As frequent museum goers in NYC and while traveling, we know museum prices can add up. But if you plan, you can visit several NYC museums for free.
This is your guide to do so.
We’ve listed the best free museums in NYC, museums that offer pay what you wish or free days, museums included in NYC tourist passes, and if you’re an NYC resident like we are, there are some additional ways you can visit museums for free.
Contents
Always Free Museums in NYC
These NYC museums are always free to visit. We’ve grouped them together into categories.
Art Museums
The American Folk Art Museum features more than eight thousand works of art from self-taught artists from four centuries and nearly every continent.
Address: 2 Lincoln Square, New York, NY 10023
How to get there: 1 train to 66th Street-Lincoln Center
BRIC is the leading presenter of free cultural programming in Brooklyn.
Address: 647 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11217
How to get there: 2, 3, 4, 5 train to Nevins Street, B, Q, R to Dekalb Avenue, C to Lafayette Avenue or G to Fulton Street
The Bronx Museum of the Arts is a cultural destination with contemporary art exhibitions and over 2,000 artworks in its permanent collection.
Address: 1040 Grand Concourse, The Bronx, NY 10456
How to get there: B or D train to 167 St.
The Hispanic Society Museum & Library houses artwork from Spain, Portugal, Latin America and the Philippines. (Note the museum is currently closed for extensive renovations.)
Address & Directions: 613 W 155th St, New York, NY 10032
How to get there: 1 train to 157th Street, C to 155th Street
History Museums
Harbor Defense Museum of New York City’s mission is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret historically significant material related to the history of Fort Hamilton and the seacoast defense in New York.
Address: 230 Sheridan Loop, Brooklyn, NY 11252
How to get there: R train to Bay Ridge – 95th St
Fashion Museum
- The Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology)
Located at the Fashion Institute of Technology, the museum aims to advance knowledge of fashion through its exhibitions and programs.
Address: 227 W 27th St, New York, NY 10001
How to get there: 1 train to 28th St, Q, R, W to 28th St
Literary Exhibitions
Located in Lincoln Center, this New York Public Library location has exhibitions in a variety of subjects pertaining to performing arts.
Address: 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023
How to get there: 1 or 2 train to 66th Street – Lincoln Center
The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building is the flagship of The New York Public Library. It’s a Beaux-Arts style building with free exhibitions and guided tours.
Address: 476 5th Ave, New York, NY 10018
How to get there: 7 train to 5th Avenue – Bryant Park
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is part of The New York Public Library for documenting the history and cultural development of peoples of African descent worldwide.
Address: 515 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10037
How to get there: 2 or 3 train to 125th St
Parks and Gardens
Queens Botanical Garden started as an exhibit at the 1939-1940 World’s Fair and today is open for visitors to see 39 acres of gardens and seasonal plants. (Note, admission is free only from November through March.)
Address: 43-50 Main St, Flushing, NY 11355
How to get there: 7 train to Main Street/Flushing
Founded in 1986 as a place to exhibit public art, Socrates Sculpture Park is set along the East River with a view of the Manhattan skyline. Visitors can watch the artistic process as a lot of the artwork is continually being built on site.
Address: 32-01 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, NY 11106
How to get there: N or W train to Broadway
Sites Managed by the National Park Service (NPS)
The National Park Service takes care of national parks across the United States, including monuments and historic sites. These are a few located in New York City that are all free to visit:
Book a free tour to learn about the African Burial Ground, the oldest and largest known excavated burial ground in North America for both free and enslaved Africans.
Address: 290 Broadway, New York, NY 10007
How to get there: 1/2/3 to Chambers Street, A or C to Chambers Street, R to City Hall, 4/5/6 to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall and J or Z to Chambers Street
Castle Clinton is located in Battery Park and was initially intended to prevent a British invasion in 1812.
