Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum facts for kids

"The Guggenheim" redirects here. For other Guggenheim Museums, see List of Guggenheim Museums.

Quick facts for kids
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum


View from Fifth Avenue
Established	1937
Location	1071 Fifth Avenue at 89th Street Manhattan, New York City
Type	Art museum
Visitors	861,000 (2023)
Public transit access	Subway: trains at 86th Street Bus: M1, M2, M3, M4, M86 SBS
Built	1956–1959
Architect	Frank Lloyd Wright
Architectural style(s)	Modern

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Criteria	Cultural: (ii)
Designated	2019 (43rd session)
Part of	The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright
Reference no.	1496-008
Region	Europe and North America


U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Designated	May 19, 2005 (2005-05-19)
Reference no.	05000443


U.S. National Historic Landmark
Designated	October 6, 2008 (2008-10-06)


Invalid designation
Designated	March 25, 2005 (2005-03-25)
Reference no.	06101.008546


New York City Landmark
Designated	August 14, 1990 (1990-08-14)
Reference no.	1774 (exterior), 1775 (interior)

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, often called The Guggenheim, is a famous art museum in New York City. You can find it on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The museum has a huge collection of art, including Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern, and contemporary art. It also hosts special art shows all year long.

The museum was started in 1939 by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. It was first called the Museum of Non-Objective Painting. Hilla von Rebay was its first director. In 1952, it changed its name to honor its founder, Solomon R. Guggenheim, who had passed away. The Guggenheim Foundation still owns and runs the museum today.

The building itself is a work of art! It was designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It took 15 years to design and build, finally opening in 1959. The museum looks like a giant bowl or a spiral. It has a main gallery shaped like a six-story bowl and a smaller four-story section. A cool spiral ramp goes up along the main gallery, leading to a skylight at the top. The building's design was very new and different when it was finished. It has been praised ever since. The museum building has been updated several times, including big renovations from 1990 to 1992 and again from 2005 to 2008.

The museum's art collection has grown a lot over time. It includes important private collections from people like Guggenheim, Justin Thannhauser, and Robert Mapplethorpe. As of 2022, the collection has about 8,000 artworks. Some of these artworks are shared with other Guggenheim museums in Bilbao, Spain, and Venice, Italy. In 2023, almost 861,000 people visited the museum.

Museum History

How the Guggenheim Started

Solomon R. Guggenheim came from a rich mining family. He started collecting art in the 1890s. In 1926, he met artist Hilla von Rebay. She showed him avant-garde art from Europe, especially abstract art. Rebay believed this art had a spiritual side. Guggenheim then changed his focus to collecting abstract art, like works by Wassily Kandinsky. He began showing his collection in his apartment in New York City.

Albert Gleizes, 1915, Composition for "Jazz", oil on cardboard, a painting from the collection.

As his collection grew, Guggenheim created the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in 1937. This foundation aimed to help people appreciate modern art. The foundation's first museum, the Museum of Non-Objective Painting, opened in 1939. It was located in midtown Manhattan. Under Rebay's guidance, Guggenheim wanted to collect the best examples of non-objective art. By the early 1940s, the collection was so large that a permanent museum was clearly needed.

Designing the Building

In 1943, Rebay and Guggenheim asked Frank Lloyd Wright to design the museum. Wright was 76 years old at the time. He was excited to design a museum in a city. He felt that no museum had ever been "properly designed." Wright was hired in June 1943. He was paid a 10 percent fee for the project. The museum was expected to cost at least $1 million.

It took Wright 15 years to design and complete the museum. He made over 700 sketches. The final cost ended up being twice the first estimate. Rebay wanted a special space for modern art. She told Wright, "I want a temple of spirit, a monument!" The Guggenheim is the only museum Wright ever designed. Its city location meant he had to design it tall, not wide. This was different from his other buildings.

The Bramante Staircase at the Vatican Museums may have inspired Wright's design.

From 1943 to 1944, Wright drew four different designs. Most of them had circular shapes and used a ramp that went around the building. He wanted a "well proportioned floor space from bottom to top." Some experts think that the spiral ramp and glass dome of Giuseppe Momo's 1932 staircase at the Vatican Museums inspired Wright.

