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 York state residents. Admission for everyone else is suggested at $10.

  • Whitney Museum: Free for anyone under 25 starting December 11th, 2024

  • Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden: Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden (in Staten Island) has free of charge entry to its main outdoor grounds and gardens, open 7 days a week from dawn to dusk.

  • Leslie-Lohman Museum ofArt: The only dedicated LGBTQIA+ art museum in the world, free with a suggested admission of $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), see below for first Saturdays

  • 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:

  • 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 (Feb - Jun, Aug, Oct) 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.

  • 9/11 Museum: Free on Sunday for New Yorkers between 4-7pm

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

  • Wave Hill: Free admission on Thursdays to this beautiful public garden & culture center in the Bronx

  • Museum of the Moving Image: Free general admission every Thursday 2-6pm (no reservation required)

  • Brooklyn Children’s Museum: Free admission every Thursday 2 - 5pm courtesy of Amazon (reserve tickets or walk in)

  • Frick Museum: Pay What You Wish on Thursdays from 4-6pm (Temporarily closed until April 2025)

Friday

Saturday