An Audio Guide and a café are among the visitor amenities now available at The Cloisters, the branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art located in northern Manhattan and dedicated to the art and architecture of the Middle Ages.
Peter Barnet, the Michel David-Weill Curator in Charge of the Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters, commented: "The Cloisters – a 20th-century museum constructed from portions of five medieval cloisters – is unique among American museums. Its superb collection of medieval art is housed within a building that is evocative of the Middle Ages. The building, in turn, enjoys a splendid setting and breathtaking views. Without intruding on this special atmosphere, the Audio Guide helps us convey the fascinating history of The Cloisters as well as specific information about individual works of art. The café – which is situated within one of the cloisters – was developed in response to frequent visitor requests, and makes it possible for them to spend more time at the museum."
The Audio Guide
The voices of Museum curators, conservators, educators, and horticulturists and
period music are featured on the Cloisters Audio Guide. The guide includes 75 stops (approximately two hours of random-access programming) and allows users
to customize a tour to suit their interests – from general descriptions of medieval art and culture to specific information about the history of The Cloisters, its architecture, its gardens, and some 70 works of art.
Readings from primary sources such as the sixth-century Rule of Saint Benedict and a 12th-century letter by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux provide insight into the role of art in medieval churches and monasteries. Staff research into the design and purpose of medieval gardens also is presented, along with information about seasonal plantings on site. Highlights from the collection of The Cloisters – including the renowned Unicorn Tapestries – are discussed in detail.
In addition, there is a family tour for younger visitors, and a tour of collection highlights is available in French and Spanish. Highlights will be offered in German, as well, later in the year.
The lightweight, palm-sized "MP3" player is used with earphones and may be rented for $6 ($5 for Members, $4 for Children under 12) at the entrance to The Cloisters.
The Audio Guide is produced in collaboration with Antenna Audio, the leading provider of audio programming for museums and historic sites around the world.
The Audio Guide is sponsored by Bloomberg.
The Café
Modeled on the café at The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden in the Museum's Main Building, the café at the Cloisters is open Tuesdays through
Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., rain or shine, from May through October.
Sandwiches, desserts, and hot and cold beverages – including sodas, sparkling water, and coffee, cappuccino, and espresso – are served. Cash and credit cards are accepted.
The café – which accommodates approximately 50 visitors – opened in May 2001 and is located in the covered outer walkway surrounding the Trie Cloister. Featuring late-15th-century carved marble elements from the Bigorre region of southwestern France, the Trie Cloister also includes a garden and a fountain.
The Cloisters
Located in Fort Tryon Park in northern Manhattan, a magnificent setting that overlooks the Hudson River, The Cloisters was opened in 1938. It incorporates elements of five medieval cloisters from Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, Saint Guilhem-le-Désert, Bonnefont-en-Comminges, Trie-en-Bigorre, and Froville, and from other monastic sites located in southern France. Much of the sculpture was acquired by George Grey Barnard (1863-1938), who was a prominent sculptor and an avid collector of medieval art. Barnard opened his museum on Fort Washington Avenue to the public in 1914; through the generosity of John D. Rockefeller Jr., most of its collection was acquired in 1925. A new museum was built in medieval architectural style, incorporating elements from Barnard's museum as well as works from Rockefeller's own collection.
Known particularly for its Romanesque and Gothic architectural sculpture, The Cloisters collection also includes illuminated manuscripts, tapestries, stained glass, metalwork, enamels, ivories, and paintings.
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May 15, 2006
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