This post lists the free museums in NYC, including cultural institutions, memorials, and art galleries. We also include those with free days.
And before we get started, sign up for our NYC travel guide, a free audio tour download, and a chance to win $100.
- Always Free
- Sometimes Free
- Free with a Tourist Pass
- Night Hours
- Kid-Friendly
- Other Budget Travel Tips
ALWAYS FREE MUSEUMS - PAY-WHAT-YOU-WISH
Despite often not advertising it, the museums below can be visited for free.
However, free really means pay-what-you-wish (or donation). Technically, you can enter without giving anything, but you might want to pay what you can.

Note that special exhibitions usually require a paid ticket.
In addition to free museums, there are many attractions and activities that won’t cost you anything.
See our post about free things to do in New York City.
American Museum of Natural History
Residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut can enter the museum for free. Two things to note about the free entry at his museum.
If you want to get tickets in advance online, you must pay the full price.
Also, when you enter for free, you will not have access to the Hayden Planetarium Show or the IMAX.
See our post on how to visit the American Museum of Natural History.
New York Public Library Tours
This library is an NYC icon. You will instantly recognize the two lions on the side of the grand staircase up to the entry.
You can explore the library’s exhibits on your own or you can take one of their free tours.
Find out more about their tours here.
The NYPL is a stop on our guided Midtown Manhattan Tour as well as our GPS-led audio tour.
Museum of the City of New York
This museum is dedicated to preserving NYC’s history and has an impressive collection of historic artifacts, documents, photographs, drawings, and so much more.
Kids will enjoy the educational programs here. You can find more information on their website.
National Museum of the American Indian
The collection of Native American Indian artifacts is outstanding. This museum is kid-friendly as well.
The museum is housed in the historic and stunning Beaux-Arts building, the former Alexander Hamilton Customs House.
Click here for more information on the museum.
TIP: This museum is located in Lower Manhattan, an area that has so much more to see. Our Guide to Lower Manhattan lists the multitude of activities, many of which are free.
The Bushwick Collective
Although this isn't an enclosed museum, this area of street art and graffiti is a curated space that invites some of the most talented artists in the world to produce work here.
We have a post that goes into more detail about the Collective with tips on how to get here.
You could let us take you. Our free Bushwick Street Art Tour runs daily.
El Museo del Barrio
The only museum in NYC that showcases Latino cultures extensively.
See works by artists of Puerto Rican, Caribbean, and Latin American heritage as well as enjoy their cultural festivities, youth, and educational programming, and literary discussions.
Click here for more information.
TIP: The Museum is located in the Southern part of Harlem, a neighborhood worth checking out. See our post about all the things to do in Harlem.
Federal Reserve Bank
This is one of the 12 Federal Reserve banks in the U.S. Their vault holds 900 tons of gold, which you can see on one of their free tours.
Tours are offered every weekday but require reservations. See our post on how to make reservations.
There is also a small but excellent museum where you can see rare coins and learn about the history of money and finance.
The Federal Reserve Bank is a stop on several of our tours of Lower Manhattan, including our GPS-led audio tour.
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Located in Harlem, this is one of the world’s top institutions devoted to the preservation and exhibition of materials focused on African American and African experiences.
They have over 10 million objects, artifacts, documents, recordings, art pieces, and more.
Find out more information here.
The Schomburg Center is a stop on several of our tours of Harlem, including our GPS-led audio tour.
Alexander Hamilton Grange National Memorial
This house dating from 1802 was the home of Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s Founding Fathers and founder of the U.S. Treasury system.
You can see historically furnished rooms either on a ranger-guided tour and talk or on your own.
See their website for more information.
TIP: To see where he is buried, and hear about his duel with Aaron Burr, you can join our pay-what-you-wish Lower Manhattan Tour or explore on your own with our GPS-led audio tour.