Choosing the Location

Wright thought the museum would be in lower Manhattan. But in March 1944, Rebay and Guggenheim bought land on the Upper East Side. It was at 89th Street and Fifth Avenue, right next to Central Park. Guggenheim liked this spot because the park offered a break from the city's noise. Wright's first sketches fit the site almost perfectly. Guggenheim approved the plans in mid-1944. Wright called the building an "Archeseum," a place to see the highest art.

The designs were announced in July 1945. The museum was expected to cost $1 million and be finished in a year. The main part of the building was a gallery with a spiral ramp. This ramp surrounded a lightwell with a skylight. Visitors would take an elevator to the top. Then, they would walk down the ramp to see the art. Early plans also included apartments for Guggenheim and Rebay, but these were later removed. Wright built a model of the museum at his home in Wisconsin. He showed it at the Plaza Hotel in September.

Challenges and Delays

Building the museum was delayed. First, there were not enough materials because of World War II. Then, construction costs went up after the war. Rebay and Wright also disagreed on some design parts. For example, they argued about how paintings would be hung. Wright kept changing his plans in the late 1940s. This was mainly due to worries about the building's lighting.

Solomon Guggenheim's health was getting worse. He passed away in 1949. After his death, some members of the Guggenheim family on the museum's board had different ideas than Rebay. They wanted to remove Rebay and cancel Wright's design. However, Wright convinced some family members to buy more land. This allowed his full design to be built.

In 1951, the Guggenheim Foundation bought another building. This gave them a continuous space on Fifth Avenue. Wright then redesigned the museum again. He suggested a tall annex building behind the museum. The foundation also announced that the museum would show "objective" art, not just abstract art. Rebay disagreed with this change. She resigned as director in March 1952. The museum was renamed the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 1952.

New Leadership and Construction

James Johnson Sweeney became the museum's director in October 1952. He expanded the types of art the museum collected. He started showing works that Rebay had kept in storage. In 1953, the museum even hosted a show about Wright's own work.

Photo of the museum being built, November 12, 1957.

Sweeney and Wright often argued. Sweeney believed the building's design should not take away from the art. He made Wright redesign parts of the museum to add more offices and storage. The building's lighting was another big problem between them. The city also rejected Wright's building permit in 1953. This was because the design did not meet building rules.

Construction finally started on August 14, 1956. Wright opened an office in New York City to watch over the work. He felt it needed his personal attention. However, Wright and his son-in-law, who was supervising, did not visit the site often. So, another architect ended up managing the project.

Sweeney wanted the new museum to help people judge art better. He wanted to change the colors inside and make the walls flat. Wright did not agree with these changes. By 1958, the museum's chairman had to handle all talks between Sweeney and Wright. The building was finished in May 1958. Wright passed away in April 1959, six months before the museum opened.

The museum opened to the public on October 21, 1959. Its unique design was able to host many art shows over the years.

The Messer Years

Thomas M. Messer became the museum's director in January 1961. He stayed for 27 years, which is the longest time any director has served a major New York art museum. Under Messer, the museum started focusing more on contemporary artists. These included artists from Europe and Latin America.

Challenges with the Curved Walls

When Messer joined, people still wondered if the museum's tilted and curved walls would work for displaying art. In 1962, he put on a big show. It combined the Guggenheim's paintings with sculptures from another collection. It was tricky to install three-dimensional sculptures. The sloping floor and curved walls could make strange optical illusions. Messer learned to build special stands at an angle. But some art, like a hanging sculpture by Alexander Calder, would always hang straight down.

In 1963, Messer acquired a private collection from art dealer Justin Thannhauser. This collection had many Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works. The museum renovated a section to display it. To get money for new art, the Guggenheim sold some older artworks. This included some by Kandinsky.

To make more space, the Guggenheim planned a four-story annex in 1963. This annex was later made smaller to two stories due to complaints from neighbors. It was finished in 1968. This new space allowed the museum to open its top levels to the public. These levels had been used for workshops and storage.

