On our last trip to New York, I finally got the chance to visit the Cloisters, a gorgeous art museum dedicated to medieval European art. It gets its name from the several 17th-century cloisters (gardens) incorporated into the museum itself. Friends, it’s dreamy…

Getting There + Admission

Getting to the Cloisters is a bit of a challenge—it’s located in Fort Tryon Park, about a half-hour train ride from Midtown, so it’s a trek. I strongly suggest making sure everyone in your party is well-fed and well-hydrated to avoid “hangry” moments along the way.

The Cloisters is part of the Met, so one admission ticket gives you access to the Cloisters, the Met Fifth Ave, and the Met Breuer for three consecutive days. Admission is $25 per person for tourists. After buying tickets, we checked our umbrella stroller at the coat check (free) and carried the baby in her carrier. The museum is full of stairs and cobblestones, so it’s best explored on foot.

Fashion is Art: Met Gala Exhibition

The Costume Institute’s spring 2018 exhibition — Heavenly Bodies — was on display at both the Cloisters and the Met Fifth Avenue. The Cloisters was the perfect home for the Catholic-inspired haute couture on display.

Left to Right: Balenciaga – Holy Sacraments; Valentino cape inspired by the Black Madonna of Częstochowa; Raf Simons for Dior in the Garden of Eden.

The Unicorn Tapestries

The Cloisters is home to the famous Unicorn Tapestries, which are estimated to have been created between 1495 and 1505. They are spectacular and wonderfully weird.

Trie Café

If you get hungry at the Cloisters, there’s a small café downstairs where you can grab prepared salads, sandwiches, and drinks. We had a peanut butter & jelly sandwich ($7.25), a garden salad ($12.00), and chips ($3.75) — total: $23. The PB&J was standard, but the garden salad was vibrant. The best part was the surroundings: shaded tables in the cloister made for a perfect dining experience.

Center Cloister

The center cloister and courtyard are truly dreamy and worth spending time in to soak up the serene atmosphere.