(New York, May 27, 2021)—The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced today that it will welcome summertime visitors to The Met with two initiatives: A complimentary bicycle valet service and the first ever outdoor café on the Museum’s Fifth Avenue plaza. The bike valet will be available every Saturday and Sunday from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, including those holiday Mondays as well as July 5. The new outdoor Plaza Café will serve grab-and-go snacks and beverages starting today through August 30.
The bike valet service, provided by Transportation Alternatives (TA), will be available free of charge. Visitors arriving by bicycle who wish to check their bikes will be greeted by TA staff at a dedicated tent on The Met’s Fifth Avenue plaza near 83rd Street. The Museum first piloted the valet offering last fall.
The Plaza Cafe, operated by Bon Appétit, will be located at the 83rd street entrance on The Met’s plaza, and will offer grab-and-go sandwiches, packaged snacks, whole-fruit frozen ice pops made by the Brooklyn-based company Peoples Pops, and beverages including house-made lemonade and freshly brewed iced tea. The Plaza Café will be open Thursday through Monday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Met members will receive a ten percent discount at the café.
“New Yorkers surely need no additional reasons to visit The Met, but we hope free and convenient bike parking, and enjoying food and beverage on our iconic plaza will further enhance a Museum visit,” said Ken Weine, Vice President for External Affairs. “Come for the art, by bike if you’d like, and stay for the Plaza Café.”
About The Met’s Reopening
The Metropolitan Museum of Art reopened on August 29, 2020, after more than five months of closure due to the pandemic, with The Met Cloisters following on September 12, 2020. Since then, The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters have been open five days a week, Thursday through Monday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Met has developed comprehensive safety procedures for its staff and visitors, following guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), New York State, and New York City. More information on what visitors can expect is available here, or visit metmuseum.org.
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Updated: August 24, 2021
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