Growth and Renovations

In the 1970s, the museum faced money problems. It also needed more exhibit space. In 1973, the museum closed its driveway. It added a dining area and bookstore there. In 1977, the Guggenheim announced plans to raise $20 million. They also planned to expand the annex.

In the early 1980s, the museum renovated the Thannhauser wing. A critic from The New York Times said this collection was now like a "Frick" for modern art. In 1984, the "Works & Process" series of performances began at the museum.

In 1985, the museum announced plans for an 11-story annex. This was to be built behind the main building. The design was later made smaller to 10 stories. This was because of opposition from local residents. At the time, the museum could only show about 3 percent of its 5,000 artworks. The new annex was approved in 1988. Messer retired that same year.

The Krens Era

Thomas Krens became the director of the museum and foundation in 1988. During his time, the museum's collections grew quickly. It also hosted some of its most popular shows. These included "Africa: The Art of a Continent" (1996) and "China: 5,000 Years" (1998). One unusual show was "The Art of the Motorcycle" (1998).

The Guggenheim Museum SoHo opened in June 1992. It was in SoHo, Manhattan. This museum showed works by artists like Marc Chagall and Andy Warhol. However, it did not attract enough visitors and closed in 2002.

1990s Renovations and Changes

An interior view of the museum on a busy day.

Soon after becoming director, Krens decided to spend $24 million renovating the Guggenheim. Work started in late 1989. The museum closed for 18 months. The original monitor wing was fixed. The 88th Street wing became a restaurant. More exhibit space was added at the top of the main gallery. The 89th Street annex was built as part of this project. The museum's total exhibition space almost doubled. This allowed it to show more of its collection.

The renovation finished on June 27, 1992. The museum's offices and storage were moved to other buildings. The new annex meant the museum could show more permanent works and temporary shows. In 1992, the foundation received 200 photographs from Robert Mapplethorpe. A gallery in the annex was named after him.

To pay for the renovation and new art, the foundation sold some artworks. This included pieces by Kandinsky and Marc Chagall. This decision was controversial. Some critics felt the museum was selling important art for "trendy" new pieces. Krens defended the sales. He said they helped expand the museum's international collection. He also opened more Guggenheim museums around the world.

Krens was also criticized for his business-like approach. Some felt he made the museum too commercial. One writer said Krens turned the Guggenheim into a "worldwide brand." In 1994, the museum cut its hours. This led to a 25 percent drop in visitors.

In 1993, Samuel J. LeFrak promised to donate $10 million. This was the largest cash donation in the museum's history. The museum planned to rename its Fifth Avenue building after him. However, the city did not allow a sign with LeFrak's name outside the building. So, LeFrak took back $8 million of his donation. Peter B. Lewis donated $10 million in 1995. This was for restoring the museum's auditorium. It was renamed the Peter B. Lewis Theater. Lewis gave another $50 million in 1998.

2000s: More Changes and Leadership Shifts

Students sketching at the entrance to the Engelberg Center.

In 2001, the museum opened an arts center in the basement. It was first named for the Sackler family. In 2022, it was renamed the Gail May Engelberg Center for Arts Education. Also in 2001, architect Frank Gehry designed a canopy for a show. It stayed outside the museum for six years.

By 2004, the museum needed another restoration. The building had many leaks. Renovations began in September 2005. They aimed to fix cracks and update systems. The restoration cost $29 million. It was funded by the Guggenheim Foundation and the city and state governments. The project finished on September 22, 2008.

During the early 2000s, Krens had disagreements with Peter B. Lewis. Lewis was the chairman of the foundation's board. After the September 11 attacks in 2001, museum visitors dropped by 60 percent. The museum faced money problems. Lewis donated $12 million in 2002. He asked Krens to manage the budget better. Lewis resigned from the board in 2005. He disagreed with Krens's plans for more museums around the world.

Lisa Dennison became the museum's new director in 2005. She worked under Krens. In 2006, the museum had a $35 million deficit. Dennison resigned in 2007. Krens stepped down as foundation director in February 2008.

The Armstrong Era

Richard Armstrong, director from 2008 to 2023.

