The Met’s Arts of the Ancient Americas galleries returned in May 2025, in a reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Following a multiyear renovation, the reenvisioned installation reintroduces visitors to the Museum’s collection of ancestral arts of the Americas, representing the artistic legacy of Indigenous artists from across North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean prior to 1600 CE.

The reinstallation is organized around nearly 700 items in a presentation that reflects contemporary research, providing greater illumination of these ancient American works for a new generation of visitors.

These new galleries include monumental stone sculptures and exquisite metalwork, illuminated by filtered daylight from Central Park through a custom-designed, state-of-the-art sloped glass wall on the south facade. The collection also includes refined ceramic vessels; shimmering regalia of gold, shell, and semiprecious stone; and sculptures of wood.

Among the major innovations is a gallery to display ancient Andean textiles—the first of its kind in the United States. Intricately woven garments and hangings—some over 2,000 years old—will be shown in a gallery with state-of-the art casework and lighting. These delicate, light-sensitive textiles and featherworks will be rotated periodically, allowing for a dynamic presentation of one of the world’s great fiber arts traditions.