, and we are truly spoiled. Not only do we have the local resources, but so many traveling exhibits come here as well. Of course, I tend to hit the museums when I have friends or relatives in town. One of my favorites, though, the Portrait Gallery, has been closed since 2000, and is not due to open again until 2006 (sigh).

Living in DC also spoils you - when I do have some free time on business trips, I do try to hit local museums, but am always offended when they charge admission (or even worse, the dreaded "recommended contribution"). Everything's free here in DC, and I like it that way.

Yes fantomas I have seen the National Museum of the American Indian originally founded by George Gustav Heye. Interesting guy. Reminds me of the eccentric
Albert Barnes whose art collection is one of the most interesting exhibits in the Philadelphia region.

Most of the Heye collection I believe is being transferred to a new facility in DC.

I was doing genealogical research and visited a very good temporary exhibit of photographs from the 19th and early 20th century, of institutions established to "re-educate" Native Americans and integrate them into western culture.

Though I hope to revisit the Washington facility I'll miss the grand old New York location. I saw it not long after 9/11 and the globe from that site was nearby in Battery Park - eerily beautiful hovering among the trees like a UFO.

Don't forget that even smaller cities and out-of-way places can have some AWESOME displays. Among these, I'd count the Barnes outside Philly (collection of a quirky doctor who specified that nothing ever be added, removed, or moved), the Kimball in Fort Worth (excellent Western art in a really cool building designed by Louis Kahn that's worth a visit alone) and the Eiteljorg in Indianapolis and the University of BC in Vancouver(both top-tier Native American collections).

The National Museum on the American Indian opens on the Mall in Washington on September 21. The building is a beautiful design of flowing, rounded contours. Directly opposite I.M. Pei's East Wing of the National Gallery, it's a great contrast to the the predominant archeticure of the other Smithsonian Museums.

As a Pittsburgh native, I have to give a shout out to the Andy Warhol Museum and to the Carnegie...well worth a visit. The Egyptian Museum in Cairo is a phenomenal experience (as is all of Egypt).

I grew up going to the Carneige and I was pleasantly surprised by the Portland Museum of Art

also--when you're in San Fran--check out the new Asian Art Museum

I'm glad somebody mentioned the Kimball in Fort Worth. The great museums of the world mentioned in this thread don't need any further plugs, but I will mention that if you are ever in the DFW area there are few must stops for museum lovers.

The Kimball is actually not a museum of western art (see Amon Carter below) it features classic works and is known as the best small museum in the country. It's building, designed by Louis Kahn, is outstanding.

The Museum of Modern Art in Fort Worth is also worth a stop. The building itself, designed by Tadao Ando, is awesome. The collection is nice and it's across the street from the Kimball.

The Amon Carter features American artists and is known for its collection of Remingtons. It's not my thing, but it's very popular.

In Dallas, the new Nasher Sculpture Garden is really nice and shows off the most sought after private collection of modern sculpture in the world. The building was designed by Renzo Piano and it's a great, peaceful retreat in downtown.

Hook 'em

Speaking of Texas museums, the often overlooked Menil Collection in Houston is one of the best private museums in the world, designed by the incomparable Renzo Piano in a simple, yet technologically revolutionary, design that complements the "Dominique grey" of the surrounding neighborhood houses, many owned by the de Menil family of Schlumberger oil services ties, and inhabited by employees of the museums and related sites and artists. The neighborhood and museum are a peaceful oasis near the middle of Houston, near the Montrose gay clubs and bars.

The Menil Collection houses the once personal collection of Dominique and John de Menil, an ecclectic and wide-ranging array of objects and paintings from Egypt and Greece to Magritte and Warhol. They also have interesting and whimsical contemporary exhibits. Dominique de Menil was also a fine humanitarian and philanthropist, with a great liberal (in the true sense of the world) outlook. The de Menils personally knew many of the great artists of the 20th century as well as many statesmen and leaders of the time. The de Menils and their offshoots are also responsible for the Dia collections and installations in New York, Texas and New Mexico.

In the same neighborhood, and founded and/or funded by the de Menils, are the Cy Twombly gallery (also designed by Piano), the Byzantine Fresco Chapel (preserving intact Byzantine frescoes from Cyprus in a gorgeous, intimate setting), the Rothko Chapel (original design by Philip Johnson with the last paintings by Mark Rothko) and the various Philip Johnson buildings on the St. Thomas University campus. All surround, and are within walking distance of, the Menil Collection.

I cannot recommend this museum and the area enough. I go every time I visit Houston. I also highly suggest you give Houston itself a look and consideration, a city which is surprisingly culturally rich and diverse, not only the suburban, sprawl and cultural desert most imagine. It is, after all, in the desert that dreams come to fruition (credit to John de Menil for that quote about Houston).

My fault...sorry about that. I confused the two museums' collections and their buildings. However, I still really recommend them both a lot!

Another good place to see some nice works is the Art Gallery at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. It's not a city known for "fine art," but they rotate some awesome stuff through that small space...and it can be a nice break from the casinos' glitz and clatter.

LACMA is actually getting a makeover. Rem Koolhaas was originally going to do the makeover but now that honor belongs to Renzo Piano.