Free Museum Days 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 entry.
Museum of Modern Art, Barbara Kruger exhibit
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 here.
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). Reserve your ticket here
Neue Galerie First Friday: First Friday of the month with free admission from 5-8pm
Noguchi Museum: First Friday (Pay What You Wish). You must reserve a ticket in advance - and it fills up quickly! Reserve a ticket here.
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. More info here.
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
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
Weekly:
Friday
The Whitney Museum: Pay What You Wish on Friday nights from 7-10pm. You can pay $1 (or more if you choose). There will be drinks at the Studio Bar and sunset views on the terraces.
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. More info here
Japan Society: Weekly free admission 6-9pm
Morgan Library & Museum: Weekly free admission 7-9pm
Saturday
Jewish Museum: Free admission all day on Saturday
Always Free:
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.
Queens Museum: Arts museum and education center located in Flushing, admission is always free.
Bronx Museum: Contemporary arts museum in the Bronx, admission is always free.
American Folk Art Museum
Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology: Fashion museum at FIT campus, admission is always free
Pay What You Wish:
Museum of Natural History: NY, NJ and CT residents can pay what they wish for General Admission.
Brooklyn Museum: Pay what you wish for general admission.
The Cloisters
El Museo del Barrio
Metropolitan Museum of Art: NY, NJ and CT residents can pay what they wish.
Staten Island Museum