NYC Museums
It is possible to see two NYC museums every day for a year and still not cover all of them. The Museums range from the world-renknowned, Museum of Modern Art and American Museum of Natural History, to the more specialized, such as The New York City Police Museum or the Museum of American Finance. Many New York Museums are accessible at no cost.
NYC Insider Tip
Suggested Donation vs. Admission Price
Many NYC Museums are non-profit organizations. Their goal is to make art and culture affordable to everyone. As non-profits, they ask for a "suggested donation" or contribution to access the museum, rather than an admission price. Pay attention when evaluating sightseeing passes, if the "price" is suggested donation or an actual admission cost. Please do donate as these Museums are priceless and the money donated goes back into the NYC Museums, so we can all enjoy them.
Most NYC Museums also offer Free or "Pay-What-You-Wish" days and times. Some are listed below the cheat sheet of NYC Museums and Tours.
NYC Museums -MOMA
Museum of Modern Art
11 W. 53rd St. (5th/6th Aves)
Subway: E, V to 53rd St.–5th Ave.; F to 57th St.;
B, D, F, V to 47th–50th Sts.–Rockefeller Center
Admission - $20, Children under 16 free. Closed on Tuesdays. Plan your day at MOMA using their very cool interactive tool that tells you the best days to go and the best order to do them, based on the things you like.
NYC Insider Ways:
1) MOMA Thursday Nights: see all the museum attractions with an added bonus of live music and cash bar cocktails in the The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden. Summer 2009 music selection showcases Brazil and China. Performances at 5:30 and 7:00 pm. The Garden Cart sells gelato and sorbetto from Il Laboratorio del Gelato and Terrace 5 is open for light refreshments inside the Museum on the fifth floor. Regular NYC Museums admission applies.
2) The Modern - This is not a typical museum cafe. Everything from the food to the atmosphere and scenery is exquisite. The Modern is part of Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, which also owns Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park, Tabla and many other of NYC's top rated restaurants. The dining room overlooks the sculpture garden in the middle of the museum and food itself is practically art. Of all the dining in NYC Museums, this is likely the nicest
3) Target Free Fridays: Like many NYC Museums, MOMA offers free admission every Friday evening from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
NYC Museums - The Met
Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art
1000 Fifth Ave. (at 82nd St)
Manhattan, NY 10028
Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 86th St, walk West from Lex
Suggested Conc tribution: $20; seniors 65 and older, $15; students, $10 (or free); Closed Mondays.
NYC Insider Ways:
1) Friday and Saturday night, 6-8 pm, The Met hosts a classical string quartet above the Great Hall. The atmosphere is magical and it doesn't get more quintessential New York.
The MET Roof Garden Café
You can purchase cocktails and appetizers at the Balcony Bar, and if you get there early enough, grab one of the little tables with candles. You still get to see some beautiful art and no ticket purchase is necessary.
During the summer, make sure to check out the Martini Bar on the Roof Garden Café, an informal, outdoor setting with breathtaking panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline.
Museum Hours
Monday: Closed (Except Holiday Mondays)
Tuesday–Thursday: 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 9:30 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Sunday: 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
NYC Museums - The Guggenheim
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Ave. (89th St)
Manhattan, NY 10128
Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 86th St.
Admission - $18, Closed on Thursdays
NYC Insider Ways:
1) First Fridays at the Guggenheim:What better way to kick off a weekend than with cocktails and the City’s hottest DJs deep in the dramatic swirls of the gorgeous Guggenheim Museum? The galleries to visitors to explore the breathtaking exhibitions of contemporary art in this monumental Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building, $25.
2) Pay-What-You-Wish: Saturday evenings from 5:45–7:45 pm
3) Guggenheim Museum Soho: always free. 575 Broadway (at Prince St). Closed Tues/Wed.
NYC Museums - American Museum of Natural History
Museum of Natural History
Hayden Planetarium
Central Park West (W 79th St.)
Manhattan, NY 10024
Suggested Contribution: $16 (museum only), $9 Children 2-12
Planetarium Ticket Price: $24, $14 children, includes Museum access and contribution. Note: Only the CityPass includes the Planetarium.
Many New Yorkers think this is the best of all the NYC Museums. The Planetarium is well worth the price. Anyone who grew up in NY fondly remembers their class trips and Saturdays with their parents at the Planetarium. Check out the spectacular new Space Show, "Journey to the Stars," narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, that premiered July 4, 2009. Show times approximately every half hour.
NYC Museums
Pay as you wish and Free Days/Times
Download the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Guide
Tuesdays - Free and Discounted NYC Museums
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Morgan Library & Museum, McKim rooms, 3-5pm
Wave Hill, all or 9am to 12pm, depending on time of year
Wednesdays - Free and Discounted NYC Museums
Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, 4 to 8pm
Bronx Zoo, pay-what-you-wish, all proceeds support their animal care work
NY Botanical Garden
Thursdays - Free and Discounted NYC Museums
Museum of Arts and Design (formerly American Craft Museum), 6-9 pm
Children's Museum of the Arts, 4-6pm
New Museum of Contemporary Art, 7-9pm
Fridays - Free and Discounted NYC Museums
Bronx Museum of the Arts
International Center for Photography (ICP), 5-8pm
MOMA, Target Free Fridays, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Morgan Library & Museum, McKim rooms, 7 to 9pm
New-York Historical Society - Pay-what-you-wish 6 to 8 pm
Whitney Museum of American Art - Pay-what-you-wish 6 to 9 pm
Saturdays - Free and Discounted NYC Museums
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 10am-noon
Guggenheim, 5:45-7:45 pm
Jewish Museum, 11:00 am - 5:45 pm
NY Botanical Garden, Free grounds access from 10am-Noon
Wave Hill, 9am to 12pm
Sundays - Free and Discounted NYC Museums
Frick Collection, 11:00-1:00 pm
Studio Museum in Harlem
Morgan Library & Museum, McKim rooms, 4 to 6 pm
Other NYC Museums
Ground Zero Museum Workshop (see my review)
Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum (see my review)
The Paley Center for Media (formerly Museum of Television and Radio)
The New York City Police Museum
The NYPD's tribute to 165 years of service features exhibits on its history and the tools of its trade, including vintage uniforms, squad cars and firearms. More notorious artifacts are also on view, including a gun used by one of Al Capone's minions in the 1928 murder of Frankie Yale. Visitors can participate in a simulated police gunfight, see a model jail cell and a 9/11 memorial.
Museum of the City of New York
Like the rest of New York City, many of our less famous Museums are some of the best kept secrets. Examples include, The Frick Collection, The Morgan Library, The Cooper Hewitt, The New York Historical Society, The Museum of The City of New York and International Center for Photography.
For additional maps and New York City Museums, download the NYC Insider Full Tourism Guide. The New York City Insider Guide (printable version) is an Overview to Manhattan, and offers maps with many New York City Tourist Attractions, helping you plan an efficient New York City Vacation. It is available for immediate download, to provide a feel for the size of NYC, the layout, the neighborhoods, the subway and distances between New York City Tourist Attractions and NYC Museums.
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