Free Museum Days in New York

America's biggest museum is pay-what-you-wish — even a penny — for New York State residents and NY/NJ/CT students with ID. The ticket covers exhibitions plus same-day entry to the Met Cloisters. Out-of-state visitors pay full price. Closed Wednesdays; open to 9 pm Friday and Saturday.

The dinosaur halls, the blue whale, and every permanent gallery are pay-what-you-wish for New York State residents with ID — suggested $25, but you choose. Ticketed extras like the planetarium space show, butterfly vivarium, and giant-screen films can't be added to a pay-what-you-wish ticket.

The Museum of Modern Art is free for New York State residents every Friday evening, including all galleries and special exhibitions. Free tickets must be reserved in advance (up to two adults per booking, proof of residency required) and are released one week out — they go fast.

The Whitney is flat-out free for everyone — no residency rules — every Friday night and all day on the second Sunday of each month, with full access to every exhibition. Visitors 25 and under are free every day. Reserve ahead; Friday tickets open five weeks out.

Frank Lloyd Wright's spiral is pay-what-you-wish every Tuesday and Sunday from 4 to 5:30 pm — suggested $10, minimum $1. Advance reservations are strongly recommended; a limited number of walk-up tickets are sold during the window. Under 12 is always free.

General admission is officially pay-what-you-can — the $20 adult price is a suggestion if you pay at the Admissions Desk, and ages 19 and under are free. The legendary First Saturdays return select months with free evening programming, live music, and dancing; registration required.

Free Admission Monday tickets post on the museum's website every Monday at 7 am ET and disappear within minutes — set an alarm. Last entrance is 5:30 pm. Locals get a second route: free admission on the first Sunday of each month, 4–7 pm, for anyone who lives, works, or studies in the New York area (ID required). The outdoor memorial pools are always free.

Freshly reopened in its renovated Fifth Avenue mansion, the Frick is pay-what-you-wish Wednesday afternoons — reserve online or try the limited walk-up allotment. Louis Vuitton First Fridays add free after-hours admission the first Friday of most months. Ages 10–18 are always free.

J.P. Morgan's jaw-dropping private library and the museum around it are free every Friday evening. Reservations are required and tickets are released exactly one week in advance — book the moment they open. The shop and café don't require admission if you just want a peek.

One of Museum Mile's anchors is completely free every Saturday — all day, all galleries, no residency requirement. Advance timed tickets are available online or in the lobby. Kids 18 and under are free every day. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The Bowery's contemporary art tower — newly expanded with its OMA-designed second building — is pay-what-you-wish every Thursday evening. Book online ahead; a small number of walk-up tickets are offered but not guaranteed. Ages 18 and under are always free.

The Smithsonian's design museum, set in Andrew Carnegie's mansion, runs pay-what-you-wish admission for its final hour every single day — the most reliable cheap window in the city. The interactive Immersion Room alone justifies the visit. Ages 18 and under are free anytime.

Reopened in late 2025 after a seven-year rebuild that doubled its gallery space, the Studio Museum is free for everyone on Studio Sundays — and the rest of the week its prices are only suggestions anyway. Children 16 and under are always free. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Isamu Noguchi's serene museum and sculpture garden in Long Island City is free the first Friday of every month, no reservation needed, with summer evening hours through September. Pair it with always-free Socrates Sculpture Park two blocks away for a full free art afternoon.

Westchester's largest museum — art galleries, the Gilded Age Glenview mansion, and a planetarium on the banks of the Hudson — opens free the first Friday evening of every month. Planetarium shows and Glenview tours are separate tickets, but the galleries and grounds are included. Free parking.

One of America's oldest museums (founded 1791) joins Albany's First Friday program with free evening admission on select first Fridays — confirm dates on its events calendar before you go. The ancient Egyptian galleries with two mummies are the family draw. Free on-site parking.

M&T First Fridays make Buffalo's world-class modern art museum pay-what-you-wish all day and into the evening — recently expanded from just the evening hours. Special exhibitions like the Kusama infinity rooms take a separate discounted timed ticket. The Seymour H. Knox Building is free every day.

I.M. Pei's first museum building is pay-what-you-wish all day every Wednesday and Thursday evenings 5–8 pm, with one of the country's great ceramics collections inside. Through December 27, 2026, seniors and students under 18 also get in free on Sundays. EBT cardholders pay $2 anytime.