A branch of the Met museum devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe, the Cloisters is a series of medieval passageways reconstructed from French monasteries and incorporated within a modern museum.

Situated in Fort Tyron Park at the northern tip of Manhattan above 189th Street, the museum exists largely thanks to a generous endowment from John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who helped the Met purchase not only the collection but the new building and 700 acres of land in New Jersey, which preserves the bucolic views across the Hudson.

The collection includes tapestries, stained-glass windows, illuminated manuscripts, and sculpture, mainly from the Romanesque and Gothic periods.

The Cloisters is a popular destination on sweltering summer days, when strolling the cool, calm passageways and gardens is a heavenly respite from the urban madness.