For nearly a century, the grand staircase of the Frick mansion has been off-limits to the public.

But for the first time, visitors are now invited to ascend to the second floor of the former Gilded Age residence, where a new suite of galleries awaits inside the Fifth Avenue landmark. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Frick Collection reopens to the public in its Fifth Avenue, Manhattan home on April 17

  • The former home of industrialist and art patron Henry Clay Frick has been closed to the public for a multi-year renovation project

  • The mansion's second floor is open to the public for the first time with a new suite of galleries

Located between 70th and 71st Streets on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the Frick Collection has called the historic mansion home since 1935.

The museum, which showcases works by masters like Vermeer, Monet, Manet, Degas and Rembrandt, reopens April 17 after a years-long closure for renovations.

Frick’s John Updike Curator Aimee Ng led a recent tour through the newly accessible spaces, which had been used privately since the mansion’s earliest days.

"For those who have been with us for a long time, coming up here is like meeting a long-lost friend that you didn't know you had," said Ng.

The renovation project didn't just open new galleries. It also revitalized the first floor, added educational spaces and an auditorium, upgraded conservation facilities and improved access to the Frick Art Reference Library. The library, founded by Henry Clay Frick's daughter Helen, is also a key part of the institution’s legacy.

For the museum, returning to Fifth Avenue now marks the end of a long journey.

It's been years since the mansion was open to the public. The collection was moved to the former Breuer building — once home to the Whitney Museum and later part of the Met’s collection — on Madison Avenue during renovations.

Ng said it's good to be home again. 

"You know the last five years have been crazy as you know not to mention Covid but moving over to Frick Madison and coming back but it's really nice to be back and to welcome people not only to the historic galleries like they are used to, but upstairs for the first time to a whole other world of the Frick that they haven't see before," said Ng.

Ng said her hope is when people come upstairs, they won't even notice it's new, but instead have the feeling is it's always been here. 

Visitors can plan their trip and learn more about the collection at frick.org.