Nikki’s Picks: The Morgan Library and Museum

One of the most fabulous things about living in New York City is the culture – it’s home to dozens and dozens of splendid museums and cultural institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Modern Art.

But one of my favorite, perhaps not quite as famous, museums is the Morgan Library & Museum, located on Madison Avenue near East 36th Street. Originally, it housed the private collection of J.P. Morgan (yes, that J.P. Morgan) and expanded over the years into a museum and research center, featuring items such as original Gutenberg Bibles, works by Picasso and Rembrandt as well as manuscripts from the likes of Henry David Thoreau and Charles Dickens.

It’s not as large as the behemoths noted earlier, but that’s part of the reason why I love it – it’s large enough to engage you for quite some time, but small enough that you can take in a good chunk of it during a single afternoon. The museum itself is also, in my opinion, a great juxtaposition of modern and classic – the McKim building, designed in 1903, is beautifully maintained and still houses Morgan’s vast collection, and the entrance, designed in 2006 by Renzo Piano, greets you with a light, airy contemporary feel.

Added bonus – it’s free on Fridays from 7pm to 9pm.

Go for a visit yourself, and you’ll see why I enjoy going here time and time again.

For more information, visit their website at http://www.themorgan.org/