Trust us, it’s true: there *is* such a thing as free museums, NYC. You just have to be privy to each attractions’ perks — and that’s where we come in.
Now that fall is approaching and the days are getting shorter and cooler, you’ll want to plan an afternoon or two indoors exhibit hopping throughout the city’s best cultural institutions. And if you could do so without shelling out any cash, even better!
Before we map out a schedule for your forthcoming adventures, we’ll provide a friendly reminder that you’re entitled to free access to certain museums, not just books, with your NYPL card and the Culture Pass program.
Should your library card be MIA or hidden at the bottom of a tote bag you left at home, there are still perks enjoy without it.
Searching for free museums? NYC attractions offer complimentary admission
Some locations such as MoMA PS1 are free for NYC residents and other notable institutions like The Met operate on a pay-what-you-wish system. Other museums, however, require a ticket — except on certain days and times.
Here’s the scoop on the best free museum days throughout the week:
Monday
- 9/11 Museum (5:30pm to closing; tickets are first come, first serve online & registration is required)
- Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (Daily pay-what-you-wish hour from 5-6pm; temporarily closed until September 22nd)
- Museum at Eldridge Street Synagogue (Pay what you wish on Mondays and Fridays)
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (Pay what you wish, 4-5:30pm on Mondays and Saturdays)
Tuesday
- Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (Daily pay-what-you-wish hour from 5-6pm; temporarily closed until September 22nd)
Wednesday
- Bronx Zoo (Free on Wednesdays with online reservations that open on Monday at 5pm)
- Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (Daily pay-what-you-wish hour from 5-6pm; temporarily closed until September 22nd)
- The Frick Collection (Pay what you wish on Wednesdays from 1:30-5:30pm)
- New York Aquarium (Free on Wednesdays from 3pm with online reservations that open on Monday at 3pm)
- New York Botanical Garden (Free on Wednesdays for NYC residents; free for other visitors beginning between 10-11am)
- Queens Botanical Garden (Free on Wednesdays from 3-6pm)
- Staten Island Zoo (Wednesdays after 2pm)
Thursday
- Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Free from 2-5pm)
- China Institute and Gallery (Free Thursdays and Fridays from 5-8pm)
- Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (Daily pay-what-you-wish hour from 5-6pm; temporarily closed until September 22nd)
- Museum of Jewish Heritage (Free on Thursdays from 4-8pm)
- Museum of the Moving Image (Free on Thursdays from 2-6pm)
- Wave Hill (Free on Thursdays)
Friday
- China Institute and Gallery (Free Thursdays and Fridays from 5-8pm)
- Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (Daily pay-what-you-wish hour from 5-6pm; temporarily closed until September 22nd)
- Japan Society (Free first Fridays from 5-7pm)
- The Morgan Library and Museum (Free on Fridays from 5-8pm with a reservation)
- MoMA (Free Fridays for New York residents from 5:30-8:30pm with reservations)
- Neue Galerie New York (Fridays from 5-8pm)
- The Noguchi Museum (First Fridays free; registrations highly recommended)
- Museum at Eldridge Street Synagogue (Pay what you wish on Mondays and Fridays)
- New York Hall of Science (Free on Fridays from 2-5pm; does not include mini golf and 3D shows)
- The New-York Historical (Pay what you wish on Fridays from 5-8pm)
- Poster House (Free admission on Fridays and the third Sunday of every month)
- Whitney Museum of American Art (Free Fridays from 5-10pm; free to visitors 25 and under)
Saturday
- Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (Daily pay-what-you-wish hour from 5-6pm; temporarily closed until September 22nd)
- The Jewish Museum (Free on Saturdays)
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (Pay what you wish from 4-5:30pm)
- Brooklyn Museum (First Saturdays free, but reimagined for fall 2025; to pick up again in Feb. 2026)
Sunday
- Queens Botanical Garden (Free on Sundays from 9-11am, April-December)
- Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (Daily pay-what-you-wish hour from 5-6pm; temporarily closed until September 22nd)
- The Whitney Museum of American Art (Free second Sundays)
Have a look at some of our favorite museums and galleries in NYC that are totally worth a visit this fall.