The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a collection of 5,000 years of art. Visitors can enjoy guided tours of the facility by museum-trained volunteers. These tours are included in the museum admission cost. Tour topics vary. Some cover the entire museum art collection as a whole. Others focus on specific departments or themes. The average tour lasts one hour. One-hour gallery talks are also a popular event for visitors. These talks are delivered by independent scholars, advanced students of art history, conservators or the museums curators. They provide interesting information about special exhibitions or information about the permanent collection. Other activities visitors can enjoy include lectures, adult art classes, family programs, and films that relate to the exhibitions. The museum has a branch called The Cloisters that is surrounded by gardents. It is devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe, specifically domestic and religious items from the 12th to 15th centuries. There are about 50 highlights in The Cloisters, including enamels, ivories, manuscripts, tapestries, and sculptures. During the summer months, garden tours are held for visitors. Interpretive audio programming about the museum's collections are available to visitors for a single, daily fee. These audio guides allow visitors to proceed through the museum at their own pace. Audio guides are regularly updated with new material. The museum's store, called The Met Store, carries a variety of household goods for decorating and personal accessories. Jewelry made to look like some of the jewelry treasures in the museum are popular with many visitors.