Richard Armstrong became the director of the museum and foundation in November 2008. He was known for his "calmer, steadier presence." The museum continued to grow its collections. It also organized shows with other museums. One notable exhibition was America (2016).

In 2019, about 140 museum workers joined a labor union. This was the first time museum employees had unionized. That same year, Chaédria LaBouvier became the first black woman curator to create a solo exhibition at the museum. She later accused the museum of racism. The museum then hired its first full-time black curator, Ashley James. In 2020, the museum's chief curator resigned after accusations of racial discrimination. The Guggenheim approved a plan to increase diversity in August 2020.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Guggenheim closed temporarily in March 2020. It reopened in October. Armstrong announced in mid-2022 that he would resign in 2023.

New Director: Mariët Westermann

In late 2023, the Guggenheim announced that Mariët Westermann would be its first female director. She is an art historian and will start in June 2024.

Museum Architecture

Wright's design for the Guggenheim Museum uses shapes like squares, circles, and triangles. The building has two main spiral parts. There is a six-story main gallery and a smaller "monitor" section. A "bridge" connects them. A ten-story rectangular annex is behind these spirals.

The building shows Wright's idea of "organic forms in architecture." He included details inspired by nature. He also used modern, strict geometric shapes. Wright said the shapes had meaning: "the circle, infinity; the triangle, structural unity; the spiral, organic progress; the square, integrity." Circular shapes are found everywhere, from the main gallery to the floors.

Outside the Museum

Wright wanted a marble outside, but the builder used "gunite," a type of sprayed concrete, to save money. Wright had also suggested a red exterior, but this was never built. Instead, the outside was covered in an ivory-colored plastic coating. This coating cracked over time. During later renovations, workers found that the building was originally painted brownish yellow.

The sidewalk in front of the museum has metal circles. These are similar to the floors inside. There are also curved walls around planting beds. These beds originally had shrubs and trees.

The Original Building

Main entrance on Fifth Avenue

Ramp at the building's southwest corner

Close-up of the monitor/Thannhauser Collection wing

The museum's main entrance is on Fifth Avenue. It has a glass wall and several doors. A "bridge" connects the main gallery and the monitor building above the entrance. This bridge has lights that shine on the entrance. The main entrance was once a driveway. The glass wall was added when the driveway closed in the 1970s.

To the south of the main entrance is a curved wall. This forms the base of the main gallery. A ramp next to this wall leads to the basement auditorium. On 88th Street, there is a rectangular part of the museum. This section now holds the museum's cafe. The main gallery rises above the southern part of the bridge. It looks like a white ribbon curled into a cylinder. It is wider at the top than the bottom. Its curved surfaces are very different from the rectangular buildings around it.

The northern part of the bridge has a four-story wing, called the monitor. Its inside is round, but its outside has different shapes and materials on each floor. The top floor has a square terrace and windows.

The Annex Building

Wright's 1951 plan included a ten-story tower for offices and apartments. This plan was not built at first due to money reasons. Instead, a shorter two-story wing was built in 1968. This wing held the museum's library and storage.

The 10-story annex was finally built during the 1990–1992 renovation. The architects studied Wright's original sketches. They removed the old concrete facade and replaced it with limestone. The annex is connected to the main museum by a steel-and-glass lobby.

Inside the Museum

The museum's inside has the monitor section, the main gallery, and a lecture hall. The bookstore is to the east of the main entrance. To the south of the entrance is a small round room. It has a floor with metal arcs. The museum's cafe was added during the 1990s renovation.

A triangular service area holds an elevator and a staircase. Wright wanted visitors to experience the museum by walking. The museum's inside is mostly painted white. Parts of it are repainted almost every day.

The Main Gallery

The museum's main gallery.

Wright designed the main gallery as an open space. A spiral ramp goes around it. Visitors take an elevator to the top. Then, they walk down the ramp, looking at the art. The ramp looks like a nautilus shell. Spaces flow smoothly into each other. The open design lets visitors see art on different levels at the same time.

