VIBE

Expect the unexpected at this derelict schoolhouse turned avant-garde museum. Since 1976, every patch of floor (and wall and ceiling and roof and even bathroom) space in this 100-room building has been put to use in displaying cutting-edge installations by experimental and innovative artists. The focus on the avant-garde means that there are no permanent collections and the exhibitions change frequently (there are 50+ a year!), so it’s hard to know what to expect, but visitors can (most likely) count on seeing long-term installations like James Turrell’s Meeting and William Kentridge’s Stair Procession. One annual highlight is the YAP (Young Architects Program) installation, a dramatic yearly re-design of the museum’s courtyard by an emerging architect.

GO HERE WITH

Contemporary art fans

WHY WE LIKE IT

This is some of the most experimental artwork in the world. So when we need a serious shot in the arm of avant-garde, this is our go-to spot. There’s always something provocative on display.

WHAT WE WOULD CHANGE

It can be kind of a pain to get all the way out here.

GOOD TO KNOW

During the summer, Warm Up is the weekly outdoor series that features experimental music (from Four Tet to indie favorite Gang Gang Dance) in a seven-hour courtyard dance fest. MoMA generously treats its visitors to a double-header: MoMA PS1 is free to enter if you have a MoMA ticket from the past 30 days. Guided group visits (for a minimum of 12 people) led by scholars and artists who have previously exhibited at MoMA PS1 are also available.

CLOSEST COMPS

New Museum (New York); Gagosian Gallery (London); Saatchi Gallery (London); Dashanzi Art District (Beijing); Centre Pompidou (Paris)

Click here for our full-form mobile travel guide, The Purple Passport to New York City.