The Vessel was supposed to be New York City's most exciting new art installation — but it closed after 2 years. Photos show what it's like to visit now.

Insider's reporter went to check out the Vessel, which has been closed since 2021.Jordan Parker Erb/Insider

• The Vessel, a massive interactive sculpture that cost an estimated $200 million, opened in 2019.
• The honeycomb-esque structure is the centerpiece of Hudson Yards but closed to the public in 2021.

In 2019, the Vessel became the centerpiece of New York City's Hudson Yards neighborhood. Standing at 150 feet tall, with a honeycomb-looking facade, the Vessel cost an estimated $200 million to create, as Insider previously reported.

When it opened, the Vessel was supposed to be Manhattan's freshest, most exciting art installation, adding the final touch to Hudson Yards, a $25 billion development that became the most expensive in US history, per a 2019 CBS News report.

If all went according to plan, the structure would be "to New York City what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris," Jeff Blau, the CEO of Related Companies, the developer behind Hudson Yards, told the outlet.

But things didn't go as planned.

In 2021, the Vessel closed to the public indefinitely. Two years after its closure, I checked out what could have been a structural masterpiece for New York City.