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Free NYC Museums

12/31/2014

Updated On: 10/14/2022

interior of national museum of the american indian, in Manhattan

National Museum of the American Indian. Photo: Julienne Schaer

These New York City museums are either always free, free on specific days of the week or free for select hours. Find ones that interest you, and take advantage of their generosity.

Note that this takes into account general admission only; certain events and special exhibitions may still require a fee. As well, some museums require advance reservations even for free admission—best to check the website of your intended destination before your visit.

BRIC House. Photo: Liz Ligon

BRIC House. Photo: Liz Ligon

Always Free

African Burial Ground Memorial Site

American Folk Art Museum

BRIC House

The Bronx Museum of the Arts

Federal Hall National Memorial

General Grant National Memorial

Hamilton Grange
 
The Harbor Defense Museum

MoMA PS1
(free for NYC residents)
Museum of Chinese in America

Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology

National Museum of the American Indian

New York Public Library, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

New York Transit Museum Annex & Store
, Grand Central Terminal
Queens County Farm Museum
 (except during special events)
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden
 (grounds and botanical garden only)
Socrates Sculpture Park

Sometimes Free

The following museums typically require paid admission but open their doors for free on specific days or times—though again, some do charge for admission to specific events or sections or if you are visiting with an organized group. Consult the websites or call ahead if you hope to see a specific exhibition or are making arrangements for a group visit. Note too that certain institutions require advance ticket reservations even for the free admission dates.

Museum at Eldridge Street, synagogue and National Historic Landmark in Chinatown

Museum at Eldridge Street. Photo: Julienne Schaer

Mondays

9/11 Memorial & Museum
 (3:30 to 5pm)
Museum at Eldridge Street Synagogue
 (pay what you wish) 

9/11 Memorial & Museum in lower Manhattan

9/11 Memorial & Museum. Photo: Marley White

Tuesdays

The Morgan Library and Museum
 (J. Pierpont Morgan’s Library only, 3 to 5pm)
 

Bronx Zoo at the Bronx Park in the Bronx

Bronx Zoo. Photo: Julienne Schaer

Wednesdays

Bronx Zoo
 (park entry only; does not include admission to special exhibitions like the Butterfly Garden, Congo Gorilla Forest and JungleWorld nor the activities at the Bronx Zoo Treetop Adventure)
New York Aquarium
 (3pm to close)
New York Botanical Garden
 (free grounds access 10 to 11am; free grounds access all day to NYC residents; does not include entry to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, special exhibitions or Tram Tour)
Queens Botanical Garden
 (April to October, 3 to 6pm)
Van Cortlandt House Museum

Staten Island Zoo
 (2 to 4:45pm)

Brooklyn Children's Museum, in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn

Brooklyn Children's Museum. Photo: Julienne Schaer

Thursdays

Brooklyn Children's Museum
 (2 to 5pm)
Frick Madison
(temporary home of the Frick Collection; pay what you wish, 4 to 6pm)
Museum of Jewish Heritage
 (4 to 8pm)
Museum of the Moving Image
 (2 to 6pm)
New Museum
 (pay what you wish, 7 to 9pm) 
Wave Hill

A person looks at art, at the Museum of Modern Art in the heart of Midtown Manhattan

Courtesy, Museum of Modern Art

Fridays

Asia Society and Museum
 (September to June, 6 to 9pm)
The Morgan Library and Museum
 (5 to 7pm)
Museum at Eldridge Street Synagogue
 (pay what you wish) 
New York Hall of Science
 (2 to 5pm)
The New-York Historical Society
 (pay what you wish, 6 to 8pm)
Rubin Museum of Art
 (6 to 10pm)

First Friday of the Month

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
(NYC residents only, 4 to 8pm)
Neue Galerie
 (5 to 8pm; closed for renovations through August 2023)
The Noguchi Museum

Exterior image of The Jewish Museum on the Upper East Side of Manhattan

The Jewish Museum. Photo: Alex Lopez

Saturdays

The Jewish Museum

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
 (pay what you wish, 6 to 8pm)
 

First Saturday of the Month

Brooklyn Museum
 (5 to 11pm; does not apply to January, July, September or December)

Interior of The Morgan Library and Museum, situated on Madison Avenue in Manhattan

The Morgan Library and Museum. Photo: Graham Haber

Sundays

The Morgan Library and Museum
 (J. Pierpont Morgan’s Library only, 3 to 5pm)
Queens Botanical Garden
 (April to October, 9 to 11am)

Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a botanical garden in Brooklyn, adjacent to Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Museum

Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Photo: Tagger Yancey IV

Seasonal

Brooklyn Botanic Garden
 (pay what you wish, December to February, Tuesday to Friday)
Queens Botanical Garden
 (November to March, Tuesday to Sunday)

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