The Frick Collection Reopens After Landmark Renovation, Unveils Second Floor
Following a five-year renovation, the museum reopens with a new second floor, expanded galleries, and modern amenities.
After a years-long closure and an ambitious $330 million renovation, the famed Frick Collection is finally reopening its historic Fifth Avenue mansion to the public, beginning today, April 17. Designed by Selldorf Architects in collaboration with Beyer Blinder Belle, the project marks the museum's most intense transformation since it first opened its doors in 1935. The restoration not only preserves the original elegance of the Frick’s original interiors, but also offers a new chapter of accessibility, programming, and public engagement—with the second floor of the house opening to visitors for the first time in history.
Previously reserved for the private lives of the Frick family and later used as administrative offices, the second floor of the museum has now been restored and transformed into an entirely new suite of galleries. These intimate spaces retain their original architectural integrity—ceiling murals, carved woodwork, and marble fireplaces—while offering fresh perspectives on the museum’s collection.
Visitors will find a new arrangement of small-scale paintings and sculptures, many of which have rarely been exhibited. Personal touches pay tribute to the Frick family’s individual tastes like Renaissance panels in Helen Clay Frick’s former bedroom and a curated selection of portraiture in Henry Clay Frick’s private quarters. This expansion also showcases newly acquired treasures, including rare portrait medals and Viennese porcelain. 
Beyond the new galleries, the renovation repurposed over 60,000 square feet of existing space and added 27,000 square feet of construction. This expansion allowed for the creation of the Frick’s first-ever dedicated education center, a conservation lab, and a 218-seat auditorium named in honor of philanthropist Stephen A. Schwarzman.
“The reopening of the Frick marks an exciting moment in the trajectory of this storied cultural institution,” Axel Rüger, the Frick’s Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen director, said in a statement. “With the return of the Frick’s masterworks to their revitalized home, we welcome visitors to rediscover the beauty, intimacy, and scholarship that have defined the Frick for nearly a century."
The Frick Museum is now open for visitors at 1 East 70th Street. Tickets can be purchased here.
