FRIDAY
Start your whirlwind tour in West Chelsea, the uncontested epicenter of the contemporary art scene. Fuel up with breakfast at the 24-hour Empire Diner (210 Tenth Ave at 22nd St, 212-243-2736), a Fodero-style Chelsea mainstay beckoning gallerygoers with its classic decor and European sidewalk-café tables. Afterward, mosey to the ever-colorful John Connelly Presents (625 W 27th St between Eleventh and Twelfth Aves, 212-337-9563) for a group show curated by Augusto Arbizo (quirky standouts include paintings by up-and-comers Tauba Auerbach and Dana Frankfort). You’ll find equally interesting art gems at other young galleries that, like JCP, recently resettled on this all-star 27th Street strip. Quit the new galleries on the block for the neighborhood stalwarts on 24th Street, the so-called “miracle mile” of Chelsea. See works by bigwigs Tom Friedman, Damien Hirst and Jenny Saville in one fell swoop at the cavernous Gagosian Gallery (555 W 24th St between Tenth and Eleventh Aves, 212-741-1111), then duck into nearby Gladstone Gallery (515 W 24th St between Tenth and Eleventh Aves, 212-206-9300) for a dramatic exhibition of sound-and-sculpture installations by death-metal-obsessed artist Banks Violette.

When you’ve reached Tenth Avenue, break for light Italian fare at Bottino (246 Tenth Ave between 24th and 25th Sts, 212-206-6766), where you’re likely to eat near artists and gallerists consorting with collectors. After lunch, continue downtown to a star-studded group show at Friedrich Petzel Gallery (537 W 22nd St between Tenth and Eleventh Aves, 212-680-9467), graced with sculptures by Robert Gober and Martin Kippenberger, two contemporary art titans. At 6:30pm, after most spaces have shuttered their doors, a performance at Elizabeth Dee Gallery (545 W 20th St between Tenth and Eleventh Aves, 212-924-7545) starts up: Stop here and rest your weary legs as video artist Liz Wendelbo and friends entertain the art-lovin’ crowd. If you have cash to burn, shack up in style at the Gramercy Park Hotel (2 Lexington Ave between 21st and 22nd Sts, 212-920-3300, from $505), or just pop for free to lounge in the lobby amidst canvases by Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Julian Schnabel.

SATURDAY

If you’ve haven’t yet visited the Richard Serra retrospective at MoMA (11 W 53rd St between Fifth and Sixth Aves, 212-708-9400; $20), go now! Designed with this particular exhibition in mind, the museum’s new digs—loaded with a collective 550 tons of forged steel—have never looked so impressive. Step inside the formidable Torqued Ellipse IV in MoMA’s sculpture garden for a close encounter with greatness. Treat yourself to a swanky lunch at The Modern, or opt for a sandwich at the less-expensive Bar Room. Take an hour to survey old jewels from the permanent collection (like Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon) before heading back out. Stroll uptown to the Whitney Museum of American Art (945 Madison Ave at 75th St, 212-570-3600; $15) and rekindle your childlike wonder with Calder’s Circus, a miniature Ringling Bros. brigade crafted from wire, cork and cloth (videos of Alexander Calder animating his tiny treasures increase their preciousness). The nearby Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Ave at 82nd St, 212-535-7710; suggested donation $20) stays open until 9pm on Saturdays, so you’ll still have time to mull over 12 epic paintings by German artist Neo Rauch (one of today’s most masterful figurative painters). Next, clamber up to the Met’s rooftop and soak in a stellar aerial view of Central Park before nightfall.

SUNDAY

Spend the day in the calmer outer boroughs: Model your breakfast after Edouard Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe with a leisurely picnic in Prospect Park before rounding the corner to the Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Pkwy at Washington Ave, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn; 718-638-5000; $8). Make sure to check out the institution’s brand-new center for feminist art, home to Judy Chicago’s seminal collaborative installation The Dinner Party. Slip into the museum’s theaters for a screening of Pollock (Sun 12 at 2pm) or—in keeping with the female artist vibe—Frida (Sun 12 at 3pm). Afterward, head to the ever-eclectic P.S.1 (22-25 Jackson Ave at 46th Ave, Long Island City, Queens; 718-784-2084) and romp around the courtyard, exploring Ball-Nogues’s Liquid Sky, an installation of towers and translucent Mylar canopies outfitted with “drench towers” (be careful not to stand under a bucket!).

Grab a sandwich at the museum’s LeRosier Café and snack on the steps before entering the museum: Browse through any of the dozen shows that strike your fancy, but don’t miss the ambient soundwork by John Cage or the film by Robert Smithson on view upstairs in the multimedia show “Organizing Chaos.” When hunger strikes, hightail it to Harry’s at Water Taxi Beach (2-03 Borden Ave, Long Island City, Queens; no phone) and top off your weekend with haute cuisine (er, burgers and beer) and a view of NYC’s most breathtaking masterwork: the Manhattan skyline.