Address: Battery Park, New York, NY 10004
How to get there: 1 train to South Ferry, N to White Hall St, 4/5 train to Bowling Green
Federal Hall is the site where the first President of the United States, George Washington took the oath of office and was the home to the first Congress, Supreme Court and the Executive Branch offices.
Address: 26 Wall St, New York, NY 10005
How to get there: 2, 3 train to Wall Street, J, Z to Broad St, 4 or 5 to Wall Street
This national memorial is the final resting place of President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia and is the largest mausoleum in North America.
Address: W 122nd St & Riverside Dr, New York, NY 10027
How to get there: 1 train to 116th St – Columbia University
See the historically furnished rooms at Hamilton Grange, the home of Alexander Hamilton.
Address: 414 W 141st St, New York, NY 10031
How to get there: 1 train to 137th St or A/C, B/D trains to 145th St
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace is the childhood home of the first U.S. president to be born in New York City.
Address: 28 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003
How to get there: 4/5, Q/N or L to Union Square, 6 train to 23rd St or R train to 23rd St
Smithsonian Museums
Located in the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, the National Museum of the American Indian–New York houses permanent and temporary exhibitions to explore the diversity of the Native people of the Americas.
Address: 1 Bowling Green, New York, NY 10004
How to get there: 4/5 to Bowling Green, 1 train to Rector Street or South Ferry
- Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden (Smithsonian Affiliate)
Snug Harbor is a center of 28 buildings including a concert hall, art gallery, botanical gardens, an urban farm and park land. (Note: a few of the attractions at Snug Harbor require admission fees.)
Address: 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301
How to get there: R train to Whitehall, take Staten Island ferry to S40 bus at Gate D, stop at Snug Harbor
Pay What You Wish / Free Days
Many museums in New York City offer certain days or hours that admission is free. They also offer a chance for you to Pay What You Wish, meaning they give a suggested fee but you can give any amount you wish for admission.
Here’s a list of the museums by days:
Sundays
Brooklyn Children’s Museum is the world’s first children’s museum.
Pay As You Wish Hours: Sundays from 4 – 7 pm (and Thursdays from 2 – 6 pm)
Regular Admission: $13
See J. Pierpont Morgan’s Library, Study, Rotunda, and Librarian’s Office. (Museum exhibitions not included in the pay as you wish hours.)
Free Admission Hours: Sundays from 4 – 6 pm
Regular Admission: $22
The New York Hall of Science is New York’s center for interactive science.
Free General Admission Hours: Sundays from 10 – 11 am (also Fridays 2 – 5 pm)
Regular Admission: $20
Mondays
Explore this restored National Historic Landmark, 1887 Eldridge Street Synagogue.
Pay As You Wish Day: Mondays 10 – 5 pm (museum hours)
Regular Admission: $15
Tuesdays
Cooper Hewitt is the Smithsonian Design Museum housed in the mansion of Andew Carnegie.
Pay As You Wish Hours: Tuesdays 6 – 8 pm
Regular Admission: $14
See J. Pierpont Morgan’s Library, Study, Rotunda, and Librarian’s Office. (Museum exhibitions not included in the pay as you wish hours.)
Free Admission Hours: Tuesdays from 3 – 5 pm
Regular Admission: $22
Learn about the history of the 9/11 attacks and 1993 World Trade Center bombing at the 9/11 Memorial Museum.
Free Admission Hours: Tuesdays from 5 – 8 pm
Regular Admission: $26
Located in the Bronx, wave Hill is a 28 acre public garden and cultural center.
Free Admission Hours: Tuesdays from 9 am – 12 pm
Regular Admission: $10
Wednesdays
The Frick Collection is Henry Clay Frick’s personal collection and more acquisitions of artwork displayed in his former residence.
Pay As You Wish Hours: Wednesdays from 2 – 6 pm
Regular Admission: $22
A zoo on Staten Island.
Free Admission Hours: Wednesdays after 2 pm
Regular Admission: $10
Historic Richmond Town is New York City’s most complete historic village located on Staten Island.
