7 Can't-Miss Free Museum Days in NYC

The highlight of this Lower East Side museum is the building itself—an exquisite 1887 synagogue with carefully restored features including a painted dome, carved wooden shrines, and detailed stained glass. Exhibits cover Judaica artifacts and the history of Jewish immigration in New York City.

Insider tip: Climb the stairs to the balcony for a closer look at celestial murals on the walls and ceiling.

Built where the World Trade Center towers once stood, the 9/11 Museum chronicles the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Inside, trace the events and aftermath through personal stories, multimedia exhibits, and artifacts recovered from the wreckage. Free-entry tickets are available first-come, first-served starting at 4pm. Outside the museum, the 9/11 Memorial is always free.

Insider tip: Note the “Survivor’s Stairs” as you descend into the museum—this preserved staircase provided an exit path for many World Trade Center workers fleeing the attacks.

• Other free museums on Tuesdays:
  • Wave Hill Gardens and Cultural Center (9am–12pm)
  • Staten Island Zoo (after 2pm, November–February)

The largest urban garden in the United States, this “living museum” and National Historic Landmark offers a break from the city grind with 250 acres of native plant and ornamental landscapes, plus wild forestland and a historic arboretum.

Insider tip: Get your home gardening questions answered by green thumb experts at the garden’s LuEsther T. Mertz Library.

• Other free museums on Wednesdays:
  • Bronx Zoo
  • Queens Botanical Gardens (3–6pm, April–October; free daily November–March)
  • New York Aquarium (pay what you wish after 3pm)
  • Staten Island Zoo (after 2pm)
  • Museum of Jewish Heritage (4–9pm)
  • Van Cortlandt House Museum
  • The Frick Collection (pay what you wish, 2–6pm)

This Columbus Circle museum (known locally as the MAD) showcases innovations in craft, art, and design—from textiles and jewelry to graphic design and functional pottery.

Insider tip: Stop by the sixth floor on Thursday evenings to meet the MAD's artists-in-residence during open studio hours.

• Other free museums on Thursdays:
  • Museum of Chinese in America (first Thursday of the month)
  • Waterfront Museum (4–8pm)
  • New Museum (pay what you wish, 7–9pm)

Home to one of the world's finest and largest collections of contemporary art, this essential New York City museum showcases modernist masters such as Vincent van Gogh and Andy Warhol alongside today’s most cutting-edge creatives.

Insider tip: There's no limit to MoMA’s free Friday visitors, so avoid the longest lines at this popular event by arriving after 6pm.

• Other free museums on Fridays:
  • Brooklyn Botanic Garden (8am-12pm, March-November; free all weekdays, December-February)
  • Neue Gallery (5–8pm, first Friday of the month)
  • Museum of the Moving Image (4–8pm)
  • Rubin Museum of Art (6–10pm)
  • The Whitney Museum of American Art (pay what you wish, 7–9:30pm)

Housed in a historic Fifth Avenue mansion, this extensive collection explores global Jewish identity through more than 30,000 pieces of art, ceremonial objects, and multimedia displays.

Insider tip: Fuel your visit with bagels and lox from Russ & Daughters, the museum’s own outpost of the legendary Lower East Side deli.

• Other free museums on Saturdays:
  • The Guggenheim Museum (pay what you wish, 5–8pm)
  • New Museum (free for families on the first Saturday of the month; up to two adults)
  • Cooper Hewitt Museum (6–9pm)
  • The Old Stone House

Tinkers, creatives, and budding scientists will find plenty to explore at this interactive museum featuring more than 450 exhibits, including an outdoor “science playground” and rocket park.

Insider tip: Check the museum's daily schedule to catch free science demonstrations. Favorites include hot air balloon flights and cow’s eye dissections.

• Other free museums on Sundays:
  • Queens Botanical Gardens (9–11am, April–October; free daily November–March)
  • The Old Stone House

In addition to scheduled free days, a host of other NYC museums are always free or offer a pay-what-you-wish admission policy. Similar to a sliding scale, this means you can pay an entry price that meets your personal budget. Here are our top picks:

• Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (always free)
• National Museum of the American Indian—Smithsonian Institution (always free)
• American Museum of Natural History
• El Museo del Barrio
• American Folk Art Museum
• Studio Museum in Harlem
• The Brooklyn Museum
• Bronx Museum
• Queens Museum
• Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY residents only)