Other Always-Free Museums
Historical Museums
- Alice Austen House Museum
- BLDG 92 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
- Brooklyn Historical Society
- Dyckman Farmhouse
- Federal Hall
- Godwin-Ternbach Museum
- Harbor Defense Museum
- King Manor Museum
- Lefferts Historic House
- Museum of the City of New York
- Museum of American Finance
- Staten Island Museum
- Wyckoff House
Cultural Museums
- The Hispanic Society of America
- National Jazz Museum in Harlem
- Scandinavia House: Nordic Center in America
- Tibet House
Art Museums
- American Folk Art Museum
- American Institute of Graphic Arts National Design Center
- The Arsenal Gallery in Central Park
- Bronx Museum of the Arts
- Bushwick Street Art Collective
- International Print Center New York
- Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art
- Mmuseum
- Museum of Biblical Art
- Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology
- Museum of Street Art
- Nicholas Roerich Museum
- Queens Museum of Art
- Sculpture Center
- Socrates Sculpture Park
Art Galleries
- BRIC Rotunda Gallery
- Matthew Marks
- The Pace
- David Zwerner
- Gagosian
- Grey Art Gallery at New York University
- Click here for a list of Chelsea galleries
- See a list of SoHo galleries here
Commemorative Museums and Memorials
- Castle Clinton
- African Burial Ground National Museum
- City Hall
- General Ulysses S. Grant National Memorial (Grant’s Tomb)
- Irish Hunger Memorial
- Soldiers and Sailors Monument
- Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace
Gardens
Many museums that normally require a paid ticket for entry have special days or specific hours set aside for free entry.
Keep in mind that free days and free hours attract lots of other visitors and you may experience crowds, especially in the peak travel seasons.
Fortunately, there are lots of other things to do in the city that are inexpensive.
Look at our guide to NYC on a budget for suggestions.
Again, you will see phrases like suggested admission, by donation, or pay-what-you-wish together with specific days and times when you can enter for free.
National September 11th Museum
This museum is free on Mondays from 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Reservations are required and become available starting each Monday at 7:00 a.m. Limit 4 tickets per person.
This special museum has several different exhibits that detail the history of 9/11 and the World Trade Center.
Included for free anytime with most tourist attraction discount passes.
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
The MOMA is free on select Friday nights for residents of New York City with ID.
This is a 'must-see' attraction if you love modern art as it is one of the most prestigious modern art museums in the world.
Guggenheim Museum
The Guggenheim has pay-what-you-wish hours on Saturdays from 6 pm - 8 pm. There is a $1 per person minimum donation though you may donate more.
Note that you must get tickets in advance. Tickets for pay-what-you-wish hours are released on Mondays at 12 pm for the following Saturday.
Ticket quantities are limited and sell out quickly. Read more here.
The Guggenheim specializes in Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, early Modern, and contemporary art.
Included for free anytime with most tourist attraction discount passes.
Whitney Museum of American Art
Free on Fridays from 7 pm - 9:30 pm. This museum focuses exclusively on contemporary American art from 20th and 21st Century artists.
Known worldwide for its Biennial Exhibit.
Included for free anytime with most tourist attraction discount passes.
Brooklyn Museum
The museum's First Saturdays program offers free evening access starting at 5 pm on the first Saturday of each month. Advance registration is encouraged.
With 1.5 million works of art, objects, and antiquities, this museum is well known for its excellent Egyptian and African art collections.
They also have an impressive early American paintings collection. Their special exhibitions are of world-class quality.
TIP: While you are in Brooklyn, take advantage of all the great activities you can do there. See our post about things to do in Brooklyn.
New-York Historical Society
Free on Fridays from 6 pm - 8 pm.
This is the oldest museum in NYC and its mission is to help visitors learn about the city’s rich past.
Their collection of artifacts and objects some as old as four centuries is impressive.
Included for free anytime with any multi-day bus ticket from TopView Tours.
Frick Collection
Free on Wednesdays from 2 pm - 6 pm.
Free on the first Friday of each month 6 pm - 9 pm (except September and January).
Opened in 1935 and housed in one of the few remaining ‘gilded age’ mansions and formerly owned by Henry Clay Frick.
This museum’s atmosphere is as beautiful as its artwork by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Whistler.
Morgan Library & Museum
Free on Fridays from 7 pm - 9 pm.
This library consists of J. Pierpont Morgan’s exquisite collection of rare books and manuscripts, drawings, and artifacts.
It is housed in one of the finest examples of Neoclassical buildings in America.
TIP: Find out what else there is to see and do in Midtown Manhattan.
Museum of Chinese in America (MoCA)
Free on the first Thursday of each month except on major holidays.
This unique museum is located in Chinatown and showcases the history and heritage of Chinese Americans.
TIP: Find out what else there is to see and do in Chinatown.
Bronx Zoo
Free on Wednesdays. Note that some rides and exhibits require separate tickets.
This is the world’s largest metropolitan zoo and is home to over 6,000 animals.
Visit the Monkey House, Jungle World, the World of Darkness, and the Congo Gorilla Forest.
TIP: Why not visit nearby famous Arthur Avenue, the 'other' Little Italy? Our guide to Arthur Avenue steers you to the best food in the area.
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Free one Friday each month 5 pm - 9 pm.
