New York City is the city that never sleeps, and with so many incredible things to do, it’s so hard to pack it all into one day! Especially our museums, which definitely need multiple hours to properly admire. Luckily, iconic institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art to hidden gems like the Rubin offer extended hours, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in art, history, and culture long after the sun sets! Here’s our favorite museums with late night hours.
1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Explore one of NYC’s most iconic art institutions by night when The Met goes “After Dark.” Extended hours happen on Friday and Saturdays, and often include special events, concerts, date nights, and a whole lot more! Plus, museum members can even get exclusive after-hours access to the museum that the public can’t!
Fridays and Saturdays, 10 am – 9 pm
2. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Midtown’s Museum of Modern Art offers late night gallery viewings on Saturday nights, as well as select after hours times on the first Friday of each month! So next time you want to view Starry Night by Van Gogh…on a starry night…be sure to head to MoMA on these days!
Saturday, 10:30 am – 7 pm; UNIQLO First Fridays: 4 – 8 pm (must reserve online in advance)
3. Guggenheim Museum
Taylor Heery
The Frank Lloyd Wright–designed museum is open late on Saturdays, which makes walking the iconic rotunda even more cooler. The Guggenheim is home to plenty of modern and contemporary art that you can spend hours walking through at night. On Saturdays from 6 pm – 8 pm, they even offer pay-as-you-wish admission and museum members get exclusive Mondays, 6 pm – 8 pm hours.
Saturday 11 am – 8 pm; members get exclusive late hours Mondays from 6 – 8 pm
4. The Whitney Museum of American Art
Get up close and personal with the famous Whitney Biennial after dark on Fridays! The prestigious museum near the High Line in Chelsea welcomes visitors late through the evening to see all of the modern and contemporary American art to their heart’s content. We recommend going between 5 pm – 10 pm when they do their “Free Friday” series!
Friday, 10:30 am – 10 pm
5. Fotografiska
Fotografiska is one of the museums on our list that stays open late the most regularly, with later hours everyday than many other museums on this list! This spot is dedicated to the best exhibitions of photography, with some of the world’s biggest names having collections here. Come late and browse through old images…and stay for a drink at the Chapel Bar afterwards.
Sunday – Thursday 10:30 am – 9pm; Friday – Saturday 10:30 am – 11 pm
6. New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society is the city’s oldest museum to date, and outlines over 400 years of the Big Apple’s history and the nation! Its exhibitions, outstanding collections, and immersive films make for great night exploration. Their late night hours are on Friday, and we recommend going from 6 pm – 8 pm when it’s pay-as-you-wish.
Friday, 11 am – 8 pm
7. Brooklyn Museum
Stop by the Brooklyn Museum on the first Saturday of most months and you’ll be treated to a whole lot of art, special workshops, artist talks, pop-up markets, live music, a massive bar, and a whole lot more!
First Saturdays 5 pm – 11 pm from February–August and October
8. Museum of Sex
Feeling frisky late at night?! Head to the Museum of Sex, where their seductive exhibitions run late through the night! For the ultimate after hours adventure, sneak away into their Superfunland, an erotic carnival that heats up as the sun sets!
Monday – Thursday (closed Wednesday) 1 pm – 1o pm, Friday 1 pm – 12 am, Saturday 12 pm – 12 am, Sunday 12 pm – 9 pm
9. Rubin Museum of Art
Before the Rubin Museum of Art closes its doors later this year, there’s still time to check out the hidden art gems that are in the museum! It’s dedicated solely to Himalayan art and artifacts, and on Fridays they host an event series called K2 Friday Nights (6 pm – 10 pm) which entails free admission, cocktails, a live DJ, and more!
Fridays 11 am – 10 pm
10. Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is one of our favorite museums for kids, and it’s totally worth keeping them out past their bed times! It’s a museum dedicated to nautical and maritime history, with many air craft carriers and space shuttles on display. They host “After Hours” events on select nights which are themed and offer exclusive access at later hours. See the events here[/trackLink].