Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

New York, United States

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, often referred to as The Guggenheim, is an art museum located at 1071 Fifth Avenue on the corner of East 89th Street in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan. It is the permanent home of a continuously expanding collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern, and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions throughout the year. The museum was established by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in 1939 as the Museum of Non-Objective Painting, under the guidance of its first director, Hilla von Rebay. It adopted its current name in 1952, three years after the death of its founder Solomon R. Guggenheim.

In 1959, the museum moved from rented space to its current building, a landmark work of 20th-century architecture designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The cylindrical building, wider at the top than at the bottom, was conceived as a 'temple of the spirit'. Its unique ramp gallery extends up from ground level in a long, continuous spiral along the outer edges of the building to end just under the ceiling skylight. The building underwent extensive expansion and renovations in 1992 when an adjoining tower was built, and from 2005 to 2008.

The museum's collection has grown over eight decades and is founded upon several important private collections, beginning with that of Solomon R. Guggenheim. The collection is shared with sister museums in Bilbao, Spain and elsewhere. In 2013, nearly 1.2 million people visited the museum, and it hosted the most popular exhibition in New York City.

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Details

Founded: 1937
Category: Museums in United States

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Kamryn Grimes (2 years ago)
My husband and I visited a couple months ago and had a really enjoyable time. There was no wait time to get in and it wasn't too busy. The only thing I was bummed about was that they were doing renovations to the main part (the spiral) so it was off limits. Again, lovely art here and a must visit for any art lover.
Stephen Briggs (2 years ago)
An amazing building and laid out in a perfect way so you aren’t going in and out of different rooms, it’s just a nice flow around. Art is art and whilst some might not have been my taste it’s great to see different things. A very tasty Turkey Reuben at not a silly price.
Robert Alvarez (2 years ago)
In all the years I have been visiting Manhattan, I had never visited the world renowned Guggenheim Museum. A friend an client treated me to admission on her Birthday. How cool is that?! The staff people with whom we interacted were very friendly, professional and helpful. Incidentally, on Saturdays, one can pay what they wish. Those pay-what-you-wish tickets are sold on Saturdays from 5-8PM, but arriving by no later than 4PM is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
H K (BMP669) (2 years ago)
We went to the Guggenheim Museum as holder of the New York Pass. It was no problem and we had no waiting time. Still there were quite some people inside. The building is a blast as many may know it from movies. There is a fixed exhibition (Thannhauser) that we like quite a lot. The main exhibition changes every 6 months. The specific exhibition you have to check. Anyway, we think it is a must to go there. Staff is nice. Thanks a lot!
Kevin Ao (2 years ago)
I recently visited the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and was very impressed with its unique design. The spiraling stairs were a particularly beautiful feature, although unfortunately I was only able to see some of it due to painting work being done. I was able to experience the current exhibitions of "Only The Young" and "Going Dark", which were both very interesting. The cafe inside is quite small but clean, and the entire museum can be seen in less than two hours if all areas were open. Overall, I recommend visiting this museum if you have the chance.
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