Metropolitan Museum of Art wheelchair accessibility

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is at 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, on the Upper East Side. The closest accessible subway is 86th Street on the Q line, with elevators to street level. From there it is a step-free walk south along Fifth Avenue with low kerb cuts at every cross-street.

The 86th Street stations on the 4, 5 and 6 trains are not currently fully accessible. From midtown, the M1, M2, M3 and M4 Fifth Avenue buses run directly past the museum and all are step-free with deployable ramps. Accessible-vehicle dispatch can drop at the 81st Street accessible entrance.

The 81st Street entrance is the recommended wheelchair-accessible entrance. The doors are step-free, the lobby is on one level, and the admission desk is immediately to the left. Ask for the disabled-visitor admission and the free care-partner ticket at the desk; the cashier issues both on the spot.

The parking garage entrance at Fifth Avenue and 80th Street is also fully accessible and connects to the museum interior via elevator. The Postern entrance on the south side offers a free accessibility shuttle that drops you at an accessible entrance inside the museum's courtyard.

Manual wheelchairs are loaned free of charge from the coat check at the 81st Street entrance on a first-come, first-served basis. Standard and wide chairs are available; arrive early on a weekend to be sure of a chair. Bring a photo ID at pickup.

Within the museum, elevators link every public floor. The Greek and Roman galleries, the American Wing, the European paintings, and the lower-level special-exhibition halls are all step-free from the elevators. The roof garden (open seasonally) is reached by a dedicated elevator from the second floor.

The MET's Cloisters branch in Fort Tryon Park has its own accessibility setup with elevators and a dedicated accessible entrance off the parking lot. Free wheelchair loans are also available at the Cloisters. Admission policy is identical: 22 dollars for disabled visitors and free for one care partner.

Weekday mornings are the quietest time to visit; Friday and Saturday evenings (open until 9 p.m.) are also less crowded than weekend afternoons. Book a timed online entry to skip the standby queue, then collect the free care-partner ticket at the desk.

Service dogs are welcome. The audio guide and gallery maps are free at the membership desk. Print the museum's accessible-route map before arrival, or pick one up at the 81st Street entrance.

Address: 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street. Open: daily except Wednesday. Accessible entrances: Fifth Avenue and 81st Street, and parking garage at Fifth Avenue and 80th Street. Wheelchairs: free loans at the 81st Street coat check. Disabled-visitor admission: 22 dollars. Care-partner admission: free (one, in person only). Nearest step-free subway: 86th Street (Q).