The Metropolitan Museum of Art refused permission for their interior to be used in the film, so the filmmakers used the New York Public Library, a few blocks away, for many interior scenes, and a soundstage for the rest. The exterior of the Metropolitan was shown several times, with permission from New York City.
In the scene where Thomas Crown is dancing at the party, his tie is untied on his tux and the top buttons unbuttoned. This is because at the time, Pierce Brosnan was under contract to play James Bond, and a rumored stipulation of that contract was that he could not wear a tuxedo in any non-James Bond movies. Additionally, note the tie in this film is white, and as James Bond, he's usually wearing a black or dark bow tie.
The scene of Crown racing a catamaran replaced a similar scene in the original script (and the original movie) that was set at a polo match. John McTiernan deemed a polo match to be too much of a cliché, and wanted a scene that conveyed more action and excitement, and not just wealth.
Robert D. Novak: , a political columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and co-star (or frequent guest star) of such political talk shows as Crossfire (1982) and The McLaughlin Group (1982), as a museum proctor.