Whitney Museum of American Art – Museum Review | Condé Nast Traveler

Zoom out. What’s this place all about?
The Whitney Museum of American Art got a major upgrade when it relocated from Manhattan’s Upper East Side to its new, vastly expanded Meatpacking headquarters in 2015. The Renzo Piano-designed building is a glass-covered futuristic vision for a museum. It houses 50,000 square feet of indoor galleries, four outdoor exhibition spaces and terraces, a theater, a library and reading rooms, a ground-floor restaurant and a top-floor bar, both by Danny Meyer, one of the town’s best-known restaurateurs.

What are we going to find in the permanent collection?
The Whitney’s collection houses more than 23,000 works by 20th- and 21st-century American artists. It includes paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat, films by Andy Warhol, photographs by Richard Avedon, sculptures by Alexander Calder, and more than 3,000 other artists.

And what if we’re in the mood for one of the temporary exhibits?
The Whitney is more gallery than museum: The walls are whitewashed (you might have to squint on a sunny day), the art covers nearly every square inch of the gallery, and the interior configuration can be altered so no two exhibits are the same. You could argue the curation runs high-brow, so if you’re not one for modern art you may feel underwhelmed by the experience.

What did you make of the crowd?
Expect a diverse crowd, from downtown hipsters to fanny-pack-toting tourists. Those who prefer ample space and time should arrive early, otherwise, you run the risk of standing on tip-toe to view something over other museum goers’ heads.

On the practical tip, how were the facilities?
The floors are connected by two artist-designed elevators (albeit slow-moving, crowded ones). If mobility isn’t an issue, take the stairs instead, which offer uninterrupted views of the Hudson river. The upper floors and sculpture terraces are also connected by a series of exterior staircases, with great views of the downtown skyline, and a rare opportunity to experience art en plein aire.

Any guided tours worth trying?
Multimedia guides are free with admission (buy your tickets online in advance). They’re especially helpful to modern art novices, and you have the novel opportunity to listen to audio recordings made directly from the artists or curator. There are often more unexplained works than explained ones, so it can feel like a bit of a miss.

Gift shop: What’s in here?
It’s filled with design-centric knick-knacks for your artsy friend.

Is the café worth a stop, or should we just plan on going elsewhere?
Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group runs both of the Whitney’s two dining outlets. Downstairs, at Whitney Café, expect contemporary American with a global influence; at the eighth-floor Studio Bar, soups, salads, and light bites rival skyline views through floor-to-ceiling windows.