The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s broad Fifth Avenue steps lead into galleries spanning more than five thousand years of art from around the world. The institution began as an educational project, and its vast collection still invites connections across cultures and time.
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The Met’s stone facade suggests permanence, but the institution began with an educational ambition. In 1870, a group of civic leaders and artists founded the museum to bring art and art education to the American public. Its collection now spans more than five thousand years and includes objects from cultures around the world.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- The Met was founded in 1870.
- Its collection contains more than 1.5 million objects.
- The museum presents art spanning more than 5,000 years.
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