Pay As You Wish Hours: Wednesdays (opening hours are 12 – 5 pm)
Regular Admission: $8
The Museum of Jewish Heritage is a museum a living memorial to the Holocaust and educates visitors about the Jewish life before, during, and after the Holocaust.
Free Admission Hours: Wednesdays from 4 – 9 pm
Regular Admission: $16
Located on Coney Island, the New York Aquarium has 350 species of marine wildlife, 18 different sharks and ray species across 14 acres.
Pay As You Wish Hours: Wednesdays from 3 pm to last entry (changes depending on the season)
Regular Admission: $24.95
Explore 250 acres of gardens in the Bronx.
Free Grounds Admission: Wednesdays
Regular Admission: $23
Van Cortlandt House is a designated National Historic Landmark and belonged to the Van Cortlandt family, one of the wealthiest and influential families in New York.
Free/Pay As You Wish Admission: Wednesdays (open from 10 am – 4 pm)
Regular Admission: $5
Queens Botanical Garden started as an exhibit at the 1939-1940 World’s Fair and today is open for visitors to see 39 acres of gardens and seasonal plants.
Free Admission Hours: Wednesdays from 3 to 6pm, April – October
Regular Admission: $6
Thursdays
Brooklyn Children’s Museum is the world’s first children’s museum.
Pay As You Wish Hours: Thursdays from 2 – 6 pm (and Sundays from 4 – 7 pm)
Regular Admission: $13
Through permanent and temporary exhibitions, the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) explores the value of making across all fields of contemporary creative practice.
Pay As You Wish Hours: Thursdays from 6 – 9 pm
Regular Admission: $18
The New Museum is Manhattan’s only dedicated contemporary art museum founded in 1977.
Pay As You Wish Hours: Thursdays from 7 – 9 pm (suggested minimum $2)
Regular Admission: $18
The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) preserves and presents the history, heritage, culture and diverse experiences of people of Chinese descent in the United States. (Note: The MOCA has been affected by a fire and though the main museum space at 215 Centre Street is open and operating normally.)
Free Admission Day: First Thursday of every month only from 11 am – 9 pm
Regular Admission: $12
Fridays
Asia Society is the leading educational organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders and institutions of Asia and the United States in a global context.
Free Admission Hours: Fridays from 6 – 9 pm (excluding summer)
Regular Admission: $12
See J. Pierpont Morgan’s Library, Study, Rotunda, and Librarian’s Office, plus current exhibitions.
Free Admission Hours: Fridays from 7 – 9 pm
Regular Admission: $22
The Frick Collection is Henry Clay Frick’s personal collection and more acquisitions of artwork displayed in his former residence.
Free Admission Hours: First Fridays of the month only, from 6 – 9 pm (Excluding September and January.)
Regular Admission: $22
The Museum of the Moving Image is located in Astoria, Queens and its permanent collection shows the creative process of making moving images through over a thousand artifacts and interactive experiences.
Free Admission Hours: Fridays from 4 – 8 pm
Regular Admission: $15
Neue Galerie is the museum for German and Austrian art on the Upper East Side and home to Gustav Klimt’s The Woman in Gold painting.
Free Admission Hours: First Fridays of every month only, from 5 – 8 pm
Regular Admission: $25
The New-York Historical Society was New York’s first museum and today, exhibiting 400 years of history and art.
Pay As You Wish Hours: Fridays from 6 – 8 pm
Regular Admission: $22
The New York Hall of Science is New York’s center for interactive science.
Free General Admission Hours: Fridays from 2 – 5 pm
Regular Admission: $20
The Rubin Museum promotes culture and art of Himalayan regions. Friday nights are K2 Friday Nights where museum admission is free and their Cfe Serai becomes a lounge offering a pan-Asian cuisine, DJ and happy hour.
