Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Met Extends Ragingly Popular McQueen Exhibit, Charges $50 For Special Admission
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Jun 1, 2011
Modified Jun 1, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Jun 1, 2011
Modified Jun 1, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Looks like New Yorkers just can't get enough of pretty things: the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition at The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art has been so ragingly successful (and lines so ragingly long) that the museum is extending the exhibit and adding a $50 special admission option for fashion-obsessed big spenders.
The exhibit (which brought in the glitz early on) opened barely a month ago and has already drawn more than 180,000 visitors, including Memorial Day weekend crowds of about 30,000. In fact, we tried to visit this weekend, only to be slapped with a "wait time for Alexander McQueen: 1 1/2 hours" upon making our way to the front of the admissions line. After glancing at the winding crowd lining the balcony above us, we promptly left.
To combat the crowds, the Museum announced yesterday that it will extend the show by a week, with a new closing date of August 7. They're also offering new, additional hours from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Mondays (when the Museum is closed to the public), for $50 a pop.
A Met spokesperson said that while the museum had hoped for it, they hadn't anticipated such an overwhelming reaction, though she did add that its opening day was the largest The Costume Institute has ever seen. There have been only a handful of previous exhibits that have prompted the Museum to institute higher ticket prices, and the McQueen show is in the running for one of the most popular exhibits of all time.
Tagged
alexander mcqueen
costume institute
crowds
lines
met
metropolitan museum of art
popular
Savage Beauty
Jamie Feldmar
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
NYC music in October: The Strokes, a Blink-182 cover band, and Polish experimentalism
An excellent and diverse month of concerts are in store for October.
By
Hank Shteamer
Published Oct 2, 2026
Are you a New Yorker? The Department of New Yorker Verification will now decide.
There is now an (un)official verification process for those who can claim the title of city resident.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Arts & Entertainment
Are you a New Yorker? The Department of New Yorker Verification will now decide.
There is now an (un)official verification process for those who can claim the title of city resident.
By
Hannah Frishberg
In the mood for a pastoral autumn experience? Try Queens.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
October is spooky season at the movies in New York City
By
Emma Stefansky
At the Museum at FIT, an argument for dolls as the ultimate fashion influencers
By
Quinn Moreland
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .