To be notified of new PopSpots entries, follow PopSpotsNYC on Twitter: Follow Popspotsnyc on Twitter


For questions or comments you can email me (Bob) here.


Always Free (also known as "Pay-What-You-Wish" NYC Museums and Sometimes Free NYC Museums



ALWAYS FREE or "PAY-WHAT-YOU-WISH" MUSEUMS
and
MUSEUMS THAT ARE FREE (or "Pay-What-You-Wish") ON CERTAIN DAYS OR HOURS

Notes:
• Most "pay-what-you-wish" museums list a "suggested admission" - but don't feel embarrased for not paying it. They are perfectly happy that you came to see their museum.
• Large visitor numbers means more contributions by billionaires. Contribute what you feel you can afford (usually $1.00 minimum) or what the value of your visit is to you. Donations are always welcome.
• Museums run by the U.S. Government or U.S. National Parks Service have no admission charge as they are paid for by taxes.

Closures:
• Many museum are closed on these 4 national holidays: New Year's Day (Jan. 1st) , Independence Day (The 4th of July, Thanksgiving Day (the 4th Thursday in November), and Christmas Day (December 25th).






1) ALWAYS FREE (or "PAY-WHAT-YOU-WISH")

(Some of these museums have a "suggested" admission price, but you don't have to pay it; you can pay nothing or make a contribution to help support the museum.)

African Burial Ground Memorial Site (always free; U.S. National Park)
American Museum of Natural History (PayWhatYouWish)
American Folk Art Museum (PayWhatYouWish)
BRIC House (PayWhatYouWish)
The Bronx Museum of the Arts (PayWhatYouWish)
The Cloisters (part of the MET: see their admission policy below)
El Museum del Barrio (PayWhatYouWish)
Federal Hall National Memorial (always free; U.S. National Park)(at Wall Street and Broad)
General Grant National Memorial (always free; U.S. National Park)(aka "Grant's Tomb"; run by the U. S. National Parks Service)
Hamilton Grange (always free; U.S. Gov't) (Alexander Hamilton's former house)
The Harbor Defense Museum (always free; U.S. National Park)
The Hispanic Society of America (PayWhatYouWish)
Irish Hunger Memorial (always free)(raised acre of grass and stone)
Leslie-Lohman Museumof Gay and Lesbian Art (PayWhatYouWish)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (PayWhatYouWish only for NY State residents and some students. SEE MET ADMISSIONS POLICIES BELOW THIS LIST)
MoMa PS1 (refurbished school as art museum;part of MoMa; see their admission policy)
The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
National Museum of the American Indian (always free; U.S. National Park)
The New York Public Library (always free)(Stephen A. Schwarzman Building)
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (always free)(part of Lincoln Center)
New York Transit Museum Annex & Store (Brooklyn)
Queens County Farm Museum (Queens)
Schaumberg Center for Resarch and Black Culture (always free)(Harlem)
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden (Staten Island)
Socrates Sculpture Park(always free) (Astoria, Queens)
Soldiers and Sailors Monument(always free) (Riverside Drive; Upper West Side)
Stonewall National Monument(always free; U.S. National Park) (Historic Site and Market)
Swiss Institute (always free)
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace (always free; U.S. National Park) (Flatiron District; run by the U. S. National Parks Service)




NOTES ON THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART:

• THE MET IS FREE (Pay-What-You-Wish) FOR NEW YORK STATE RESIDENTS and AND NY/CONN/NJ STUDENTS WITH ID
• AS OF 2018 ALL OUT OF STATE or FOREIGN VISITORS MUST PAY THE FULL ADMSSION FEE WHICH IS $25 FOR ADULTS ; $17 for SENIORS and $12 for STUDENTS.
• ALL CHILDREN UNDER 12 ARE FREE AT ALL TIMES.
• A TICKET AT EITHER THE MET, THE CLOISTERS, or PS1 WILL LET YOU INTO ANY OF THEM FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS.



