The Cloisters is already a monastery reassembled on a cliff above the Hudson, and this show fills it with monsters: more than 50 sculptures, textiles and metalwork objects from 500 to 1500 CE depicting dragons, unicorns, sirens and banshees. It is also the first time art of the ancient Americas has been shown in this building, so European bestiary imagery is set against creatures from a wholly different cosmology. Come for the beasts, then walk out into the herb gardens and the Unicorn Tapestrie
What to expect
A compact exhibition threaded through the medieval galleries, so you move between the show and the permanent collection rather than staying in one room. Expect close looking at small metalwork and carved detail. The gardens and river-view terraces are open as part of the same visit.
Good to know
- Take the A to 190th Street, then the elevator up and a short walk through Fort Tryon Park
- The M4 bus runs to the door if the park walk is difficult
- Admission is included with the same ticket that covers The Met Fifth Avenue
- The Unicorn Tapestries hang in the permanent galleries and are worth budgeting time for
- Gardens are best mid-morning before the light gets harsh over the Hudson
- Bring water; there is limited food on site and the park walk is exposed
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Common questions
How many objects are in the show?
More than 50 works in sculpture, textiles and metalwork, made between roughly 500 and 1500 CE.
Is this the first time ancient Americas art has been shown at the Cloisters?
Yes, the exhibition marks the first presentation of art of the ancient Americas at the Met Cloisters.
Does my Met ticket cover the Cloisters?
A Met admission ticket covers both The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters within the same period.
More this weekend
