Discover TOP Amazing NYC Museums You Can Visit for Free or with 'Pay What You Wish' Options

As the cultural capital of the U.S. and perhaps the world, New York City is often perceived as being overly expensive for tourists. But take it from me, a NYC native, nothing could be further from the truth.

Sure, it is easy to blow what feels like your life savings if you choose to stay in a five-star hotel, buy orchestra seats for a leading musical on Broadway, box seats behind home plate at for a New York Yankees baseball game, or to experience some of the finest cuisine available anywhere. However, New York can also be surprisingly affordable, especially if you take advantage of FREE or discounted admission that is offered at a multitude of world-class museums. Some museums below are always free, while some are only on specific days of the week, so you will need to plan accordingly.

With more than 65 million visitors annually, New York has so much to offer, and the museum diversity reflects exactly what the city is - a melting pot where more than 40 percent, that’s 40 percent of the population residing within the five boroughs were born in another country! Not another state, but another country.

Always FREE

(listed alphabetically)

American Folk Art Museum, Manhattan, Upper West Side (UWS)

The Bronx Museum of the Arts, The Bronx, Grand Concourse

Federal Hall National Memorial, Wall Street, Lower Manhattan

The Hispanic Museum & Library, Manhattan, UWS

The Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology), Manhattan, Chelsea

National Museum of the American Indian, Lower Manhattan, Bowling Green

New York Public Library, Schwarzman Building, Midtown Manhattan

Sculpture Center, Queens, Long Island City

Socrates Sculpture Park, Queens, Long Island City

FREE or Reduced Admission on Select Days and/or Times

9/11 Memorial & Museum, Lower Manhattan. Free Admission Mondays tickets are offered online each Monday starting at 7 a.m. First come, first served with the last museum entrance at 5:30 p.m.

Museum of the Moving Image, Queens, Astoria. FREE museum hours are every Thursday from 2-6p.m.

Queens Botanical Garden, Flushing. November – March, always free. April - December, free on Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m. and Sundays from 9-11 a.m.

The Museum at Eldridge Street, Manhattan, Lower East Side (LES). “Pay What You Wish” days are Mondays and Fridays. While a donation, however small is appreciated, admission is free if you choose to forego donating.

The New York Historical Society, Manhattan, UWS. “Pay As You Wish” is offered Friday evenings from 5-8p.m.

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (The Guggenheim), Manhattan, Upper East Side (UES). “Pay As You Wish” is offered Mondays and Fridays from 4-5:30 p.m., with a minimum donation of $1 requested.

American Museum of Natural History, Manhattan, UWS. General Admission for New York State residents is “Pay As You Wish” at all times.

Museum of the City of New York, Manhattan, UES. Admission for New York State residents is “Pay What You Can” at all times.

Neue Gallery, Manhattan, UES. First Fridays are select monthly dates when the museum stays open late, and admission is free from 5-8 p.m.

Whitney Museum of American Art, Manhattan, Meatpacking District. Free 25 & Under EVERY DAY, FREE for everyone every FRIDAY EVENING from 5-10 p.m., and the second Sunday of every month.

Museum of Jewish Heritage, Lower Manhattan, Robert F. Wagner Park. The museum offers FREE admission on Thursdays from 4-8 p.m.

Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), Manhattan, UES/Central Park. New York State residents “Pay What You Wish” tickets may be purchased online, but you must pay something. Students residing in New Jersey or Connecticut may receive the same PWYW offer with in-person valid student ID presentable at The Met ticket office.

The Met Cloisters, Manhattan, Washington Heights. The same admission offers apply as those offered above at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Manhattan, Midtown. FREE on the First Friday of every month from 4-8 p.m. for New York City residents only.

MoMA PS1, Queens, Long Island City. FREE admission is offered at all times for New York City and New York State residents.

Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, Prospect Heights/Crown Heights. The museum does not offer free dates but supports a “Pay What You Wish” philosophy so that the price of admission does not preclude visitors from touring the galleries. In addition, for 25 years the First Saturdays program has been held February through June, in August, and October, from 5-11 p.m. On these days museum admission is free, along with other planned programming to welcome the local community and visitors from elsewhere. Advance signup is required.

El Museo del Barrio, Manhattan, East Harlem/El Barrio. “Pay What You Wish” is offered every day, with a $9 donation being the suggested donation for those that can afford this.

The Jewish Museum, Manhattan, UES. FREE admission every Saturday. Children 18 and younger are FREE at all times. Select Jewish holidays in the fall and spring are also specified as FREE admission dates. See the museum website for specific days this applies to as they do change annually.

Queens Museum, Queens, Flushing-Meadows Corona Park. “Pay What You Wish” admission is offered every day, with a suggested donation of $6-8 per person.

International Center of Photography & Museum, Manhattan, LES. FREE admission, 5-8 p.m. on the Third Thursday of each month. On all other Thursdays visitors enjoy reduced admission for just $5 per person.

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Manhattan, UES. “Pay What You Wish” is offered from 5-6 p.m. every day.

Asia Society Museum, Manhattan, UES. FREE museum admission all day every FRIDAY.

Prior Proper Planning….

Planning a vacation can be fun and overwhelming at the same time, and when the destination is New York City, getting organized with a good solid plan is highly recommended. Naturally, you will want to build a fair amount of flexibility into your plan, too, as the Big Apple has a gazillion things to do and there is never enough time in the day to do it all. Keeping an open mind and not getting locked into too many pre-purchased, time-sensitive commitments before you arrive is the way to go.

As far as museums are concerned, the possibilities are limitless. Art, history, science, and the humanities are all well represented here, so take the time to research which ones are of particular interest to you.

A reminder: only museums that offer free admission or an attractive discount that isn’t difficult to take advantage of are listed above. There are plenty more that don’t waver from their price that you may want to consider. A case in point is the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, New York’s immigration museum that takes you inside the apartments of families who came here via steamship is someplace you may want to consider visiting. And if this is your first time in New York, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are probably on your radar as well.

We always recommend that you visit the websites of the museums that interest you to ascertain that the operating hours and exhibitions you hope to see haven’t changed. This does occur from time to time on short notice. Be sure that you are looking at the “official’ museum website and not a site for a travel company that offers tours that take you there.

Also, be aware that the largest, and typically the most popular museums are enormous so you can easily spend an entire day there, if not longer. You will want to decide before purchasing tickets how much of your day you are willing to dedicate to places like the Met, MoMA, the American Museum of Natural History, and so forth.

The weather forecast may also play a part in your decision making. If it looks like a rainy or blustery and chilly day ahead, lock into a museum that is of strong interest before everyone else gets the same idea. Even with timed admission tickets which many museums require, you may have to wait on line for a time before gaining entry. Save the best weather days if you can for outdoor activities such as a stroll through Central Park or a ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Most importantly, pre-purchase your admission tickets on the official museum website before hopping on the subway or climbing into a taxi. The ticket office lines can get exceptionally long and frustrating if you haven’t made your purchase in advance, especially during peak season or the most popular days of the week.

Your Travel Time Has Arrived

At long last the time has come. New York, New York awaits your arrival, and it is going to be a blast. This certainly isn’t like the beach vacation you took last year to Cancun. But in so many ways it will be exhilarating, fun, exhausting, and packed with memories that will last a lifetime. And contrary to what you may have heard, New Yorkers are friendly, outgoing, and helpful.

Expect long days to pack in as much as you can, but it’ll be so worthwhile that you’ll be ready to plan a return trip in the not too distant future. Pack some extremely comfortable walking shoes, dress in layers during the colder months, and enjoy!