Photos from the Morgan Library and Museum

Every trip to New York, I try to build in at least one day of exploring. I lost my day off this trip due to the snowstorm, but I woke up early before I flew home so that I could visit The Morgan Library & Museum, which I’d read about on my friend Christine’s blog. After seeing the pictures, it went right up in there in my mind with Livraria Lello and State Library of Victoria in terms of book lovers’ paradise.

The library was a 30-minute walk from my hotel, so I arrived just after they opened at 10:30. It was the brainchild of the legendary businessman and philanthropist J.P. Morgan to house his most prized possessions. Morgan oversaw the merger of what would become General Electric and consolidated the steel industry.

Morgan’s legacy is present in the city, as he helped finance everything from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the New York Times. His name can be found on the edifices of buildings all over Manhattan. He collected the world’s most impressive treasures, from the Gutenberg Bible (he has three!) to one of Mozart’s handwritten music notes.

The museum also has a section of Crusades-era pieces and religious iconography from Europe. They host special exhibits regularly. The one during my visit was “Lincoln Speaks: Words That Transformed a Nation,” which included copies of the Declaration of Independence and handwritten copies of the speeches that made him such a notable president.

Also worth exploring are Morgan’s large office, where he must have worked on his many business deals away from home, and the librarian’s office. It featured its own beautiful selection of books and important works, where Belle da Costa Greene worked for over forty years.

The most impressive part of the Italianate-style museum, and what makes the ticket cost worth it, is the 1906 library, which houses Morgan’s first editions and foreign literature. The wall-to-wall shelving is connected by a secret staircase behind the walls.

It features frescoes on the ceiling and a sixteenth century tapestry over the fireplace that make you feel like you’re in an old world European villa. If you’ve ever thought about the library from Beauty and the Beast, this is about as close as it gets in real life. So get out of Times Square and visit one of New York City’s most stunning museums.

The Morgan Library and Museum is open from Tuesday to Thursday from 10:30 am to 5 pm, Friday from 10:30 am to 9 pm, Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm. Admission is $18 for adults and includes entry into the 1906 library.