Either we’re too tired or too busy, at the beach, in a movie, or watching people cook on TV, but somehow, somewhere along the way, art got left out. Here is a list of eight expiring museum exhibits from New York City to Boston that are worth a cultural escape from Manhattan.
MoMA’s P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center | 22-25 Jackson Ave., LIC | 718.433.4807 | ps1.org
What to see: Warm Up (Plus Leonardo Erlich’s Swimming Pool and Carlos Motta’s Brief History)
When it’s over: September 5, 14th
Why: For 13 years, the annual music series Warm Up has been the best summer place to bask in a multi-sensory zone that features work by the winner of the Young Architects Program. Also not to be missed: The Swimming Pool is just plain trippy dippy, and Motta’s SOA: Black and White Pain-ting # 15 comes alive from the walls. Just stand there a minute.
How to get there: Take the 7 Train to 45th Rd./Courthouse Square, exit onto Jackson Avenue and walk right one block to 46th Avenue. Or hop on the New York Water Taxi to Hunters Point in Long Island City. Walk north on 2nd Street toward Borden Ave. Turn right onto 50th Avenue and then left onto Jackson Avenue.
Bronx Museum | 1040 Grand Concourse, Bronx | 718.681.6000 | bronxmuseum.org
What to See: Living & Dreaming
When it’s over: September 13
Why: The museum’s annual presentation of “Artists in the Marketplace” will show 36 New York-based emerging artists interpreting this era—“from cultural collisions to political changes to the unstable economy”—through photography, video, sculpture, painting, multi-media, and installation.
How to get there: Take the 4 train to 161st St./Yankee Stadium. Walk east three blocks to the Grand Concourse, then walk north four blocks until 165th St.
Noguchi Museum | 9 – 01 33rd Road, Long Island City | 718.204.7088 | noguchi.org
What to see: “Noguchi ReINstalled”
When it’s over: October 24
Why: You’ve never felt so Zen in a museum before. To celebrate the artist’s dossier, the exhibit will display Noguchi’s entire permanent collection for the first time in seven years. Get IN there.
How to get there: A shuttle bus to the museum leaves from the Asia Society on Park Avenue and 70th Street throughout the day on Sundays. Or take the N or W train to the Broadway station in Astoria.
Philadelphia Museum of Art | 26th Street and Ben Franklin Pkwy | 215.763.8100 | philamuseum.org
What to see: Henri Matisse and Modern Art on the French Riviera
When it’s over: October 25
Why: 42 paintings and sculptures by the founding father of Fauvism. Seeing up close how the impressionist played with light and color will take you to 1920s France and back to Manhattan with Nice memories.
How to get there: Consult offManhattan’s Philadelphia transportation guide, then hop aboard the Phlash Downtown Visitor Shuttle, which provides direct service between Penn’s Landing, Center City, and the Museum. It will run through October 31 every twelve minutes between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Cost is $1 for a one-way trip or $4 for an unlimited day pass.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston | 465 Huntington Ave. | 617.267.9300 | mfa.org
What to see: Viva Mexico! Edward Weston and His Contemporaries
When it’s over: November 2
Why: Admire 35 rare works by a popular photographer and artistic catalyst of the 1930s that cover an intimate range of subjects, from avant-garde nudes (like his Italian lover, Tina Modotti, pictured below) to distinguished portraits, and stirring scenes of the country’s urban and rural landscapes.
How to get there: Consult offManhattan’s Boston transportation guide, then take the Green Line “E” train to the “Museum of Fine Arts” stop, or the Orange Line to “Ruggles.”
Brooklyn Children’s Museum | 145 Brooklyn Ave. | 718.735.4400 | brooklynkids.org
What to see: Run! Jump! Fly! Adventures in Action
When it’s over: September 6
Why: Your kid will love you more. This exhibit—and specifically the Snowboarding and Surfing, Kung Fu Forest, Flycycle Sky, and Climbing Canyon galleries—allows the little ones to get as hands on as they want, while helping them to develop strength and balance, exercise the imagination, and improve their surf moves. Families get in free on Fridays, 5 to 7:30pm, through August 28.
How to get there: Take the 3 to Kingston Avenue, cross Eastern Parkway and walk six blocks on Kingston Avenue. Turn left on St. Marks Avenue, then walk one block to the corner of Brooklyn Avenue.
NY Transit Museum | Boerum Pl & Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn | 212.878.0106 | mta.info
What to see: The Route of the Dashing Commuter
When it’s over: September 13
Why: The train’s been fairly good to you over the years, so it’s time to celebrate the LIRR’s 175th anniversary with a look at old maps, objects, and vintage photos of the first charter in 1834, the beautiful route it follows—past beaches and farmland—and a peak at the current East Side Access tunnel project, which will bring Long Island travelers into Grand Central.
How to get there: Take the 3, 4, 5 to Borough Hall.
Wadsworth Atheneum | 600 Main St., Hartford | 860.278.2670 | wadsworthatheneum.org
What to see: “Hidden Treasures”
When it’s over: September 20
Why: The state’s capital and the former home of Mark Twain also houses the oldest art museum in the country. Its curators have rummaged deep into Wadworth’s storage to present an expansive and remarkable exhibit (they expect some will gasp in surprise). Come for Edward Hopper, Paul Cézanne (The Bather, c. 1885) Gustave Doré’s The Virgin of the Apocalypse, and engravings by Albrecht Dürer. Sunday jazz brunches are from noon to 3p.m.
How to get there: Amtrak runs multiple trains from Penn Station to Hartford every day of the week and on weekends for about $34 one way. You could also take Metro-North from Grand Central and switch trains in New Haven.
The co-founder and editor-at-large at offMetro, Lauren is a sustainable travel specialist and freelance journalist with frequent bylines in National Geographic, Bicycling Magazine and Shape. Follow Lauren’s adventures at @laurenmati.
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