New York City is loaded with blue chip art right at our fingertips. The heavy hitters such as MoMA, the Whitney and The Met present big and beautiful collections that keep even finicky art patrons salivating.
Dig just a little deeper and head to The Frick Collection, a lesser-known gem that’s a treasure chest of lush masterworks from the Renaissance through the nineteenth century. It’s the perfect spot to while away an afternoon on the Upper East Side.
You needn’t spend lavishly to breathe in all the opulence, as the Frick is pay what you wish on Wednesday afternoons and free on the first Friday of the month. Even frugal folk can enjoy a taste of the silver spoon.
The Building
The collection is housed in the former residence of Henry Clay Frick, the coke and steel magnate. The mansion provides a grand setting reminiscent of the houses of European nobility. Meander around the palatial digs and you’ll get a sense of the opulent lifestyle of the Gilded Age industrialists. The romantic gardens are a patchwork of plants, trees and flowers with plenty of verdant lawn. It’s the definition of gracious.
The Collection
Henry Frick was a passionate art collector. Thankfully, he left his New York residence and his remarkable collection of Western paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts to the public. Of special note are paintings by Bellini, Constable, Corot, Fragonard, Gainsborough, Goya, El Greco, Holbein, Ingres, Manet, Monet, Rembrandt, Renoir, Titian, Turner, Velázquez, Vermeer, Whistler, and other masters.
Superb examples of French eighteenth-century furniture, Italian Renaissance bronzes and Limoges enamels bring additional eye candy to the galleries, while the interior garden and fountain contribute to the serenity. The Frick is revered for its small, focused exhibitions and for its highly regarded concert series and robust education program.
First Fridays
Determined to further engage the public and broaden its audience, the Frick has expanded its education offerings with First Fridays. Museum admission and gallery programs are free from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the first Friday evening of the month (except September and January). Visitors will have access to the permanent collection and special exhibition galleries. Enjoy talks and lectures by museum educators and curators, music and dance performances and open sketching in the Garden Court with complimentary materials provided.
Details
The Frick is located at 1 East 70th Street. It is open six days a week, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays and 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays. Children under ten are not admitted.
Admission is $22; senior citizens $17; students $12; pay what you wish every Wednesday from 2-6 pm, free for First Fridays.
Download the free Frick Collection app to enhance your experience.
Get Here
Subway: #6 to 68th Street station.
Bus: M1, M2, M3, and M4 southbound on Fifth Avenue to 72nd Street and northbound on Madison Avenue to 70th Street. A Citi Bike kiosk is located on 72nd and 5th Avenue, so pedal on over.
Photo Credits: Michael Bodycomb, Lucas Chilczuk
Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributes travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She is fluent in Italian and Spanish and laughably adequate in French. Her background as an Early Childhood Educator gives her an added understanding of what it takes to travel with kids in tow. She firmly believes that the most important part of education takes place outside of the classroom, on the road, around the world. She never misses a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. Follow Allison at @gourmetrav.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram