Fodor's Expert Review Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Frank Lloyd Wright's landmark curving, nautilus-like building is renowned as much for its famous architecture as for its superlative collection of modern art and well-curated shows, some of which utilize the entire museum. Opened in 1959, shortly after Wright's death, the Guggenheim is acclaimed as one of the greatest buildings of the 20th century. Inside, under a 96-foot-high glass dome, a ramp spirals down, past the artworks of the current exhibits (the ramp is just over a quarter-mile long). The museum has strong holdings of works by Wassily Kandinsky (150 works), Paul Klee, Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, and Robert Mapplethorpe. In 2023, the museum added its first associate curator of art and technology to promote artists working with technology.
Wright's design was criticized by some who believed that the distinctive building detracted from the art, but the design allows artworks to be viewed from different angles and distances. On... READ MORE
Frank Lloyd Wright's landmark curving, nautilus-like building is renowned as much for its famous architecture as for its superlative collection of modern art and well-curated shows, some of which utilize the entire museum. Opened in 1959, shortly after Wright's death, the Guggenheim is acclaimed as one of the greatest buildings of the 20th century. Inside, under a 96-foot-high glass dome, a ramp spirals down, past the artworks of the current exhibits (the ramp is just over a quarter-mile long). The museum has strong holdings of works by Wassily Kandinsky (150 works), Paul Klee, Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, and Robert Mapplethorpe. In 2023, the museum added its first associate curator of art and technology to promote artists working with technology.
Wright's design was criticized by some who believed that the distinctive building detracted from the art, but the design allows artworks to be viewed from different angles and distances. On permanent display, the museum's Thannhauser Collection is made up primarily of works by French impressionists and postimpressionists van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Cézanne, Renoir, and Manet. Escape the crowded lobby by taking the elevator to the top and working your way down the spiral. The Cafe Rebay offers snacks and sandwiches.
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