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New York City Museums with Free Days

Part of our New York City on a Budget series

LOOKING TO VISIT NYC MUSEUMS THAT WON'T BREAK YOUR BUDGET?
New York museums - they come in all varieties: big & small, artistic & scientific, cultural & historical and, yes, free and not-so-free. Here we will focus on the FREE MUSEUMS and help you decide where you want to visit and when you should go to save money. As you’ll see below, there are several museums that are free every day. Many are free on a certain day of the week, some at certain hours of the day and some on a certain day of the month. Note that some museums rely on donations and although admission is free, they may suggest a “pay as you wish” donation.

Our listing of museums includes those dedicated to the arts, such as the well-known Museum of Modern Art and Guggenheim Museum, and some more specialized, such as the Museum of Biblical Art and the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology. New York’s cultural museums are dedicated to various ethnicities, such as American Indians, Japanese, Chinese, Jewish, Africans and Scandinavians. Take a look back in time at the New York Historical Society or check out the historical weaponry at the Harbor Defense Museum. There are also museums that cater to children, offering more hands-on and interactive exhibits. Peruse our list below and see what peaks your interest.

One final reminder: Before heading out to one of these museums, be sure to double-check their hours of operation and the admission information at their official website by using the links below. See our map of these museums.

Notes
1. Click on the column heading Name, Category, Location or Free Day to sort this list accordingly.
2.Point your mouse at the marker to view additional museum information.

Name	Info	Category	Location	Free Day	Web
Alice Austen House Museum ($3 donation)		Arts	Staten Island	Everyday	Website
American Folk Art Museum		Cultural	Midtown West	Everyday	Website
Asia Society Museum		Cultural	Upper East Side	Fri. 6-9 PM	Website
Bronx Museum of the Arts		Arts	Bronx	Everyday	Website
Brooklyn Children's Museum		Kids	Brooklyn	Thurs. 2-6 PM	Website
Brooklyn Museum		Arts	Brooklyn	1st Sat. 5-11 PM	Website
Children's Museum of Manhattan		Kids	Upper West Side	1st Friday PM	Website
Children's Museum of the Arts		Kids	Lower Manhattan	Thurs. 4-6 PM	Website
China Institute Gallery		Cultural	Upper East Side	Tue/Thu. 5-8 PM	Website
Dyckman Farmhouse Museum (Donation)		History	Inwood	Everyday	Website
Frick Collection		Arts	Upper East Side	Sun. 11a-1 PM 1st Fri. 6-9 PM	Website
Harbor Defense Museum		History	Brooklyn	Everyday	Website
Hispanic Society of America		Cultural	Washington Heights	Everyday	Website
Japan Society Gallery		Cultural	Midtown	Fri. 6-9 PM	Website
Jewish Museum (Limited exhibits on Sat.; Donation on Thurs.)		Cultural	Upper East Side	Thu. 5-8 PM & Sat.	Website
John A. Noble Museum for Maritime History (donation)		History	Staten Island	Everyday	Website
Leslie–Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art		Arts	SoHo	Everyday	Website
Martime Industry Museum		History	Bronx	Everyday	Website
Morgan Library and Museum		Arts	Murray Hill	Fri. 7-9 PM	Website
Museum at Eldridge Street (donation)		Cultural	Lower East Side	Monday	Website
Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology		Arts	Garment District	Everyday	Website
Museum of Arts and Design (donation)		Arts	Central Park South	Thurs. 6-9 PM	Website
Museum of Chinese in America		Cultural	Lower Manhattan	1st Thursday	Website
Museum of Jewish Heritage		Cultural	Financial District	Wed. 4-8 PM	Website
Museum of Modern Art		Arts	Midtown	Fri. 4-8 PM	Website
Museum of the Moving Image		Arts	Queens	Fri. 4-8 PM	Website
National Museum of the American Indian		Cultural	Financial District	Everyday	Website
New Museum ($2 donation)		Arts	Downtown	Thurs. 7-9 PM	Website
New York Hall of Science		Science	Queens	Fri. 2 – 5 PM Sun. 10 – 11 AM	Website
New York Historical Society (donation)		History	Upper West Side	Fri. 6-8 PM	Website
New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex & Store		History	Midtown	Everyday	Website
Noguchi Museum		Arts	Long Island	1st Friday	Website
Queens County Farm Museum		History	Queens	Everyday	Website
Rubin Museum of Art		Cultural	Chelsea	Fri. 6-10 PM Seniors 1st Mon.	Website
Scandinavia House		Cultural	Murray Hill	Everyday	Website
Society of Illustrators		Arts	Lenox Hill	Tues. 5-8 PM	Website
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum ($10 donation)		Arts	Upper East Side	Saturday 5:45-7:45 PM	Website
Sony Wonder Technology Lab		Science	Midtown	Everyday	Website
Studio Museum at Harlem		Cultural	Harlem	Sunday	Website
Van Cortlandt House Museum		History	Bronx	Wednesday	Website
Whitney Museum of American Art (donation)		Arts	Meatpacking Distr.	Fri. 7-10 PM	Website
Yeshiva University Museum		Cultural	Flatiron	Mon/Wed 5-8 PM Fri. 11-2:30 PM	Website

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Map of New York Museums with Free Days

NOTES
1. Marker colors distinguish the types of museums on the map, Blue = Kids, Green = Science, Red = Arts, Yellow = History and Purple = Cultural. Click a type at the map top to turn the appearance of that type on or off the map.

2. Click on a map marker or on a name in the listing for detailed information on each museum & its free day program, including street address, phone number, and a brief description plus links to the official website and free day info.

New York City Museums with Free Days Part of our New York City on a Budget series

Map of New York Museums with Free Days

New York City Museums with Free Days

Part of our New York City on a Budget series