Visiting the Frick Collection, NYC: Guide with

The Frick Collection in Manhattan, New York City, is an American art museum housed in a historic building on the Upper East Side, displaying European paintings, sculpture and decorative arts in an intimate domestic setting. This guide focuses on practical information for planning a visit including entry requirements, transport, opening hours and what to expect on site.

Included are clear details on tickets, accessibility, facilities and nearby attractions to help first-time visitors plan their day effectively.

To skip the detail and just book your tickets, head this way.

History and overview of the Frick Collection

Walking up Fifth Avenue towards the Frick Collection, the refined limestone façade of this former mansion sets a calmer tone than the towering skyscrapers nearby. The Frick started as the private collection of industrialist Henry Clay Frick and opened to the public as a museum in 1935. Today the galleries showcase a concentrated array of European old master paintings and decorative arts that reflect Frick’s personal taste and his desire to present art in a domestic environment rather than a large institutional setting.

After an extensive renovation and reopening in 2025, the museum retains its intimate rooms while providing improved gallery space and visitor facilities. The collection includes works by artists such as Vermeer, Rembrandt and Goya, arranged in rooms that feel closer to a home than a typical museum gallery. This setting encourages slow appreciation of individual works and narrative connections between pieces that chronicle centuries of art history.

How to get to the Frick Collection

The Frick Collection is located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. By subway, take the 6 train to 68th Street–Hunter College or 77th Street and walk west toward Fifth Avenue. Alternatively take the Q train to 72nd Street and transfer to the east-west M72 bus, or use northbound/southbound M1, M2, M3 or M4 buses to reach Fifth Avenue and 69th Street. Taxis, rideshares and Citi Bike stations nearby provide additional options.

Walking from Central Park’s east side or from the Museum Mile (along Fifth Avenue) is straightforward, flat and clearly signed. The museum entrance faces Fifth Avenue and is flanked by townhouses and galleries typical of the neighbourhood.

Parking at the Frick Collection

There is no dedicated museum parking. Limited metered street parking is available on surrounding streets but tends to fill quickly, particularly on weekends and during peak museum hours. Paid parking garages within several blocks provide the most reliable option, though they require a short walk to the museum and are very expensive. Plan extra time if arriving by car to allow for traffic and walking distance.

Opening hours at the Frick Collection

The museum is open Wednesday to Monday from 10:30am to 5:30pm with timed tickets required for entry. It is closed on Tuesdays. Arrival at your reserved time slot is important as admission is only guaranteed within that window; late arrivals may not be permitted entry. Galleries typically stop admitting visitors about an hour before closing.

Booking in advance is strongly advised.

Best time to visit the Frick Collection

Late morning or early afternoon on a weekday usually means smaller groups in the galleries and a steadier flow through rooms that can otherwise feel busy. Weekends and mid-afternoon slots see higher visitor numbers, so booking a timed ticket early in the day is advisable. If you can visit on a Wednesday, a limited pay-what-you-wish entry is offered in the afternoon, subject to reservation.

Facilities at the Frick Collection

The museum includes a café where ticket holders and members can make same-day reservations, seating areas within some galleries and a museum shop selling books and gifts. Accessible restrooms are available on several floors, and there is a coffee bar for beverages and pastries. Still photography is restricted inside the galleries but permitted in the Garden Court and public spaces outside exhibition rooms.

Accessibility at the Frick Collection

The Frick Collection provides accessible routes with elevators and accessible restrooms, supporting visitors using mobility aids. A designated Access-A-Ride stop near the entrance facilitates arrivals by specialised transport. Only children aged 10 and older are admitted, reflecting the museum’s focus on delicate works in closely arranged galleries.

Nearby attractions

• Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Guggenheim Museum
• Central Park (East Side)
• Neue Galerie New York
• Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum

Practical questions about visiting the Frick Collection

The Frick Collection blends historic architecture with European art treasures in a setting that invites thoughtful attention. Book your ticket in advance, plan your arrival around quieter gallery times, and allow time for refreshments and further exploration on Manhattan’s Museum Mile.

More New York City travel

Other New York City travel articles on Planet Whitley include:

• 5 niche New York City museums worth visiting – including the Morgan Library and the Skyscraper Museum.
• How to pay less for Empire State Building tickets and get cheaper tickets for Summit One Vanderbilt.
• Plan your visit to the Top of the Rock observation deck and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
• Visit Trinity Church and Federal Hall on an Alexander Hamilton walking tour.
• Seeing the Balto Statue, Central Park Carousel and USS Maine Memorial on a Central Park scavenger hunt.