See famous artwork, view historic artifacts, and learn more about the world around you…visit a museum! New York City has an excellent selection of world-class museums. Even if you’re not much of a museum person, it is worth going to at least one during your visit if time permits. There are enough museums to choose from to cater to all kinds of interests. The following is a guide to popular New York City museums. Click on the links to learn more about each museum and find valuable information like hours and admission prices.

New York Transit Museum

New York Transit Museum

MTA New York City Transit Museum As the name strongly suggests, the New York Transit Museum tells the rich history of public transportation in New York City. Housed in a…

Staten Island Museum

Staten Island Museum

Originally established in the late 19th century, the Staten Island Museum is the premier institution of its kind in Staten Island, New York City. From insects and fish to mammals…

Bronx Museum of the Arts

Bronx Museum of the Arts

The Bronx Museum of the Arts showcases artwork by African, Hispanic, and Asian artists. This cultural institution has a rich heritage that dates back to the 1970s. Based in the…

Noguchi Museum Queens NY

Noguchi Museum

The Noguchi Museum is dedicated to a Japanese-American artist who worked in New York City for much of his life. It displays the largest collection of Isamu Noguchi’s masterpieces, including…

The Frick Collection

The Frick Collection

Some of the most outstanding art galleries are located in New York City and the Frick Collection is no exception. This small art museum is the legacy of Henry Clay…

Studio Museum Harlem

Studio Museum Harlem

Situated in the heart of the flamboyant Harlem district, The Studio Museum in Harlem is one of the premier African-American cultural venues in New York City. Collection and Interesting Facts…

Brooklyn Museum

Brooklyn Museum

New York City boasts an incomparable collection of premier art museums. The Brooklyn Museum is one the largest and most important, attracting half a million visitors each year. The Brooklyn…

CMOM Manhattan

Children’s Museum of Manhattan

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan, also known as CMOM, presents visitors of all ages with a unique experience to explore themselves and the world through a number of fascinating exhibitions…

Williamsburg Art Historical Center

Williamsburg Art & Historical Center

Located in Brooklyn, NYC, the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center is a cultural center with an interdisciplinary character. This venue hosts modern art exhibits, lectures, entertainment, and other special events…

New Museum NYC

The New Museum is one of New York City’s most important venues for contemporary art. This institution often hosts exhibits that promote up-and-coming artists in the underground scene on a…

New York El Museo del Barrio

El Museo del Barrio New York

Located in Manhattan, El Museo del Barrio New York is a museum that celebrates Caribbean and Latin American culture. The attraction’s permanent collection includes Pre-Columbian artifacts and modern artwork from…

Rubin Museum of Art

Rubin Museum of Art

The Rubin Museum of Art invites the public to explore a private collection of art from Tibet and other neighboring regions. Established by a couple with a fascination for Himalayan…

Museum of Chinese in America

Museum of Chinese in America or MOCA is a 1980-established non-profit education and cultural institution. Founded by historian John Kuo Wei Tchen and community activist Charles Lai, its main goal…

Italian American Museum in New York City

The Italian America Museum Little Italy NYC

Italian American Museum in New York City As the name implies, the Italian American Museum in New York City preserves the history of Italians in the United States of America….

Museum of Jewish Heritage

Museum of Jewish Heritage

Visiting the Museum of Jewish Heritage – Living Memorial to the Holocaust On a mission to educate the public about the Holocaust and other atrocities that occurred during World War…

New-York Historical Society

New-York Historical Society

Historic Treasures of NYC: The New-York Historical Society Officially known as NYC’s first museum, New York Historical Society has an extensive collection of artifacts and printed materials relating to the…

Neue Galerie NYC

Neue Galerie of Austrian Art Nouveau in NYC The Neue Galerie is New York City’s premier museum for German and Austrian artwork. Occupying an elegant mansion in the Museum Mile…

Guggenheim Museum

Guggenheim Museum New York

With its spiraling facade and impeccable white finish, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is one of the most iconic art museums in New York City. This cultural institution has a…

Sept 11 Memorial

9/11 Memorial and Museum

The 9/11 Memorial and Museum pays tribute to the fallen citizens and emergency personnel on the September 11 Attacks. This attraction is part of the World Trade Center that has…

Ellis Island

Ellis Island Immigration Museum

Ellis Island is an island at the mouth of the Hudson River in New York Harbor, famous for being the main entry facility for immigrants coming into the United States….

