I love that there's a museum dedicated to American art, founded at a time when American artists were underappreciated. The exhibitions are curated with a broad but discerning eye, and the architecture is spectacular. In my experience it's typically much quieter than the obvious choices like the Met and the MoMA - although both are remarkable, there's something I love about the scale and style of the Whitney.
The rooftop garden at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum floors below are a maze of tremendous art and inspiration, and taking the elevator to the rooftop garden is the icing on the cake. 360' views of verdant green Central Park bordered by cool glass and steel of Manhattan's cityscape in the distance.
Founded and designed by Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988), The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum preserves the working atmosphere of the artist's former studio in New York.