Institute For the Study of the Ancient World

If it weren’t for a New York Times article I would have never known about this small NYU outpost that is only one block away from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I am so glad that I discovered it.
It is small, only two rooms, but the exhibits are well displayed. When I first visited here, they had an exhibit on Egypt under the Ptolemys. The exhibit featured many artifacts, including a coin with Cleopatra’s face on it.
Unfortunately, the last time I visited, the guard very politely, and apologetically, told us that the next exhibit will not be until October. I would recommend that you check out their website before you go.
Also, all photography is prohibited inside the museum. I really had to fight the urge to take out my camera and snap a few photos of the many wonderful things on display
The museum is open to the public and free. If you are planning a trip to the Met, I’d recommend you stop by here. It won’t take up much of your time, but it would be oh so worthwhile.

I found this little known museum when I just happened to be in the area and needed to kill a few hours, and I’m glad I did! There were only 2 exhibit rooms but they were both very professionally done. One room had artifacts from ancient Ur, a kingdom that originally inhabited what is now the Middle East 5000 years ago. They had an audio portion, video as well as the artifacts. The museums seems to be affiliated with NYU. While it is on the small side, you can’t beat free! While this isn’t a must stop place, if you’re on a tight budget and are interested in the exhibit they have that month, visit the museum and learn some history.

I found this amazing museum because of a lightpost banner and have been to several exhibitions. Each time I was presented with artifacts and little known (to me) places and periods in time. I think it is a jewel of a museum and it is a great addition if you’re going to the nearby Met Museum, as it’s just steps away. I have been consistently impressed by the presentation of artifacts, which is on the level of a major institution. They only have two galleries, so I usually can get through it in an hour. Oh, and it’s FREE!!!

ISAW contains a great museum space on the first floor of their center that is free and open to the public. The institute itself is in a historic six-​story limestone townhouse (it’s beautiful) on the Upper East Side that you would never know was home to a discrete entity of NYU.
Being a free museum space and somewhat unheard of, I didn’t know exactly what to expect but I was very pleasantly surprised at how wonderfully curated the exhibition was and the friendliness of the staff. The current exhibit, «Edge of Empires», is running until January 8, 2012 is is definitely worth checking out.
Quick overview: small two-​room space, not overwhelming at all (unlike it’s neighbor, the MET) — perfect for spending an hour or two on a rainy afternoon. AND FREE.
I’m looking forward to their future exhibitions!
Hours: 11am-​6pm
Friday: 11am-​8pm, with a free guided tour at 6pm
Closed Monday