Welcome to The Strong Museum

Road Trip: The Strong Museum of Play

The Strong Museum in Rochester, NY Enter the wonderland of toys in this 150,000 square foot home to some of the most dynamic hands-on exhibits, exciting programs, and family-friendly activities…

NYC Police Museum

New York City Police Museum

For regular town and city folks, the police are the most commonly seen law enforcement body, and also the easiest target of urban frustration. Their services may be sought in…

Louis Armstrong House Museum in Queens

Louis Armstrong House Museum

Louis Armstrong House Museum in Astoria, Queens, NYC On a visit to the house of one of the most famous musicians the world has ever known, if you expect it…

New York City Fire Museum

New York City Fire Museum

The New York City Fire Museum is one of the most popular museums in this city. It is the perfect place to relive the drama and excitement of the years…

Museum of the City of New York

Museum of the City of New York

The Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) was established in 1923 with the aim to “collect, preserve, and present original materials related to the history of New York…

Tenement Museum

The Tenement Museum

Lower East Side Tenement Museum The Lower East Side Tenement Museum tells the stories of immigrant families who lived in the historic tenement at 97 Orchard Street in New York…

American Folk Art Museum

American Folk Art Museum

The America Folk Art Museum was originally known as the “Museum of Early American Folk Arts”. This was because after it was founded in 1961, it primarily focused on showcasing…

Museum of Art And Design

Museum of Art And Design

The seed for the museum, however, was planted more than 60 years ago, when Aileen Osborn Webb, the nation’s premier craft patron and benefactor, established the American Craftsmen’s Council in…

Whitney Museum of American Art

Whitney Museum of American Art

The Whitney Museum of American Art houses one of the world’s foremost collections of modern and contemporary American art. The Whitney Museum of Modern Art is a museum at 945…

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is one of America’s leading historic, cultural, and educational institutions. Since 1982, the Museum has welcomed more than 10 million visitors. The focal…

Museum of the Moving Image

Museum of the Moving Image

Dedicated to celebrating film, TV, and other forms of moving media, the Museum of the Moving Image is one of the coolest cultural venues in New York City. This unique…

Queens Museum of Art

Queens Museum of Art

The Queens Museum of Art (QMA) is located in the New York City Building, which was built for the 1939 World’s Fair. It is the only remaining structure from that…

American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History

Family Fun at American Museum of Natural History For a lot of people, the American Museum of Natural History is one of the most exciting museums in New York, for…

Best New York City Museums

Best Museums in New York City

Must-See NYC Museums Here are the five museums in New York City that everyone, especially tourists, should see when visiting the Big Apple. There are hundreds of great museums in…

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Let New York city car rentals whisk you to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where you can soak in a world of culture. The Met, for short, is one of…

3 Ways to See Top New York City Museums for Less

New York has outstanding museums, but those admissions prices can really add up fast. With a little extra planning, you can visit New York City museums for less and save big bucks.

1. Visit During Free or Pay-As-You-Wish Time Periods

Many museums offer the option to pay less than full admission at certain times during the week, often thanks to outside sponsorship.

For pay-as-you-wish, just hand the cashier whatever you are willing to pay and you’re free to go in and enjoy. Free and pay-as-you-wish time periods are very popular times to visit so you will likely encounter larger-than-normal crowds and maybe even a long line to get in. The cost savings, however, are probably worth it.

Museums with Free Time Periods:

  • Museum of Modern Art (MoMA): Fridays, 4 – 8 p.m.
  • New Museum: Thursdays, 7 – 9 pm
  • The Jewish Museum: Saturdays, 11 am – 5:45 pm
  • El Museo del Barrio: Third Saturday of every month, 11 am to 6 pm
  • Neue Galerie: First Friday of every month, 6 – 8 pm

Museums with Pay-As-You-Wish Time Periods:

  • Whitney Museum of American Art: Fridays, 6 pm – 9 pm
  • Guggenheim: Saturdays, 5:45 pm to 7:45 pm
  • Frick Collection: Sundays, 11 am to 1 pm

2. Pay Less than “Suggested”

Most tourists don’t notice that some museums list their prices as “Suggested Admission”. What does this mean? Basically, it’s pay-as-you-wish all the time. You can pay whatever you feel is reasonable to enter the museum.

Whatever you do choose to pay goes toward the worthwhile cause of supporting the museum, but the full suggested price is not required for entrance. This option is not heavily advertised and the cashier will gladly accept the full amount.

The following museums have suggested admission prices:

  • Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Museum of the City of New York
  • American Museum of Natural History (general admission only)
  • El Museo del Barrio

3. Museums on Us® by Bank of America

If you have a Bank of America card, you can take advantage the Museums on Us® program. On the first full weekend of every month, the following museums are free if you can show a Bank of America card. Have a photo ID on hand too.

  • Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Whitney Museum of American Art
  • Guggenheim
  • Rubin Museum of Art
  • New York Historical Society
  • New York Hall of Science
  • Brooklyn Children’s Museum