The Best Free Museum Days In NYC To Add To Your Calendar Right Now

Trust us, it’s true: there \is\ such a thing as free museums, NYC. You just have to be privy to each attractions’ perks — and that’s where we come in. Now that **fall** is approaching and the days are getting shorter and cooler, you’ll want to plan an afternoon or two indoors **exhibit**hopping throughout the city’s best cultural institutions. And if you could do so without shelling out any cash, even better! Before we map out a schedule for your forthcoming adventures, we’ll provide a friendly reminder that you’re entitled to free access to certain museums, not just books, with your **NYPL card** and the Culture Pass program . Should your library card be MIA or hidden at the bottom of a tote bag you left at home, there are still perks enjoy without it. Searching for free museums? NYC attractions offer complimentary admission ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Some locations such as MoMA PS1 are free for NYC residents and other notable institutions like The Met operate on a pay-what-you-wish system. Other museums, however, require a ticket — except on certain days and times. Here’s the scoop on the best free museum days throughout the week: ### Monday * 9/11 Museum (5:30pm to closing; tickets are first come, first serve online & registration is required) * Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (Daily pay-what-you-wish hour from 5-6pm; temporarily closed until September 22nd) * Museum at Eldridge Street Synagogue (Pay what you wish on Mondays and Fridays) * Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (Pay what you wish, 4-5:30pm on Mondays and Saturdays) ### Tuesday * Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (Daily pay-what-you-wish hour from 5-6pm; temporarily closed until September 22nd) ### Wednesday * Bronx Zoo (Free on Wednesdays with online reservations that open on Monday at 5pm) * Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (Daily pay-what-you-wish hour from 5-6pm; temporarily closed until September 22nd) * The Frick Collection (Pay what you wish on Wednesdays from 1:30-5:30pm) * New York Aquarium (Free on Wednesdays from 3pm with online reservations that open on Monday at 3pm) * New York Botanical Garden (Free on Wednesdays for NYC residents; free for other visitors beginning between 10-11am) * Queens Botanical Garden (Free on Wednesdays from 3-6pm) * Staten Island Zoo (Wednesdays after 2pm) ### Thursday * Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Free from 2-5pm) * China Institute and Gallery (Free Thursdays and Fridays from 5-8pm) * Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (Daily pay-what-you-wish hour from 5-6pm; temporarily closed until September 22nd) * Museum of Jewish Heritage (Free on Thursdays from 4-8pm) * Museum of the Moving Image (Free on Thursdays from 2-6pm) * Wave Hill (Free on Thursdays) ### Friday * China Institute and Gallery (Free Thursdays and Fridays from 5-8pm) * Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (Daily pay-what-you-wish hour from 5-6pm; temporarily closed until September 22nd) * Japan Society (Free first Fridays from 5-7pm) * The Morgan Library and Museum (Free on Fridays from 5-8pm with a reservation) * MoMA (Free Fridays for New York residents from 5:30-8:30pm with reservations) * Neue Galerie New York (Fridays from 5-8pm) * The Noguchi Museum (First Fridays free; registrations highly recommended) * Museum at Eldridge Street Synagogue (Pay what you wish on Mondays and Fridays) * New York Hall of Science (Free on Fridays from 2-5pm; does not include mini golf and 3D shows) * The New-York Historical (Pay what you wish on Fridays from 5-8pm) * Poster House (Free admission on Fridays and the third Sunday of every month) * Whitney Museum of American Art (Free Fridays from 5-10pm; free to visitors 25 and under) ### Saturday * Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (Daily pay-what-you-wish hour from 5-6pm; temporarily closed until September 22nd) * The Jewish Museum (Free on Saturdays) * Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (Pay what you wish from 4-5:30pm) * Brooklyn Museum (First Saturdays free, but reimagined for fall 2025; to pick up again in Feb. 2026) ### Sunday * Queens Botanical Garden (Free on Sundays from 9-11am, April-December) * Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (Daily pay-what-you-wish hour from 5-6pm; temporarily closed until September 22nd) * The Whitney Museum of American Art (Free second Sundays) Have a look at some of our favorite museums and galleries in NYC that are totally worth a visit this fall. Source: https://secretnyc.co/best-free-museums-nyc-guide/