TYPES OF ID (identification) THAT THE MET ACCEPTS:

New York State driver's license
New York State identification card
IDNYC
Current bill or statement with a NEw York State address
Student ID
New York Library card





2) FREE MONTHLY: MUSEUMS THAT ARE FREE ALL DAY OR FOR CERTAIN HOURS ONE DAY A MONTH

FIRST MONDAYS
Rubin Museum of Art (Free the first Monday of the month)

FIRST THURSDAYS
Museum of Chinese in America (Free the first Thursday of the Month)

FIRST FRIDAYS
Children's Museum of Manhattan (Free the first Friday of the Month from 5:00-8:00 pm)
Frick Collection (Free the First Friday of the Month from 6:00 to 9:00 pm; except September and January)(museum for ages 10 and up only)
Neue Galerie (Free the First Friday of the Month from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.)
The Noguchi Museum (Free the First Friday of the month)

FIRST SATURDAYS
Brooklyn Museum (Free the First Saturday of the month from 5:00 to 11:00 pm)

THIRD SATURDAYS
El Museum del Barrio (Free the Third Saturday of the month)

FIRST SUNDAYS
The Morgan Library and Museum (McKim rooms only arefree from 4:00 to 6:00 pm the 1st Sunday of the Month)
New York Hall of Science (Free the First Sunday of the month from 10:00 to 11:00 am)
Queens Botanical Garden (Free all day Tuesday to Sunday in Nov. Dec, Jan, Feb, and March.)
Studio Museum in Harlem


MUSEUMS THAT ARE FREE IN CERTAIN SEASONS
Brooklyn Botanic Garden (Free on weekdays from November through February)
Queens Botanical Garden (Free all day Tues-Sunday in Nov. Dec, Jan, Feb, and March; also free 3-6pm and Sundays 9-11 am all other months)

2) FREE WEEKLY: MUSEUMS THAT ARE FREE ON CERTAIN DAYS OR HOURS EACH WEEK

(i.e. These museums usually have an admission charge or a "suggested admission." , but are free to everyone on certain days or during certain hours each week)


FREE ON MONDAY (sometimes free)

The Museum at Eldridge Street (Free all day Mondays)
Rubin Museum of Art* (*FREE ONLY the first Monday of the month)
Yeshiva University Museum (16th Street west of 5th Avenue, Manhattan) (Free all day Mondays)



FREE ON TUESDAY

9/11 Memorial & Museum (Free from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm closing on Tuesdays; but get there early, at least by 3:00, to line up for tickets which usually get sold out. Once you have a ticket, you can come back later to get in)
Brooklyn Botanic Garden (free all day Tuesdays in Dec., Jan. and Feb.)
China Institute (photo ID needed for entrance) ????
Morgan Library and Museum (The McKim Rooms only are free 3:00-5:00 pm on Tuesdays)
Queens Botanical Garden (free all day Tues-Sunday in Nov. Dec, Jan, Feb, and March.)
Society of Illustrators (free from 5:00-8:00 pm Tuesdays)
Wave Hill (free 9:00 am untill 12:00 noon Tuesdays)



FREE ON WEDNESDAY

Bronx Zoo (free all day Wednesdays for zoo grounds only; not for special exhibits like Jungle World)
Brooklyn Botanical Garden (free all day Wednesdays in Dec., Jan. and Feb)
Frick Collection (pay-what-you-wish from 2:00-5:00 pm Wednesdays; galleries close at 5:45)
Museum of Jewish Heritage (free from 4:00-8:00 pm)
New York Botanical Garden (free all day for ground access only, not for special exhibits like the Haupt Conservancy)
Queens Botanical Garden (free all day Tues-Sunday in Nov. Dec, Jan, Feb, and March; also free 3-6pm and Sundays 9-11 am all other months)
Staten Island Zoo (free admission from 2:00 to 4:45 Wednesdays)(Note: The zoo's groundhog named Staten Island Chuck is New York's answer to Pixatawney Phil, the groundhog who "determines" spring)
Van Cortlandt House Museum(PayWhatYouWish all day Wednesday)
Yeshiva University Museum



