The Metropolitan Museum is extraordinary in scope and size, and a visitor to this world-famous museum should plan on staying the entire day. In formation since 1870, the Metropolitan Museum's collection now contains more than three million works of art from all points of the compass, ancient through modern times. At their website, about 3,500 objects—fifty highlights from each of the Museum's curatorial departments as well as the entire department of European Paintings—can be searched by artist, period, style, or keyword.

Following is a list of the permanent exhibitions.

American Decorative Arts Furniture, silver, pewter, glass, ceramics, and textiles from the late 17th to early 20th century, as well as domestic architecture in furnished period rooms

American Paintings and Sculpture Portraits, landscapes, history paintings, still lifes, folk art, and sculpture from colonial times through the early 20th century

Ancient Near Eastern Art Stone reliefs and sculpture, ivory, and objects of precious metal from a vast area and time span: Anatolia to the Indus Valley, Neolithic period (ca. 8000 B.C.E.) to the Arab conquest (7th century C.E.)

Arms and Armor Armor for men, horses, and children, weapons, and martial accoutrements of sculptural and ornamental beauty from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and America

Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas Ritual objects and monuments, articles of personal adornment, and utensils for daily life from three continents and dozens of Pacific islands, 2500 B.C.E. to the present

Asian Art Paintings, calligraphy, prints, sculpture, ceramics, bronzes, jades, lacquer, textiles, and screens from ancient to modern China, Japan, Korea, and South and Southeast Asia

The Cloisters Art and architecture of medieval Europe, including sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, stained glass, metalwork, enamels, ivories, paintings, and tapestries (see also "Medieval Art")

The Costume Institute Seven centuries and five continents of fashionable dress, regional costumes, and accessories for men, women, and children, up to the present

Drawings and Prints Graphic art of the Renaissance and after, encompassing prints in all techniques, sketches to highly finished drawings, illustrated books, and other works on paper

Egyptian Art Statuary, reliefs, stelae, funerary objects, jewelry, daily implements, and architecture from prehistoric Egypt through the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms to the Roman period (4th century C.E.)

European Paintings Major canvases, panels, triptychs, and frescoes by Italian, Flemish, Dutch, French, Spanish, and British masters, from the 12th through the 19th century

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts Sculpture, furniture, ceramics and glass, metalwork, scientific instruments, textiles, and period rooms of the major Western European countries from the Renaissance through the early 20th century

Greek and Roman Art Arts of Greece, Rome, Etruria, Cyprus, and Greek and Roman settlements until the 4th century C.E., including marble, bronze, and terracotta sculpture, vases, wall paintings, jewelry, gems, glass, and utilitarian objects

Islamic Art Manuscripts and miniatures, carpets, intricately decorated objects in many media, and architectural elements from the founding of Islam in the 7th century C.E. onward, from Morocco to India

The Robert Lehman Collection A private collection of paintings, drawings, and decorative arts given to the Museum, rich in works from the Italian and Northern Renaissance through the 20th century The Libraries Rare first editions, artists' treatises and manuals, illustrated atlases, scrapbooks, fine bindings, and seminal works of art history from the Museum's research libraries Medieval Art Early European, Byzantine, Carolingian, Romanesque, and Gothic works from the 4th to 16th century, including sculpture, tapestries, reliquaries, liturgical vessels, and more (see also "The Cloisters") Modern Art American and European paintings, works on paper, sculpture, design, and architecture representing the major artistic movements since 1900 Musical Instruments An international array of instruments of historical, technical, and social importance, as well as tonal and visual beauty, from accordions to koras to zithers.

Photographs Prints and daguerreotypes from the early history of the medium, European and American avant-garde works, and contemporary contributions from around the world.

Antonio Rotti Textile Center Tapestries, velvets, carpets, embroideries, laces, samplers, quilts, and woven and printed fabrics from all periods and civilizations, dating back to 3000 B.C.E.

Dining Options at the Met Click here for a list of dining venues.