free museums

Free / Pay What You Wish Museums in NYC

New York City has incredible museums, but they can be expensive. Most major museums have dedicated days & hours where there is free entry. See below for a list of top museums with free or pay what you wish entry. This list will continue to be updated and expanded on.

Free (Daily):

  • American Folk Art Museum: New York City’s only museum dedicated to folk & self-taught artists

  • Museum at FIT: Fashion museum at FIT campus, admission is always free

  • Queens Museum: Arts museum and education center located in Flushing, admission is always free.

  • The Bronx Museum: Contemporary arts museum in the Bronx, admission is always free.

  • National Museum of the American Indian: A Smithsonian museum with a counterpart in Washington DC (where most museums are free!)

  • Socrates Sculpture Park: Outdoor sculpture park (that also has a lot of free events & programming!)

  • MoMA PS1: This Long Island City offshoot of the MoMA is always free for all New Yorkers. Admission for everyone else is suggested at $10.

Pay What You Wish:

  • American Museum of Natural History: NY, NJ and CT residents can pay what they wish for General Admission (Main museum and Gilder Center (not special exhibits) only)

  • Brooklyn Museum: Pay what you wish for general admission (Main museum only)

  • Metropolitan Museum of Art: Pay what you wish for NY residents and NY, NJ, CT students

  • El Museo de Barrio

  • Museum of the City of New York: Pay what you wish tickets in person only

  • Staten Island Museum

  • Brooklyn Botanic Garden: Pay what you wish Winter Weekdays (Dec - Feb)

Free (Monthly):

Friday:

  • Museum of Modern Art Uniqlo NYC Nights: On the first Friday of each month, MoMA has free admission for NYC residents from 4-8pm. There is live music, a popup bar, and more. Reserve your tickets starting the week before each month

  • Poster House First Friday: On the first Friday of each month you can visit Poster House for free all day. In addition to free museum admission, the series will keep the museum open with extended hours and special programming on the first Friday of every month (10am - 9pm).

  • Neue Galerie First Friday: The museum is open late to the public free of charge on select Fridays of every month from 5 to 8 p.m. Admission will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis.

  • Noguchi Museum: First Friday (Pay What You Wish). You must reserve a ticket in advance - and it fills up quickly!

  • Intrepid Museum: Free Fridays are the last Friday of every month from April to September 5-9pm. There will be special programming, including a summer movie series, guest speakers, stargazing, and more.

  • Japan Society: Free admission 4-7pm on the first Friday of the month

Saturday:

  • Brooklyn Museum First Saturdays: The Brooklyn Museum has hosted First Saturdays for 25 years. This is a free evening each month with special programming and late hours from 5-11pm. Reserve your ticket here

Sunday:

  • Whitney Museum Second Sundays: As of 2024, the second Sunday each month will be free all day at the Whitney and include special programming and activities. Advance ticket recommended.

  • Weekend:

  • Bank of America Museums on Us: First Weekend every month with free museum entry for cardholders on Saturday & Sunday, including Intrepid Museum, Met Museum, El Museo de Barrio, The Jewish Museum and more

Free (Weekly):

Monday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

  • Whitney Museum Free Fridays: As of 2024, Friday nights from 5-10pm will be free at the Whitney and include special programming and activities. Advance ticket recommended.

  • The Rubin Museum: The Rubin Museum features the culture, ideas and art of the The Himalayas, India & more. K2 Friday Nights is a weekly program from 6-10pm with free entry, and the cafe turns into a lounge with a DJ and special drinks menu.

  • Morgan Library & Museum: Weekly free admission 7-9pm

  • Museum at Eldridge Street: Free admission on Mondays and Fridays

Saturday

  • Jewish Museum: Free admission all day on Saturday

  • Guggenheim: Pay What You Wish admission 5-8pm