Which U.S. Art Museum Should You Visit?

The Museum of Modern Art in Midtown Manhattan contains a vast collection of Modernist art and organizes regular exhibitions of contemporary art in its recently remodeled galleries. In case you haven't heard Jay-Z's "Picasso Baby" song, he name drops some of the 20th Century's most recognizable artists and you can find all of their works on display here. I'm talkin' Van Gogh, Rousseau, Rothko, Pollock, Picasso, and many more that grace the walls of the MoMA. Not to mention it's free on Fridays from 4-8 PM courtesy of Uniqlo!

Located right by Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the largest museum in the United States with more than 2 million pieces in its permanent collection! It's in NYC, but its' art has been curated from Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and a bevy of other places and eras. Another popular instillation is the Costume Institute in which they house examples of fashions through the centuries. You have to make a small donation (.99 cents and up), but that is nothing compared to the beauty that awaits inside. Don't forget to go to the rooftop either; it's magical!

The largest art museum west of Chicago, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art has around 100,000 pieces for you to peruse through and specializes in it's American art. Also because it's on the oh so beautiful West Coast, there's a bevy of permanent outdoor collections that you can gawk at; consider it a structure art fan's fantasy! The LACMA also houses the largest collection of Korean art outside of Korea, so you may have to pay $10 to get in but what's $10 in LA, right?

There are Art institutes all across the nation, but there are some very rare works at the Art Institute of Chicago, located in Grant Park. Modern art is on display heavy hear, featuring the impressionistic works of Monet, Manet, Cézanne, Renoir, Seurat, and a bunch of others. This isn't the biggest art museum you'll come by and you have to pay to get in (unless you're a Chicago resident, they're free Thursday's 5 to 8!) but some works are priceless!

The more than 450,000 works of art housed in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston make it one of the largest museums in the United States. It dabbles in American, Egyptian, and French art. Also if you're a fan of Asian art, the MFA has is the most extensive collection of Japanese art outside of Japan! Now you have to pay for access to this awesomeness, but with almost half a million pieces to look at, get an early start to get your art viewing money worth!