The main gallery floor is beige with metal circles. The ramp is made of concrete. It goes up at a gentle slope. It rises five stories, ending at the sixth floor. The ramp is about 1,416 feet (432 m) long. Its width gets wider as it goes up. The walls are tilted at a 97-degree angle. Wright wanted the low ceilings and slanted walls to make a "more intimate environment" for the art. Paintings are hung on horizontal bars that stick out from the sloped wall.

The ramp was originally lit by windows along each level. These were sealed when the building was finished. Each level also has lights in its ceiling. The large domed skylight is about 95 feet (29 m) high. It is divided into many sections by metal bars. The windows and skylight were restored in 1992.

The Monitor Section

The museum's "monitor" section holds the Thannhauser Collection. Its galleries are round. This area was originally planned for apartments. But it became offices and storage space. In 1965, the second floor was renovated to show more of the museum's art. In the early 1990s, the second through fourth floors became exhibition space. They were renamed the Thannhauser Building.

Arts Education Center

The Peter B. Lewis Theater.

The Gail May Engelberg Center for Arts Education opened in 2001. It is in the museum's lower level. It offers classes and lectures about art. It also lets visitors interact with the museum's collections. The center has labs, exhibit spaces, and a 266-seat Peter B. Lewis Theater. It was renamed in 2022 after a museum trustee, Gail May Engelberg.

The Peter B. Lewis Theater is directly under the main gallery. It has two levels of seating. The theater's walls have embedded piers. The ceiling has recessed lighting.

Annex Galleries

The 89th Street annex has 10,290 square feet (956 m²) of extra exhibition space. It has four galleries with flat walls. These are better for showing some types of art. Each gallery level is a double-height space. A lobby connects the annex to the monitor. Ramps and walkways connect it to the main gallery.

Special Building Status

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) made the museum building and its inside New York City landmarks on August 14, 1990. This was two years after people who opposed the annex asked for this status. The Guggenheim was one of the youngest buildings to become a city landmark.

The museum was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 19, 2005. It was named a National Historic Landmark on October 6, 2008. In July 2019, the Guggenheim was one of eight buildings by Wright placed on the World Heritage List. This means it is recognized as very important to the world's history and culture.

Art Collection

The Guggenheim has about 8,000 artworks in its collection As of 2022^[update]. About 1,700 of these are available to see online. The museum building is not very big. After the 1992 renovation, it could show only about 6% of its 5,000 artworks. Unlike other art museums, the Guggenheim does not divide its collection into different departments. The Guggenheim shares its collection with the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.

Important Private Collections

The Guggenheim Museum has bought many private art collections over the years. These include collections from Guggenheim, Karl Nierendorf, Katherine Sophie Dreier, Thannhauser, Rebay, and Robert Mapplethorpe. Its earliest works include modern artists like Rudolf Bauer, Rebay, Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, Marc Chagall, and Pablo Picasso. Some of the original collection has been sold over time. In 2007, 620 of the original works were named part of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Founding Collection. This includes over 150 works by Kandinsky.

In 1948, the museum bought 730 objects from Karl Nierendorf. These included many German expressionist paintings. The Guggenheim still had 121 works from this collection in the 1990s. These included works by Paul Klee and Joan Miró. In 1953, the Guggenheim bought 28 pieces from Katherine Sophie Dreier's collection. These included works by Alexander Calder and Marcel Duchamp.

The Thannhauser Collection, bought in 1963, has 73 artworks. These are mostly Impressionist and Post-Impressionist. They include pieces by Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, and 32 works by Picasso. Rebay also left some of her own collection to the Guggenheim. This included works by Kandinsky, Klee, and Mondrian. The museum received these pieces in 1971. In 1990, the museum bought the collection of Giuseppe Panza. This included minimalist sculptures by Carl Andre and Donald Judd.

In 1992, the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation gave 200 of Mapplethorpe's best photographs to the museum. These photos showed his entire career. They included portraits, self-portraits, and flowers. This gift started the museum's photography program. In 2001, the museum received a gift from the Bohen Foundation. This collection had about 275 works by 45 artists. In 2022, the Guggenheim and another museum together received 100 works from the D. Daskalopoulos Collection.

