Well, if you’ve been reading my articles for awhile now, it should come as no surprise that I love anything associated with libraries and books. Hence, The Morgan Library & Museum is a true favorite of mine. However, did you know that there’s more to a visit than simply wandering the exhibitions? Below, I’ve outlined 5 ways you can experience the Morgan…and as you’ll see, you need not be a literary guru to indulge.
Visit On A Free Friday Evening
Every Friday from 7pm to 9pm, the museum offers free entrance. This is a great way to sample what the space has to offer. To make the evening even more festive, there’s a live jazz and Brazilian band (infused with plenty of Spanish flair) that performs from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Talk about a fabulous and free date night!
Take A Tour
Even for the most well-read visitor to The Morgan, there’s plenty of details that can go unknown with a self-guided visit. Instead, consider timing your visit with a tour. Tours are free with museum entrance, and are at 12:30pm Tuesday through Sunday. They last an hour, and will cover the highlights of the museum’s permanent collection. You’re sure to leave with a greater appreciation, as well as fun tid-bits of literary info to drop at your next dinner party!
Attend a Family Program
If you have little ones at home, check out the great family programming offered at The Morgan. For instance, on the second Sunday of every month, families can experience Mr. Morgan’s 1906 library through art activities and hands-on exploration led by a Morgan Educator. Tickets for this are free with museum admission.
Enjoy a Concert
The Morgan hosts plenty of musicians in its space! Tickets are reasonably priced (ranging from $15 to $50 depending on the show), and members to the museum always get a discounted rate. The full lineup can be viewed here.
Indulge in a Literary Themed Afternoon Tea
The Morgan offers one of the most delightful afternoon tea settings in NYC, in my humble opinion. For only $37 (which is about half of the price of any of the hotel afternoon teas you’ll find in the city), you’ll get a lovely selection of tea sandwiches, scones, and sweets, along with a pot of your preferred tea. The dining area is large and drenched in sunlight (another perk that won’t be found in NYC hotel dining rooms), and you don’t even have to get museum admission to enjoy the tea…just walk right on in!
The tea settings revolve around the current exhibition, which makes it extra whimsical. I recently went and was delighted to partake in a tea inspired by the exhibit “It’s Alive! Frankenstein at 200”. The tea was green, sweets spooky (think: eyeball lollipops and severed finger tips for sweets!), and the scones were even made with chokeberries…so fun!
Jessica Tiare Bowen lives in the juicy Big Apple with her adorable pink-nosed chihuahua, Gillman. He’s the inspiration for her first published children’s book, “Park Avenue Pound Puppy.” The book is the combined result of her two greatest passions: pooches and penning stories.
Her passions include art, urban hikes through Manhattan, drinking coffee with 3 creams and 6 sugars, making extremely detailed itineraries and traveling to far away places, singing along to Broadway shows, Netflix movie nights, discovering incredible treasures at Goodwill and thrift stores, and listening to stories from little people under 7 and big people over 70.
She started her career as New York City Teaching Fellow, teaching elementary school and theater arts at a special education school in the South Bronx for 6 years. She is now a Special Education School Improvement Specialist working in public schools throughout New York City. She is the Editor-In-Chief of the online New York City travel magazine, Used York City. The magazine focuses on finding the best of New York…as used by New Yorkers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and an ASPCA Ambassador.