This popular museum is housed in and on an aircraft carrier whose exhibits include a Concorde, a submarine & a space shuttle. Very interactive and great for kids.
Other Sometimes-Free Museums
Mondays
- Museum at Eldridge Street Synagogue all-day
- National September 11th Museum All day until 7 pm with last entrance at 5:30 pm (Closing time varies by season)
Tuesdays
- Wave Hill Cultural Center 9 am-12 pm
Wednesdays
- Bronx Zoo all-day
- Frick Collection 2 pm-6 pm
- Museum of Jewish Heritage 4 pm-8 pm
- New York Aquarium 3 pm to last entry
- New York Botanical Garden all-day
- Queens Botanical Gardens 3 pm-6 pm
- Staten Island Zoo 2 pm-4:45 pm
- Van Cortlandt House Museum all-day
Thursdays
- International Center of Photography Museum 6 pm-9 pm. Save 20% at other times with this coupon.
- Museum of Arts and Design Thursdays all tickets are half price. Save 20% at other times with this coupon.
- Museum of Chinese in America first Thursday of every month except on major holidays.
- Museum of Jewish Heritage 4 pm-8 pm
- Museum of the Moving Image 2 pm - 6 pm
- New Museum 7 pm-9 pm
- Waterfront Museum 4 pm-8 pm
Fridays
- Asia Society Museum 6 pm-9 pm (September to June)
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden 8 am-12 pm. Free Winter weekdays (December-February)
- Historic Richmond Town 1 pm-5 pm
- Japan Society 6 pm - 9 pm
- Morgan Library & Museum 7 pm-9 pm
- Museum of Modern Art 5:30 pm - 9 pm
- New York Hall of Science 2 pm-5 pm
- New York Historical Society 6 pm-8 pm
- Rubin Museum of Art 6 pm-10 pm. Save 20% at other times with this coupon.
- Whitney Museum of American Art 7 pm-9:30 pm
Select Fridays
- Frick Collection first Friday of every month from 6 pm-9 pm (except September and January).
- Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum free one Friday each month 5 pm-9 pm. April - October.
- Neue Galerie first Friday of every month from 5 pm-9 pm.
- Noguchi Museum first Friday of every month from 10 am-5 pm.
- South Street Seaport Museum every other Friday 3 pm-7 pm.
Saturdays
- Cooper Hewitt Museum 6 pm-9 pm
- Jewish Museum all day, though some exhibitions are not open in observance of the Sabbath. Admission is free on select Jewish holidays as well.
- Guggenheim Museum 6 pm-8 pm ($1 donation)
- New York Botanical Garden 9 am-10 am
- Old Stone House all-day
- Waterfront Museum 1 pm-5 pm
- Wave Hill Cultural Center 9 am-12 pm
Sundays
- New York Hall of Science 10 am-11 am
- Old Stone House all-day
- Queens Botanical Gardens 9 am-11 am (April - October)
MUSEUMS INCLUDED IN TOURIST PASSES
Entry to some number of ticketed museums is included in most tourist attraction discount passes, which bundle several tours and attractions, including museums, into one pass at a flat rate price.
By purchasing a tourist pass, you can save anywhere between 15-55% off museum tickets depending on the pass.
Also, having a pass saves you time because you don’t have to wait online to purchase tickets and some passes offer ‘skip-the-line’ privileges.
Buying a tourist pass makes a lot of sense if you are planning on visiting several museums, especially those that required a paid ticket.
With the major art museums costing $25 each, you’d be wise to consider a pass if you plan on going to 3 or more such museums.
Be sure to read out post that explains and compares all of the tourist attraction discount passes.
Statue of Liberty
Visiting Lady Liberty is likely on your list of “must-see” attractions in NYC.
Though you cannot visit for free, you can lower your costs if you purchase a tourist pass that includes a cruise ticket to the Statue of Liberty.
Ellis Island Immigration Museum
This fascinating museum explores the experience of the more than 12 million immigrants who passed through the island upon their arrival in the United States.
This is one of the top museums in the world and its collection of over two million works includes pieces from several different periods in human history.
This is a must-see museum, but tickets are $25 and they do not offer any free hours.
Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum
This very popular museum, located on an aircraft carrier is very engaging. Its mission is to educate the public about the history and science of sea, air, and space travel.
It is very interactive and great for kids.
Tickets are pricey, and though they have free hours one Friday a month, the best way to save on tickets is to consider a tourist pass.
See our post on other discounts and deals.
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
The New York location of this world-famous wax museum has all the famous figures you expect to see as well as some exciting special exhibits such as the Ghostbusters virtual reality experience and the Marvel Super Heroes 4D Experience.