Free Admission Hours: Fridays from 6 – 10 pm
Regular Admission: $19
A botanic garden in Brooklyn best known for its cherry blossoms in spring.
Free Admission Hours: Winter Weekdays: Tuesday–Friday, December–February and Friday mornings before 12 p.m., March–November
Regular Admission: $18
See modern and contemporary art at the Museum of Modern Art.
Free Admission Hours: Fridays from 5:30 – 9 pm
Regular Admission: $25
Free Admission Hours: First Fridays of the month only (opening hours 10 am – 5 pm)
Regular Admission: $10
Saturdays
Explore the Brooklyn Museum, one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States.
Free Admission Hours: First Saturday of the month only from 5 – 11 pm
Regular Admission: $16
An art museum but also worth a visit to see the unique Frank Lloyd Wright designed building that the collection is housed in.
Free Admission Hours: Saturdays from 5 – 8 pm (cash only, suggested admission $10)
Regular Admission: $25
Visit one of the oldest Jewish museums in the world all about art and Jewish culture at the Jewish Museum.
Free Admission Days: Saturdays (open 11 am to 5:45 pm) and on select Jewish holidays (Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah)
Regular Admission: $18
Explore 250 acres of gardens in the Bronx.
Free Grounds Admission: Saturdays 9 – 10 am
Regular Admission: $23
Located in the Bronx, wave Hill is a 28 acre public garden and cultural center.
Free Admission Hours: Saturdays from 9 am – 12 pm
Regular Admission: $10
Always Pay What You Wish
The American Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side of Manhattan states that you can pay what you wish for admission but only at the ticket counter and not in advance.
Regular General Admission: $23
Address: 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024
How to get there: B or C train to 81st St, 1 or 2 train at 79th St
The Brooklyn Museum has a small note next to their general admission prices noting that the prices are suggested contribution amounts. (But does not apply to special ticketed exhibitions.)
Regular Admission: $16
Address: 200 Eastern Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY 11238
How to get there: 2 or 3 train to Eastern Parkway
Discover the artistic landscape of Latino, Caribbean, and Latin American culture at El Museo del Barrio. The museum lists their suggested admission prices. Note: Included in the admission is access to the Museum of the City of New York located next door.
Regular Admission: $9
Address: 1230 5th Ave, New York, NY 10029
How to get there: 6 train to 103rd St or 2/3 train to 110th St
A museum all about New York. The museum lists their admission prices as Suggested Admission. Note: Admission to the Museum of the City of New York also gets you into El Museo del Barrio for free located next door.
Regular Admission: $20
Address: 1220 5th Ave, New York, NY 10029
How to get there: 6 train to 103rd St or 2/3 train to 110th St
The Queens Museum is dedicated to presenting the highest quality visual arts and educational programming particularly for the residents of Queens. The museum notes that prices are suggested contribution amounts under their admission list.
Regular Admission: $8
Address: New York City Building, Corona, NY 11368
How to get there: 7 train to Mets-Willets Point
Museums Included for Free with New York Tourist Passes:
Tourist passes are sometimes worth purchasing depending on how long you’re staying in New York City and what you’re planning to do. All of the passes have a number of museums that you can visit, which are included in the fee you’ll pay for the pass.
Here are the museums included with each pass:
CityPASS
For $132, you can visit 6 of New York’s top attractions with the CityPASS, including these four museums.
- American Museum of Natural History
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- 9/11 Memorial & Museum OR Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
New York C3 by CityPASS
The New York C3 Pass by CityPASS costs $84 and you can pick any three attractions from a list they have including these museums.
