Museums (V): Off the Beaten Path

There are lots of smaller institutions, and sometimes institutions not that small, that are worth visiting either because of their unique collections or simply because they tend to be a lot less crowded.

Listed here are the ones I've visited through the years. I'm sure there's more to see, but let's keep the focus.

I highly recommend the ones marked with ***. They're interesting because of their collections or the venues themselves.

In Manhattan
American Institute of Architecture (AIA) (536 La Guardia Place)
Dia Art Foundation (535 West 22nd St.)
The Cloisters (Fort Tryon Park) [Part of the Metropolitan Museum]***
Why: The building, on top of a hill overlooking the Hudson River, incorporates pieces from five medieval French cloisters. It's about the art and architecture of medieval Europe. Imagine a medieval castle with a winter garden. Totally worth the trip. Faster by subway.
International Center of Photography (1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd St.)***
Why: A museum exclusively dedicated to photography.
Japan Society (333 East 47th St.)***
Why: A building near the United Nations that has indoor gardens, a reflecting pool and a waterfall. If you're in the neighborhood...
The Morgan Library and Museum (225 Madison Ave. at 36th St)***
Why: A fine small museum that holds first-class exhibits. A superb combination of old and new architecture designed by architect Renzo Piano.

The Municipal Art Society (457 Madison Ave. at East 51st St.)
Museum of Jewish Heritage (Edmond J. Safra Plaza, 36 Battery Place)
The Studio Museum in Harlem (144 West 125th St.)
Dahesh Museum of Art (currently on the web only)

In Brooklyn
Brooklyn Museum of Art (200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn)***
Why: A Beaux-Arts building with permanent collections from Egyptian to contemporary art. Only a 30-minute subway ride from midtown Manhattan. On First Saturdays every month there's free art and entertainment from 5:00 to 11:00 pm. Fabulous.

In the Bronx
Bronx Museum of the Arts (Fordham Road and the Bronx River Parkway, Bronx)
Wave Hill (West 249th St. and Independence Ave.)***
Why: It's a public garden and cultural center in the Bronx that overlooks the Hudson River and the Palisades (a scenic portion of New Jersey). Beautiful.

In Queens
P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center (22-25 Jackson Ave at the intersection of 46th Ave.) [Part of MoMA]***
Why: An exhibition space set in an old school building. Experimental art. Really cool and only a few stops from Manhattan on the 7 train, i.e. the subway.

Fisher Laudau Center for Art (38-27 30th Street)
The Noguchi Museum (9-01 33rd Road, Vernon Blvd.)***
Why: It's a collection of the Japanese-American artist's works in stone, metal, wood, and clay within a converted factory building. Totally Zen and worth the trip to Astoria.

Queens Museum of Art (Flushing Meadows-Corona Park)
Sculpture Center (44-19 Purves St.)
Socrates Sculpture Park (32-01 Vernon Blvd., Broadway)

In Beacon, NY (Approx. one hour by train from Grand Central Terminal)***
Dia:Beacon (3 Beeckman St., Beacon, NY)
Why: Set in a former Nabisco factory, Dia:Beacon is a huge exhibition space (of contemporary art) with white walls and lots of natural light. It's on the banks of the Hudson River. A great day trip starting at Grand Central. Ask for the "One-Day Get Away" to Beacon and Dia:Beacon (train ticket plus admission to Dia, which is slightly discounted than purchased separately).

(Photo: Rodin sculpture in the Brooklyn Museum of Art)