Locals know this place simply as ‘the Met’

New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, known informally as the Met, is one of the world’s preeminent museums. Perhaps no other art museum in the world commands more recognition, except the Louvre in Paris. The Met anchors Museum Mile, a stretch of Fifth Avenue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side that is home to eight museums. The Met is the biggest, followed by the Guggenheim. All reside within 22 blocks of one another. Today, the city celebrates these curatorial treasures with the Museum Mile Festival, as museums extend their hours and offer free admission to all visitors. Billed as a mile-long celebration of art and culture, the festival also includes outdoor performances along Fifth Avenue.
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