Jane August is visiting every museum in New York City. So far she’s been to 106 of them. We asked her to share some of the standouts.
How many museums are in New York City?
When I ask this, people usually guess around 50. Typically, they name the Met, MoMA, the Guggenheim, maybe the Brooklyn Museum.
They’re often shocked when I tell them that there are over 170 museums across the five boroughs of New York City.
And they’re even more shocked when I explain that I am visiting all of them and documenting that journey on TikTok.
The project began in February 2021, a pre-COVID-vaccine world. I was 11 months into being furloughed from my job in live music, desperate to leave my house and see friends, but not willing to risk catching COVID in one of those “outdoor” dining sheds.
I realized that the city’s museums could be the way to overcome my cabin fever.
My best friend Jesse and I visited the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, mostly because it was open.
Afterwards, I posted a video on TikTok announcing my plan to visit every museum in the city; when I woke up it had gone viral, with more than 42,000 views.
I realized that there were thousands of New Yorkers on TikTok who were also interested in discovering museums throughout the boroughs.
Some of the followers recommended museums I hadn’t heard about; others offered to give me personal tours of the ones where they worked.
Since then, I’ve gotten to see The Metropolitan Museum of Art at the crack of dawn. I’ve had a private tour of The Frick Collection. I’ve even started to appreciate the touristy stuff I used to roll my eyes at – like the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building.
And most shocking of all, I’ve become a Staten Island apologist. I knew many New Yorkers dismissed the fifth borough because of the stereotypes and the distance, but after a few visits, I better understand some of its appeal. Plus, the Staten Island Ferry is the best free booze cruise in New York City.
I’m currently at 106 museums…
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