Eight Great Hidden Gem Museums in New York

This is one of the finest collections of Austro-German paintings, sculptures, photographs and decorative arts in the world. All the artworks in the Neue Galerie were designed between 1890 and 1940 and include a host of big names—Schiele, Kokoschka, Kubin, Gerstl, Hoffmann, Beckmann, Klee and Kandinsky—but the star turn is Gustav Klimt. Art critics say this collection is second to none and features the iconic Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer which sold in 2006 for a world record $135 million. There is also a wonderful gallery devoted entirely to jewelry. The museum's super-elegant home is the former residence of the Vanderbilt family on Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park.

Open daily except Tuesday and Wednesday, 11am to 6pm, entry $15.

Outstanding collection of art, books and music from Rembrandt to Bob Dylan. Located in Midtown Manhattan at 36th Street, The Morgan Library and Museum underwent a $106 million expansion program which added four new galleries and a unique reading room with a translucent roof for researchers to better examine manuscripts. The J.P. Morgan family collection, started by the man himself in 1906, is immense and ranges from ancient Egyptian art to rare Chinese porcelains to all manner of books, drawings, prints and music. Some of the museum highlights: original drawings by Da Vinci, Raphael, Rembrandt and Michelangelo; original printed copies of the Declaration of Independence; Charles Dickens' hand-written A Christmas Carol manuscript; Mary Shelley's own copy of Frankenstein; and signed music sheets by Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, and Mozart. Once you've enjoyed the collection, stay and dine: the Morgan Dining Room is a more formal affair, while the Morgan Café offers lighter fare in a glass-enclosed courtyard.

Open daily except Monday, various times, entry $12.

I'm fascinated by Asia, and I've heard the Rubin Museum of Art is a super introduction to the region's art, culture and religion. It focuses primarily in Himalayan art, but attracts visiting exhibitions from Pakistan to Mongolia. Frances McLaughlin, retired Director of Administration for Westchester County Department of Planning and one of Suzanne's insiders, saw a recent exhibition of treasures from Bhutan and had this to say: "The exhibition had never been outside the country before because the people of Bhutan believe paintings, tapestries and sculptures contain the actual spirits of saints and deceased Lamas. The Rubin representatives were clever in convincing Bhutan to allow the artifacts to be sent over. They brought two Buddhist priests to conduct prayers each day in the museum to assure the spirits the artifacts would be returning to Bhutan, and a weaver who spent her days in the atrium making beautiful fabrics. The entire exhibit was well documented, providing a really good picture of the country, its art, culture and religion. Everything at the Rubin is beautifully displayed and explained." Tip: the museum cafe serves delicious Himalayan cuisine with menus by top chef Vikas Khanna.

Open daily except Tuesday from 11am, entry $10.

I love the concept of this museum which pays tribute to Native American life, language, literature, history and arts. The sheer size of the exhibition is breathtaking: 800,000 items spanning time and lands from North America and Hawaii to Central and South America, and the Caribbean. The vast collection features indigenous carvings, masks, hides, textiles, ceramics, basketry, archaeological objects, jewelry, mosaics, and religious and ceremonial items, as well as film and video screenings, and performances by Native American musicians, dancers, artists and elders. Located near Battery Park and set over two floors of the former U.S. Customs House, the museum building alone is worth the trip, one of the best examples of Beaux-Arts architecture in New York. Opened in 1994, the museum is operated by The Smithsonian, so expect a quality experience. Frances McLaughlin comments: "I thought it was a very sensitive and accurate portrayal of various Native American tribes."

Open daily, 10am to 5pm (8pm on Thursday), free entry.

As a design museum, the Cooper-Hewitt is hard to beat. Founded in the late 19th century and a part of the Smithsonian Institution for more than 40 years, the museum is housed in the former residence of the Carnegie family, right on Fifth Avenue and one of the cultural jewels of New York's Museum Mile. Filled with 250,000 artworks, the permanent collection and visiting exhibitions cover everything from textiles to graphic design, a fusion of the old and the new in a classic museum setting. Scale and variety are the keywords here: the Product Design & Decorative Arts department alone exhibits 40,000 ceramics, jewelry, lighting, furniture, metal and glass items. Don't miss the Metzenburg Collection of historic cutlery or the Japanese tsuba (sword fittings) from the 17th to 19th century. Special mention must also go to the Doris and Henry Dreyfuss Study Center Library, which boasts 70,000 books, catalogues and periodicals from as far back as the 15th century.

Open daily, 10am to 5pm (noon to 6pm on Sunday), entry $15.

I can't think of a nicer way to spend a morning or afternoon in New York than a visit to The Frick, one of the world's finest collections of European and American Old Masters. Set in a magnificent Gilded Age mansion on Fifth Avenue, once home to wealthy industrialist and art patron Henry Clay Frick, the collection is best-known for its paintings but also has a jaw-dropping array of sculpture, 18th century French furniture and porcelains, bronze figures, Limoges enamels, and Oriental rugs. The mansion is almost exactly as Frick left it—the only tell-tale sign of a museum being the discreet security presence. The entire collection is classic (Modernists beware!) but the portfolio of Masters is stellar: Constable, Turner and Gainsborough from Britain; France's Renoir, Monet and Degas; Italians Titian and Veronese; Goya, Velazquez and El Greco from Spain; and an array of priceless German, Dutch and Flemish masterpieces by the likes of Hals, Vermeer, Rubens, Rembrandt and Holbein. Check out the museum's annual concert season—music and art in a wonderful setting.

Open daily except Monday, 10am to 6pm (11am to 5pm on Sunday), entry $15.

New York has many architectural reminders of the 19th century, but there are few residences open to the public that capture the period quite like The Merchant's House Museum, the city's only family home that has been perfectly preserved inside and out. Built in 1932, close to Washington Square, the late-Federal and Greek Revival house has three floors and eight period rooms decorated with the possessions of the wealthy Tredwell family who lived at 29 East Fourth Street for more than a hundred years. The house is stuffed with original furnishings, clothing and personal items that provide a fascinating glimpse into a bygone era. It's as much a legacy to the city as the family, revealing what life was like when New York began turning from a colonial seaport into the most important commercial center in America. Enjoy a guided tour, exhibitions, readings, concerts, and every Friday afternoon you can have your fortune told by Madame Alessandra, the museum's resident astrologer. The 19th century garden is also open for viewing.

Open daily except Tuesday and Wednesday, noon to 5pm, entry $8.

If you love New York, you'll really enjoy this vibrant museum dedicated to exploring and preserving the city's rich cultural and artistic heritage. Located Eastside on Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street, The Museum of the City of New York has a vast collection of exhibits which celebrate the many facets of the city from decorative arts and furniture to photography, toys, fashion, costumes and textiles, paintings and sculptures, and a colourful tribute to Broadway and its famous theatres and music halls. The museum attracts a variety of temporary exhibitions, such as rare and moving Depression-era photographs and the city's efforts to become "greener" and more sustainable, which add another layer of unique character that is New York City.

Open daily except Monday, 10am to 5pm, entry $9.