At which New York museum does Phoebe arrive with a suitcase to meet Holden?

Phoebe arrives with a suitcase to meet Holden at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Their meeting takes place after Holden has decided to leave New York and pursue his fantasy of living alone in the West.

Holden expects to say goodbye, but Phoebe brings her suitcase because she wants to go with him. He refuses to take her, and the argument reveals how much she cares about him while also forcing him to confront the consequences of his plan. The museum therefore becomes more than a meeting place: it is the setting for a decisive emotional confrontation between brother and sister.

The scene later moves to Central Park, where Holden watches Phoebe ride the carousel. The museum is sometimes confused with the American Museum of Natural History, which also matters to Holden’s childhood memories. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the location of Phoebe’s suitcase scene, while the natural-history museum is associated with Holden’s earlier reflections on change and permanence.