The Frick Collection will open after renovation: guests will be allowed on the second floor of the mansion for the first time

After a major renovation, the famous Frick mansion is once again inviting visitors. For the first time, guests will be allowed on the second floor of this villa, reports Time-out.

Many people know the famous Frick collection of old Western European paintings. It was collected by the American industrialist Henry Clay Frick with the consulting assistance of leading art historians and was put on public display in his mansion on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. And now, after renovation, the mansion is opening its doors to visitors again.

The mansion's staircase leads to the second floor, into the intimate spaces at the top of the house. The second floor, where the Frick family's bedrooms and private quarters were located, was strictly off-limits to public.

That will all change on April 17. The Frick Collection will reopen to the public after a major renovation. Visitors will be able to walk through the chambers of one of the country's wealthiest industrial families.

What visitors will see

The first floor galleries are basically the same, but a lot of work has been done on all of this.

Wall hangings (damask and velvet), carefully cleaned wood paneling, carvings, marble, plaster, bronze fixtures and fittings - all were brought to perfect condition.

The Frick's infrastructure has also been updated, making it accessible to people with disabilities. New lighting has been installed, and the building's façade has been restored. The garden, with its iconic Japanese magnolias, has been restored as much as possible to its original 1977 design by Russell Page.

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The collection's famous masterpieces are more ergonomically housed in restored galleries, which now display more works of art than ever before. A new 218-seat auditorium and an expanded reception hall have been added. The first in the history of museum The cafe is scheduled to open this spring.

Access to the second floor

You can climb the museum's grand staircase as a member of the Frick family to see the private rooms that once belonged to Henry Clay Frick, his wife Adelaide Childs, and their children.

For decades, the top floor served as the museum's offices.

“As a director, I always felt very awkward when I pulled back the velvet rope at the bottom of the stairs that you might remember. I’d be walking up the stairs and people would be like, ‘Who’s this guy? Why can’t I go up?’” admits Ian Wardropper, the former director of The Frick, who announced the completion of the project. “So finally we’re going to let everyone up to the second floor and see the whole house – both the more intimate private rooms upstairs and the familiar spaces downstairs.”

The second floor is unlike any other space in New York City. Private quarters include Mr. Frick's own bedroom, The Walnut Room.

A pair of vestibules and drawing rooms on the second floor serve as small galleries for ceramics, gilded Renaissance panels, and even a collection of portrait medals of various sizes and ages.

However, the second floor corridors are what will truly enchant you. Be sure to look up to see the ornate ceiling frescoes.

Opening hours and prices

The Frick Collection will open to the public on April 17. Museum hours this spring are Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, 13 a.m. to 00 p.m.; and Friday, 18 a.m. to 00 p.m.

Admission is $30 for adults, $22 for seniors, and $17 for students with ID. You can pay what you want on Wednesdays from 14:00 PM to 18:00 PM.