The Frick Gets A Much-Anticipated Opening Date After $330M Makeover

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — After five years of renovations on the Frick Collection's mansion on the Upper East Side, the museum is finally reopening its large doors on April 17, museum officials said.

The upgrade — which totaled $330 million, including moving and maintenance costs — represents the largest renovation since the museum was opened in 1935.

The renovation included restoring the Frick’s historic first-floor galleries, adding a new suite of galleries on the second floor, creating a new 220-seat auditorium, refurbishing the reading room and much more, museum officials said.

The project was designed by Selldorf Architects to address critical infrastructure needs, museum officials said.

"Intimate encounters with iconic works of art remain a cornerstone of the Frick experience," Ian Wardropper, the director, said.

"Visitors will now be able to experience even more of our collection and programs thanks to the many architects, preservation experts, curators, artisans, and innumerable museum and library staff who have collaborated to restore the original mansion while also creating new galleries, program spaces, and public amenities."

One of the most interesting changes will be the opening of the second floor, which was previously the Frick's living quarters, and up until now, has been used as office space for museum administrators.

Now, the second floor will showcase carefully restored rooms and new gallery spaces, with rarely exhibited collections of art alongside ceiling murals, marble fireplaces, and elaborate carved woodwork.

For the Frick's first season back, it will host a classical and contemporary music festival in April, and a new exhibit of Vermeer’s Love Letters in June.

"Following this long-awaited unveiling, we look forward to giving our audiences the opportunity to experience several newly constructed spaces through the revitalization of signature Frick offerings," Elizabeth Eveillard, the Frick's chair of the board of trustees, said.

Tickets for the opening day go on sale on March 3. Learn more here.

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