Free Museum Days In NYC

Free Museum Days in NYC

It is a little-known fact that dozens of New York's coolest cultural institutions offer free museum days all throughout the week and all over the city. Whether it's pay-as-you-wish or a free day of perusing museums, there are tons of opportunities to visit a museum free of charge, all seven days a week. Give your wallet a break with our guide to free museum days in NYC in different boroughs of the city.  

MANHATTAN

The Met

1000 5th Ave | UES

Pay-as-you-wish for NY residents and students from NY, NJ & CT.

photo: the met

The Met Cloisters

99 Margaret Corbin Dr | Washington Heights

Pay-as-you-wish for NY residents and students from NY, NJ & CT.

The Guggenheim

1071 5th Ave | UES

Pay-as-you-wish Mondays & Saturdays. (4–5:30 PM)

The Museum of the City of New York

1220 5th Ave | East Harlem

Pay-as-you-wish.

MoMA

11 W 53rd St | Midtown

Free Uniqlo Fridays (5:30–8:30 PM) for NY State residents. Advance reservation required.

The Morgan Library and Museum

225 Madison Ave | Murray Hill

Free Fridays. (5–8 PM)

Free First Sundays for college students.

Free admission to the historic rooms of J. Pierpont Morgan’s Library on Tuesdays & Sundays. (3–5 PM)

The Museum at FIT

227 W 27th St | Chelsea

Free always.

Photo: museum at FIT

Free for visitors 18 and under, SNAP/EBT cardholders, active military, veterans, select college affiliates, and other eligible visitors.

Whitney Museum of American Art

99 Gansevoort St | Meatpacking District

Free Fridays. (5–10 PM)

Free every second Sunday.

Free daily for visitors 25 and under.

PHOTO: the whitney

Free first Sunday for New Yorkers. (4 -7 PM)

The Jewish Museum

1109 5th Ave at 92nd St | UES

Free Saturdays.  

New York Historical Society

170 Central Park West at 77th St | UWS

Pay-as-you-wish Fridays. (6–8 PM)

PHOTO: NYHS

Photo: Neue Galerie

Vessel

20 Hudson Yards | Hudson Yards

Free Thursdays for NYC Residents.

Free tickets released last Friday of every month.

El Museo del Barrio

1230 5th Ave at 104th St | East Harlem

Pay-as-you-wish.  

Museum at Eldridge Street

12 Eldridge St | LES

Pay-as-you-wish Mondays and Fridays.

Free for IDNYC holders, kids under 5, SNAP recipients, active military & more.

Hispanic Society Museum & Library

3741 Broadway | Washington Heights

Free always.

BROOKLYN

Brooklyn Children’s Museum

145 Brooklyn Ave | Crown Heights

Free Thursdays. (2 - 5 PM)

New York Aquarium

602 Surf Ave | Coney Island

Free Wednesdays (after 3 PM with advance timed ticket).

PHOTO: new york aquarium

Waterfront Museum

290 Conover St | Red Hook

Free always.

Brooklyn Museum

200 Eastern Parkway | Prospect Heights

Pay-what-you-can. (Ticketed exhibitions require a separate ticket at a set price.)

Some Free Saturdays.

Harbor Defense Museum

230 Sheridan Loop | Dyker Heights

Free always.

Valentine Museum of Art

1655 Flatbush Avenue | Flatlands

Always free.

QUEENS

Queens Botanical Garden

43-50 Main St | Flushing

Free Wednesdays (3–6 PM) & Sundays (9–11 AM).

Free from December 16 - March.

PHOTO: queens botanical garden

MoMA PS1

22-25 Jackson Ave | LIC

Free for NYC and NY State residents.

Museum of the Moving Image

36-01 35th Ave | LIC

Free Thursdays (2-6 PM).

Free for NYC Teachers with ID, active-duty military, veterans, and more.

PHOTO: socrates sculpture park

Noguchi Museum

9-01 33rd Rd (at Vernon Blvd) | LIC

Free first Friday of each month.

Open until 8 PM on Free First Fridays (May–September)

THE BRONX

The Bronx Museum

1040 Grand Concourse | Concourse

Always free.

Wave Hill

4900 Independence Ave | Riverdale

Free Thursdays.

LOVE free stuff? Check out our page of free events in NYC.

Favorite spot not on the list? Email us at [email protected].

Updated May 2026