Neue Galerie New York, the museum of early 20th century Austrian and German art at Fifth Avenue and 86th Street, will reopen all of its galleries on Thursday, November 12, 2026, after closing over the summer for restoration work on its building. The reopening coincides with the 25th Anniversary Exhibition, a full-building installation drawn mostly from the museum's own collection and anchored by Gustav Klimt's 1907 Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I. The show runs through January 11, 2027.

Part of the museum is already open again. Café Sabarsky, the Book Store and the Design Shop are already back on their regular schedule, with hours in effect since October 1, so Upper East Side neighbors can stop in for coffee and cake now and come back for the galleries next month.

What Was Done to the Building

The museum occupies a landmark building at 1048 Fifth Avenue, on the corner of 86th Street facing Central Park. According to the museum, it has been working through a multi-phase construction project to strengthen and update the building for the long term, and it shut the galleries this summer to carry out that work. The galleries are now being installed for the anniversary show. The museum says the November opening will be the first time visitors can see the galleries since the restoration was completed.

The 25th Anniversary Exhibition

The full title is 25th Anniversary Exhibition: Masterworks from the Neue Galerie. It fills the entire building, across both exhibition floors, with Austrian and German fine art and decorative art, most of it from the permanent collection. Selected recent acquisitions will also be on view.

The centerpiece is Klimt's Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, painted in oil, gold and silver on canvas. The museum credits the painting's acquisition to co-founder Ronald S. Lauder, the heirs of the estates of Ferdinand and Adele Bloch-Bauer, and the Estée Lauder Fund.

The exhibition also highlights the donors whose gifts built the collection. The core came from Lauder, from the estate of Estée Lauder, and from the Serge and Vally Sabarsky Foundation. Other gifts have come from the Bloch-Bauer family, the Manley family, Harry C. Sigman, and Irving and Jackie Blum, among others, and many of those works will be shown together for the anniversary.

Twenty-Five Years on Fifth Avenue

Neue Galerie opened in 2001. It was created by the art dealer Serge Sabarsky and Ronald S. Lauder, with the goal of presenting German and Austrian art and design from the early 1900s, the era of Vienna and Weimar Germany, to American audiences. Its collection spans the fine and decorative arts of that period.

The anniversary also comes as the museum prepares for a larger change. Neue Galerie has announced a planned merger with The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2028, which the museum describes as a way to preserve its legacy over the long term. The Met's main building sits a few blocks south on Fifth Avenue, at 82nd Street.

Café Sabarsky Is Open Now

Café Sabarsky, named for the co-founder, is modeled on the Viennese cafés that served as meeting places for writers and artists at the turn of the 20th century. It is furnished with period pieces, including lighting by Josef Hoffmann, furniture by Adolf Loos and banquettes covered in a 1912 Otto Wagner fabric. A grand piano in one corner is used for the museum's music performances. Executive Chef Christopher Engel runs the kitchen.

  • Hours: Monday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesday through Sunday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; closed Tuesday.
  • Breakfast and lunch are first come, first served. Dinner reservations are taken through Resy.
  • Cabaret at Café Sabarsky evenings are ticketed in advance and include a three-course dinner at 7 p.m. followed by a performance at 9 p.m.
  • Takeout meal kits and whole cakes can be ordered ahead.

One note for this week: the café, Book Store and Design Shop will be closed on Monday, October 26, for a private event.

Tickets and Hours

Starting November 12, the museum is open Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with final gallery entry at 5:30 p.m. It is closed Tuesdays. General admission is $28, seniors 65 and older pay $18, and students, educators and visitors with disabilities pay $15. Visitors ages 12 to 16 must come with an adult, and children under 12 are not admitted during regular hours. Members get in free.

Walk-ins are accepted, and timed advance tickets are on sale for visits from November 12 through January 11, 2027. Groups of eight or more must book group tickets. The museum also offers free admission from 5 to 8 p.m. on select First Fridays, first come, first served.

Getting There

The closest subway stops are 86 St on the 4, 5 and 6 trains at Lexington Avenue, about three avenue blocks east, and 86 St on the Q train at Second Avenue, a little farther. Buses running along Fifth and Madison avenues stop near 86th Street, and the M86 crosstown bus runs along 86th Street.

Plan Your Visit

Neue Galerie New York, 1048 Fifth Avenue at 86th Street, Upper East Side, Manhattan. Galleries reopen Thursday, November 12, 2026, with the 25th Anniversary Exhibition on view through January 11, 2027. Café Sabarsky and the shops are open now (closed Tuesdays and on October 26). Tickets are available on the museum's website.

Sources