Frick Collection

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  • Address
    1 E 70th St at Fifth Ave, Upper East Side, 10021
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  • Phone
    212 288 0700
  • Fax
    212 628 4417
  • Website
  • Transport
    underground rail: 6 to 68th St-Hunter College

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Lonely Planet review

This spectacular collection sits in a mansion built by businessman Henry Clay Frick in 1914, one of the many such residences that made up 'Millionaires' Row'. Most of these mansions proved too expensive for succeeding generations and were eventually destroyed, but the wealthy and wily Frick established a trust to open his private art collection as a museum.

It's a shame that the 2nd floor of the residence is not open for viewing, though the 12 rooms on the ground floor are grand enough and the garden beckons visitors - especially on Fridays evenings when a cash bar (a counter for buying drinks) opens for business.

The Frick's Oval Room is graced by Jean-Antoine Houdon's stunning figure Diana the Huntress; the intimate museum also displays works by Titian and Vermeer, and portraits by Gilbert Stuart, El Greco, Goya and John Constable. An audio tour helps visitors to appreciate the art more fully; you can also dial up information on paintings and sculptures of your choosing on the ArtPhone. Perhaps the best asset here is that it's never crowded, providing a welcoming break from the swarms of gawkers at larger museums, especially on weekends.