History and Fact Sheet

Our Origins (1870)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded on April 13, 1870, when it was incorporated by the New York State Legislature for the purpose of establishing and maintaining a museum and library of art in the city. The founders included businessmen, financiers, leading artists, and thinkers of the day who wanted to bring art and art education to the American people.

It first opened to the public in the Dodworth Building at 681 Fifth Avenue in 1872 before moving to its current location in Central Park, along Fifth Avenue, in 1880.

The Fifth Avenue Building

The original building in Central Park was designed by American architect Calvert Vaux and his collaborator Jacob Wrey Mould. Over the decades, it has undergone numerous additions and renovations by distinguished architects, notably Richard Morris Hunt (who designed the iconic Beaux-Arts Fifth Avenue facade) and the firm of McKim, Mead & White.

Today, the Museum covers over 2 million square feet and houses collections representing more than 5,000 years of art from across the globe.

Key Fact Sheet

• Founded:1870
• Locations:The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters
• Collection Size:Over 1.5 million objects
• Visitors:Millions annually, representing visitors from around the world
• Mission:To collect, preserve, study, exhibit, and stimulate appreciation for and advance knowledge of works of art that collectively represent the broadest spectrum of human achievement.