FREE ON THURSDAY

Brooklyn Children's Museum (free from2:00 to 6:00 pm)
International Center of Photography (pay-what-you-wish from 6:00 to 9:00 pm)
Museum of Arts and Design (pay-what-you-wish from 6:00 to 9:00 pm)
Museum of Chinese in America* (*Free ONLY on the first Thursday of the month)
New Museum (pay-what-you-wish from 6:00 to 9:00 pm)
Queens Botanical Garden (free all day Tues-Sunday in Nov. Dec, Jan, Feb, and March.)

FREE ON FRIDAY

Asia Society (free September through June from 6:00 to 9:00 pm
Historic Richmond Town (free from 1:00 to 5:00)
Japan Sociaety (free from 6:00 to 9:00 pm
Morgan Library and Museum (free from 7:00 to 9:00 pm)
Museum of Modern Art (free from 4:00 to 8:00 pm)
Museum of the Moving Image (free from 4:00 to 8:00 pm)
New York Aquarium (pay-what-you-wish from 3:00 pm until closing
"Admission on fall/winter/spring Fridays from 3:00 to 3:30 pm is free; and on SUmmer Fridasys from 4:00 to 5:00 pm there is a pay-what-you-wish donation" The Aquarium Hours: are from September 5th 2017 - May 25, 2018 from 10:am to 4:30 (closing); last tickets sold at 3:30. Then, from May 26, 2018 - September 1, 20128 the Aquarium is open from 1):00 top 6:00 pm with the last tickets sold at 5:00."
New York Hall of Science (free from 2:00 - 5:00)
New York Historical Society (pay-what-you-wish from 6:00 to 8:00 pm)
Rubin Museum of Art (free from 6:00 to 10:00 pm)
Queens Botanical Garden (free all day Tues-Sunday in Nov. Dec, Jan, Feb, and March.)
Whitney Museum (pay-what-you-wish from 7:00 to 9:30 pm)

FREE ONLY THE FIRST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH

Children's Museum of Manhattan*(*FREE ONLY THE FIRST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH from 5:00 to 8:00 pm)
Frick Collection* (*FREE ONLY THE FIRST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH from 6:00 to 9:00 pm; except September and January)(museum for ages 10 and up only)
Neue Galerie*(*FREE ONLY THE FIRST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH from 6:00 to 8:00 pm)
The Noguchi Museum (FREE ON THE FIRST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH - ALL DAY)


FREE ON SATURDAYS

The BrooKlyn Botanic Garden (free from 10:00 to Noon)
Brooklyn Museum (free ONLY THE FIRST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH from 5:00 to 11:00 pm)

El Museum del Barrio* (*FREE ONLY THE THIRD SATURDAY OF THE MONTH)


The Jewish Museum
New York Botanical Garden (grounds are free if you enter from 9:00 to 10:00)
Solomon R Guggenheim Museum (pay-what-you-wish from 5:45 to 7:45)
Wave Hill (free from 9:00 to Noon)

Queens Botanical Garden (free all day Tues-Sunday in Nov. Dec, Jan, Feb, and March; .)

FREE ON SUNDAYS

The Morgan Library and Museum (McKim rooms only free from 4:00 to 6:00 pm)
New York Hall of Science(free from 10:00 to 11:00 am)
Queens Botanical Garden (free all day Tues-Sunday in Nov. Dec, Jan, Feb, and March.)
Studio Museum in Harlem


FREE IN CERTAIN SEASONS (sometimes free)

Brooklyn Botanic Garden (free November through February on weekdays)
Queens Botanical Garden (free all day Tues-Sunday in Nov. Dec, Jan, Feb, and March; also free 3-6pm and Sundays 9-11 am all other months)




SOURCES

• NYCGo.com
• NYC & Company
• tripsavy.com