- American Museum of Natural History
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
- Guggenheim Museum
The New York Pass
The New York Pass pricing is by duration. One day is for $132 and up to 10 days for $329. No matter which duration you choose, you’ll get entry into over 100 NYC attractions, including the following museums:
- Madame Tussauds
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- American Museum of Natural History
- Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
- The Met Breuer with Audio Tour
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
- Color Factory
- 9/11 Tribute Museum
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- Museum of Sex
- The Museum of Chinese in America
- Museum of the City of New York
- New York Historical Society
- Cooper Hewitt, Museum of Arts and Design
- International Center of Photography Museum
- New Museum
- Fraunces Tavern® Museum
- South Street Seaport Museum
- Brooklyn Museum of Art
- New York Transit Museum
- El Museo del Barrio
- Museum of Jewish Heritage
- Museum at Eldridge St
- New York Hall of Science
- The Skyscraper Museum
- Staten Island Museum
- Staten Island Children’s Museum
- The Paley Center for Media
New York Explorer Pass
Build your New York Explorer Pass by picking 3, 4, 5, 7 or 10 attractions from a list of 90 top New York City attractions. Museums included for you to choose from are:
- Statue Of Liberty and Ellis Island Ferry
- 9/11 Memorial and Museum
- American Museum of Natural History
- The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum
- Ripley’s Believe It or Not!® Times Square
- The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
- SPYSCAPE
- The Whitney Museum of American Art
- Museum of Sex
- New York Historical Society Museum
- The New York Botanical Garden: All Garden Pass
- Brooklyn Museum & Brooklyn Botanic Garden
- The Museum of The City of New York
The New York Sightseeing Pass
Either choose a FLEX Pass which will allow you to pick a certain number of attractions (2 to 12) or a DAY Pass which you purchase a number of days. No matter which type of New York Sightseeing Pass you choose, these are the museums available. There are a few that are exclusive to this specific sightseeing pass:
- 9/11 Memorial & Museum
- Intrepid
- American Museum of Natural History
- El Museo del Barrio
- Fraunces Tavern Museum
- KGB Espionage Museum (exclusive to The New York Sightseeing Pass)
- MoMA
- Museum at Eldridge Street
- Museum of Jewish Heritage
- Museum of the City of New York
- National Lighthouse Museum (exclusive to The New York Sightseeing Pass)
- New York Historical Society Museum
- Solomon Guggenheim Museum
- South Street Seaport Museum
- Staten Island Children’s Museum
- Staten Island Museum
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- The Skyscraper Museum
- Whitney Museum of American Art
NYC Residents
Are you a New York City resident? You can take the opportunity to visit all the museums during their Pay What You Wish hours and free days, but you can also take advantage of certain offers as a resident.
Pay What You Wish/ Special Pricing For NYC Residents
With a valid ID, New York State residents as well as New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut students, can pay as they wish for admission to The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer and The Met Cloisters.
Regular Admission: $25
New York City residents can purchase a New York City Resident Grounds-Only Pass for $15.
Regular Admission: $23.
The Museum of Modern Art’s Queens location, MoMA PS1 is free for all NYC residents.
Regular Admission: $10
Ways to Get Free Museum Admission for NYC Residents
If there’s a museum you really want to visit but just don’t want to pay, there are even more ways for NYC residents to get free admission to museums.
Culture Pass
Get a library card! With a library card with either the New York Public Library, Queens Public Library or Brooklyn Public Library systems, you are also eligible to use Culture Pass, where you can get free admission to several cultural institutions around the city.
Log in using your library card number and reserve a pass on an available day. They usually fill up fast so you may have to check often and plan way in advance.
IDNYC
An IDNYC card is not only an official form of identification, it can also get you one year museum memberships or discounted rates.
Some museums participating in the free membership are the American Museum of Natural History, El Museo del Barrio, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art and way more. Please check IDNYC’s official Museum and Cultural Institutions page for additional information.
NYC Museum Memberships
If you’re a frequent visitor to New York City, or are a resident, it might be worthwhile to support your favorite museum by getting a membership. Not only are you supporting the museum, but you get many benefits including free admission for a year. Check out our list of NYC Museum Memberships to Have.
Read More: NYC Museum Memberships to Have
What’s your favorite NYC museum? Leave a comment below.
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