New York Transit Museum
This unique museum is located in an actual 1936 subway station. You can step inside real vintage subway cars and learn about the fascinating history of NYC’s famous subway system.
This museum is a good choice if you are visiting with children. They have no free hours but are included for free in many tourist passes.
While you are there, you might want to see more of Brooklyn. Take a look at our post about things to do in Brooklyn.
This museum focuses on the rescue and recovery aspects of the 9/11 tragedy. You can get an intimate look at the event through artifacts, films, and photos.
Ground Zero Museum Workshop
Located in the neighborhood of Chelsea, this museum focuses on the recovery following the 9/11 attacks and is geared toward families.
It is especially good for younger children since the topic at hand is a sensitive one.
Fraunces Tavern Museum
This is the only Manhattan museum that is dedicated to Revolutionary War history.
Fraunces Tavern was where George Washington bid farewell to all of his officers in 1783, at the end of the American Revolution.
Other Museums (and Attractions) Included in Tourist Passes
- American Museum of Natural History
- Bronx Zoo
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden
- Brooklyn Historical Society
- Cooper Hewitt Museum
- El Museo del Barrio
- Guggenheim Museum
- International Center of Photography
- Museum of Arts and Design
- Museum at Eldridge Street Synagogue
- Museum of Jewish Heritage
- Museum of Modern Art
- Museum of Sex
- Museum of the City of New York
- New Museum
- New York Aquarium
- New York Botanical Garden
- New York Hall of Science
- New-York Historical Society
- Paley Center for Media
- Queens Botanical Gardens
- Queens Museum of Art
- Skyscraper Museum
- Studio Museum in Harlem
- Van Cortlandt House Museum
- Whitney Museum of American Art
MUSEUMS WITH FREE ENTRY AND LATE HOURS
The below museums and galleries stay open relatively late on certain nights and are free to visit during the evening hours listed.
- Brooklyn Museum - always free. Open until 11 pm on the first Saturday of every month.
- Chelsea Galleries Free Thursday Nights - On Thursday nights, many galleries stay open late and are free to visit. Click here for more information.
- Frick Collection - free on the first Friday of each month from 6 pm-9 pm (except January and September)
- Grey Art Gallery at New York University - always free. Open until 8 pm on Wednesdays
- Guggenheim Museum - free on Saturday nights from 5 pm-8 pm
- Japan Society - free on Fridays 6 pm - 9 pm
- Morgan Library & Museum - free on Fridays from 5 pm-7 pm
- Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology - always free. Open until 8 pm Wednesday - Friday.
- Museum of the Moving Image – free on Fridays from 4 pm -8 pm
- Museum of Modern Art - free on the first Friday of every month 4 pm - 8 pm
- Neue Galerie - free on the first Friday of every month 6 pm-8 pm
- New Museum - free on Thursday nights from 7 pm-9 pm
- Whitney Museum of American Art - free on Fridays from 7 pm-10 pm
For more free nighttime attractions and activities, read our post on things to do at night in NYC, free things to do in NYC, and our master post on NYC Attractions.
Below is a list of museums that are great for kids.
Some are specifically for children as their name implies. These are generally for children ages 8 and under.
The other museums are not focused on children but are still enjoyable for kids of all ages. Some even have special activities and events for kids.
Always free
- American Museum of Natural History
- National Museum of the American Indian
- American Folk Art Museum
- Bronx Museum of the Arts
- Brooklyn Museum
- Houdini Museum
- Queens County Farm Museum
- Museum of the City of New York
Wednesdays
Thursdays
- Children’s Museum of the Arts 4 pm-6 pm
- Museum of Chinese in America first Thursday of each month except on major holidays
- Brooklyn Children’s Museum 2 pm-6 pm
Fridays
- DiMenna Children’s History Museum 6 pm-8 pm
- Historic Richmond Town all-day
- Museum of Modern Art 5:30 pm - 9 pm
- New York Hall of Science 2 pm-5 pm
- South Street Seaport Museum every other Friday 3 pm-7 pm
- Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is free one Friday each month 5 pm-9 pm
Saturdays
- Guggenheim Museum 5 pm-8 pm
- Spark by the Brooklyn Children’s Museum 1 pm-6 pm
- Staten Island Children’s Museum 3 pm-5 pm (Sept-June)
Sundays
- Brooklyn Children’s Museum 4 pm-7 pm
- New York Hall of Science 10 am-1 pm
For more kid-friendly museums and attractions, see our post on things to do with kids in NYC as well as our master post on NYC attractions.
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