Very few places in New York City offer a quiet refuge away from the chaos of everyday city life. The Cloisters, nestled inside Fort Tryon Park, is one such getaway, which specializes in European medieval architecture and decorative arts. As the much lesser known branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the museum is very much a hidden gem – and maybe, that’s for the best.

10. Land in New Jersey Was Purchased to Preserve the View

The construction of The Cloisters took place over the course of five years, beginning in 1934. Philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, who commissioned Fort Tryon Park, brought several hundred acres of the New Jersey Palisades to help preserve the view from the museum. This scenic span of land was later donated to the State of New Jersey, and is now part of Palisades Interstate Park, although recent construction has sparked controversy.