The Art of Stories: Literary Guided Tour of the Metropolitan Museum

This two-hour walk through the Metropolitan Museum of Art follows one thread: stories. Myths, fairy tales, fables and epic quests, told through the paintings and objects that illustrate them. The operator builds all of its museum tours around storytelling, and this one turns the idea on itself. It is a story about stories. Along the way the guide covers three kinds: tales about the Met itself, the backstories of individual works, and narratives that are actually set inside the museum. Then there is the bigger question of where stories come from in the first place, looked at through the art on the walls. Expect a cave heaped with treasure, heroes setting out on risky quests, a sword stuck in a stone and a girl who loses her shoe. The conversation also covers how a story can carry you somewhere else, change the way you see the place you already live in, and, now and then, quite literally save a life. The format is interactive, so there is room to talk rather than just listen. Book clubs and anyone who likes a good plot will feel at home. Recommended for ages 12 and up.