Other Famous Works

Under director Sweeney in the 1950s, the Guggenheim bought Constantin Brâncuși's Adam and Eve (1921). It also acquired works by other modern sculptors like Alexander Calder and David Smith. Sweeney also bought Paul Cézanne's Man with Crossed Arms (c. 1899) and works by Willem de Kooning.

Selected Artworks in the Collection

Paul Cézanne, c. 1899, Homme aux bras croisés (Man With Crossed Arms), oil on canvas
Georges Braque, 1909, Violin and Palette, oil on canvas
Wassily Kandinsky, 1910, Landscape with Factory Chimney, oil on canvas
Franz Marc, 1911, The Yellow Cow, oil on canvas
Juan Gris, 1911, Maisons à Paris (Houses in Paris), oil on canvas
Fernand Léger, 1911–12, Les Fumeurs (The Smokers), oil on canvas
Jean Metzinger, 1912, Femme à l'Éventail (Woman with a Fan), oil on canvas
Alexander Archipenko, 1913, Pierrot-carrousel, painted plaster
Marc Chagall, 1913, Paris par la fenêtre (Paris Through the Window), oil on canvas
Raymond Duchamp-Villon, 1914 (cast c. 1930), Le cheval (The Horse), bronze
Albert Gleizes, 1914–15, Portrait of an Army Doctor, oil on canvas
Albert Gleizes, 1915, Brooklyn Bridge, oil and gouache on canvas
Juan Gris, 1917, Compotier et nappe à carreaux (Fruit Dish on a Checkered Tablecloth), oil on wood panel
Theo van Doesburg, 1918, Composition XI, oil on canvas
Paul Klee, 1922, Red Balloon, oil on chalk-primed gauze
Vassily Kandinsky, 1923, Composition 8, oil on canvas

Art Ownership Claims

Sometimes, people claim that art in museums was taken unfairly. In 2007, the family of a Berlin banker asked for a Picasso painting back. They said he was forced to sell it during the Nazi era. The museum and the family reached an agreement in 2009. In 2018, the museum returned a painting by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner to the family of its previous owner. This owner had lost the painting in 1938.

In 2023, another family sued the Guggenheim for a Picasso painting. They said their family sold Woman Ironing (1904) for a very low price in 1938. This was to escape the the Holocaust. They claimed the buyer knew they were in distress. The museum says it contacted the family before getting the painting in 1976. At that time, the family did not object. The Guggenheim lists 289 artworks on a special website. This site helps track art that might have been taken during the Nazi era.

How the Museum is Run

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation owns and operates the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. The foundation has a committee that suggests which artworks to buy or sell. The board of trustees then decides whether to approve these ideas. J. Tomilson Hill has been the board's chairman since 2021. Richard Armstrong is the director of both the foundation and the museum As of 2022^[update]. In 2020, the museum had 315 full-time and part-time staff members.

Visitors to the Museum

When the museum first opened, many people loved it. A survey in 1960 found that 38 percent of visitors came just to see the building. Another 43 percent wanted to see both the building and the art. The Guggenheim started keeping exact visitor numbers in 1992. Before its 1990s renovation, about 600,000 people visited each year. This number grew to between 900,000 and 1 million by the early 2000s.

After the September 11 attacks in 2001, fewer people visited. In 2013, almost 1.2 million people visited the museum. A show by James Turrell was the most popular in New York City that year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum had only 154,000 visitors in 2020. This was a big drop from the year before. In 2023, the museum had 861,000 visitors.

Surveys show that most visitors come because of the building's architecture. They are not just there for the art. In 2001, about 70 percent of visitors were tourists. Half of these were from other countries. In 2010, about 55–65 percent of visitors were from the New York area. A 2018 study found that 73 percent of visitors were white and 8 percent were black.

In 2009, a show about Frank Lloyd Wright attracted 372,000 visitors in three months. This was the museum's most popular exhibit at the time. But a Kandinsky exhibit broke that record the next year. As of 2022^[update], the most popular exhibition ever was a 2019 show of Hilma af Klint paintings. It attracted over 600,000 visitors in six months.