There's no question that New York City has some of the greatest museums in the world. The hard part is deciding which ones to visit. We have profiled some of New York's top museums, breaking down the basic information you need to know (location, hours, museum overview) and answering some other important questions: Are there free days or admission discounts? How much time do I need to see it all? What are the best times to visit? What are the "can't miss" items at this museum? Of course, after you read our New York Museum guide, no doubt you'll want to visit them all! But at least you'll have the vital info you need to avoid the crowds, see the best stuff, and maybe even get in for free!
Museum Regular Entrance Price Special Offers Available Location and Hours Availability | ||||
| American Folk Art Museum |
$ 9 Adults |
Free on Fridays after 5:30pm |
45 West 53rd Street |
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| American Museum of Natural History |
$ 14 Adults |
Entrance fee is a "suggested donation". All exhibits are included with admission. |
Central Park West at 79th Street (212) 769-5000 10:00 - 5:45 Daily |
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| Children's Museum of Manhattan |
$ 9 Adults and Kids |
Discount coupon for $1 off admission and 20% off gift shop purchases. Children under 1 get in free. |
212 West 83rd Street (212) 721-1234 10:00 - 5:00 Tues-Sun |
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| The Jewish Museum |
$ 12 Adults |
Free admission on Saturdays |
1109 Fifth Ave at 92nd Street |
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| Metropolitan Museum Of Art |
$ 20 Adults |
Entrance fee is a "suggested donation". With paid admission you can also get free guided tours, gallery talks, films and lectures. |
1000 Fifth Ave at 82nd St. |
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| Museum of Modern Art |
$ 20 Adults |
Free on Fridays 4pm-8pm. Lectures & Gallery talks free with admission. |
11 West 53rd Street |
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| The Paley Center for Media (formerly the Museum of TV & Radio) |
$ 10 Adults |
No special offers | 25 West 52nd Street |
| American Folk Art Museum About the Museum This museum captures the American experience like no other. America's history and culture is represented through photographs, portraits, sculptures, and drawings, as well as with items like samplers, weathervanes, pottery, and other objects that express creativity in everyday life. Everything from traditional 18th and 19th century art (including Amish and Shaker works) to modern pieces by self-taught artists is on display here. What to Expect The Folk Art Museum's collection of over 4,000 pieces can be easily perused in a couple hours, and since it is conveniently located next to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), you may want to tackle both of them in one go. Free Days and Programs The museum is free every Friday from 5:30pm - 7:30pm. During this time, known as "Free Music Fridays," there is live music in the atrium and food and drinks are offered in the café. Admission is always free for children under 12. The museum also regularly offers selected lectures and programs free of charge. For more information, follow this link: http://www.folkartmuseum.org/default.asp?id=519 The Good Stuff The most recognizable painting in the collection is Ammi Phillips’s "Girl in Red Dress with Cat and Dog". But this museum is probably best known for its spectacular collection of quilts. |
| American Museum of Natural History About the Museum The 45 exhibit halls in this massive four-floor museum include impressive fossil and gem collections, artifacts of cultures throughout the world, the Hall of Human Origins which explores evolution and prehistoric man, the Hall of Reptiles and Amphibians, and numerous detailed dioramas that include life-size models of the world's peoples, birds, mammals, and even a rainforest. Also part of the museum is the Rose Center for Earth and Space, which encompasses the Hayden Planetarium and exhibition halls that give visitors a glimpse into the history and nature of the cosmos. What to Expect The average visitor spends about three hours in the museum, but there is so much to see here that you could easily spend a full day or more exploring its vast collection. The museum also houses an Imax theater, but it costs extra. There are several places to eat in the museum, including a food court, a couple of cafés, and a more upscale dining area. Admission Unfortunately the Natural History museum does not have free days or discounts. The museum asks for a suggested admission, so if you choose to pay less, you may do so at the museum admissions desk. All exhibits are included in the price of admission, so there are no pesky extra charges to see the museum's first-rate special exhibitions. Best Time to Visit The museum gets a lot of school groups, so it is best to visit either first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon if you want to avoid the crowds of kids. Weekends are not significantly more crowded than weekdays. The Good Stuff The Museum of Natural History is most famous for its large dinosaur collection, especially the fearsome T-Rex skeleton. The Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, with its 94’ lifesize model of the blue whale suspended from the ceiling, is a family favorite. And the largest blue sapphire in the world, known as the "Star of India," is also housed in the museum. The planetarium is very popular as well, and you should be sure to get a look at it from the outside -- it is one of New York's most striking modern architectural designs. This museum was recently made even more well-known by the Ben Stiller film Night at the Museum, which takes place here (though only the exterior shots were actually filmed at the museum itself) and features many of its amazing exhibits coming to life. |
| Children's Museum of Manhattan About the Museum The Children's Museum aims to help prepare children for formal education, approach the arts and sciences in such a way as to inspire creative and analytical thinking, and promote healthy lifestyles so as to foster physical, emotional, and environmental well-being. The museum meets these priorities through innovative and interactive exhibitions, as well as with workshops and presentations. What to Expect Children must be accompanied by an adult age 18 or older, and strollers will have to be left at the coat check. No food or beverages are permitted in the museum, but if you and the kids need a snack, there are plenty of places to eat nearby on Broadway or Amsterdam Avenue. Free Programs and Discount Admission We have a special relationship with the Children's Museum that will allow you to get $1 off each admission (for up to four people), plus a 20% discount on merchandise from the museum gift shop. (For this and many more New York City discounts, click here.) Admission to the Children's Museum is free for kids under 1. More than 80 public performances with authentic performers and 3,000 public programs are offered free with admission, connecting children to diverse cultural traditions and the performing arts. Best Time to Visit Get there early in the morning before the school groups start to arrive. The Good Stuff CMOM is more of an educational playground than an actual museum, and both kids and their parents will delight in the ever-changing "exhibits" which bring history alive and make learning fun. Whether it's experiencing an ancient culture by climbing a Trojan horse and translating Greek messages, or stepping into the world of a cartoon favorite in the recent "Dora the Explorer" exhibit, kids of all ages will find learning an adventure at the Children's Museum. |
The Jewish Museum |
| Metropolitan Museum Of Art About the Museum If you visit one museum in New York, this world-class collection is the one you want to see. The two million plus pieces include everything from ancient Greek and Roman statues to Modern Art masterpieces. The European Paintings section is worth its own visit, and you'll never forget the massive displays in the Ancient Near Eastern and Asian Art wings. What to Expect This museum is so colossal that one day is hardly enough to take it all in. So what you want to do when you arrive is grab a map, decide which sections appeal to you most (American Paintings? Arms and Armor? Islamic Art?), and concentrate on those first. If all that culture starts wearing you out, recharge at one of the museum's many dining areas. Free Programs The Met has many programs and events that are free with regular admission to the museum. To see what free movies are coming up, check out this website: http://www.metmuseum.org/events/ev_films.asp. For info on free lectures at the museum, see this page: http://www.metmuseum.org/events/ev_lecture.asp. Gallery talks: http://www.metmuseum.org/events/ev_galtalk.asp. And Guided Tours: http://www.metmuseum.org/events/ev_walktour.asp. The Good Stuff Look out for the stunning Rembrandts and Monets, Leutze's iconic "Washington Crossing the Delaware," and Vermeer's "Young Woman with a Water Pitcher." But famous paintings aren't all that the Met has to offer -- history becomes interactive in the Sackler Wing, which contains the reassembled ancient Egyptian Temple of Dendur, a favorite of kids and adults alike. |
| Museum of Modern Art About the Museum This museum, known to New York locals as MoMA, is itself a noteworthy object as it was the first museum to devote itself entirely to works of the Modern Era (i.e. the late 19th century to the present). The collection, which is about 150,000 strong, includes modern and contemporary art in the form of paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, architecture, film, media, and much more. What to Expect With four floors of galleries, and yet another floor for special exhibits, this is another one of those big museums. There is also a lovely scultpture garden outside, and the museum houses two theaters where films are screened daily. MoMA is also the rare museum that boasts its own 3-star restaurant, Danny Meyer's The Modern (which is open beyond the museum's regular hours). But if that's a little high-tone for your taste, there are also two cafés and an espresso bar. Free Days Admission is free on Friday evenings 4pm - 8pm. Oftentimes, a massive line forms outside the museum prior to the magic hour, but don't be put off by it -- MoMA's friendly staff manages to get everybody inside pretty quickly. Admission is always free for children under 12. The museum sponsors occasional lectures and gallery talks that are free with admission, and tickets to the museum's movie theaters may be obtained for same-day screenings at no charge by presenting your admission ticket stub at the Film and Media Desk. The Good Stuff The collection features works by such innovators as Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollack, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol. Even those who claim not to like modern art may be happy to find Monet and Cezanne on the walls here. Notable works include Van Gogh's "Starry Night" and Jasper Johns' "Flag". |
The Paley Center for Media |
