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Visit the Bronx Children's Museum during its weekly free hours. Photo by Jody Mercier 

NYC Children's Museums, Zoos, and Gardens Offering Free Museum Days

The Bronx Zoo – General admission is free on Wednesdays, but reservations are required. The Wednesday Ticket Store opens at 5pm on Mondays. Total Experience activities cost extra.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden – Winter Weekdays (December through February) are pay-what-you-can. Children 11 and under are always free.

Brooklyn Children's Museum – Free hours on are held on Thursday afternoons from 2pm-5pm. Reservations should be booked in advance.

Bronx Children's Museum – Free admission is offered to all visitors during its special opening period. Reservations must be booked in advance.

The Jewish Museum – Saturday admission is free. Timed-entry reservations are recommended.

Museum of the Moving Image – Free admission is offered on Thursdays from 2pm-6pm. Timed-entry tickets are recommended.

New York Aquarium – Pay-what-you-wish Wednesday afternoons from 3pm to last entry, which varies by season. Reservations are required and the Wednesday Ticket Store opens at 3pm Monday.

New York Botanical Garden – Free grounds admission for NYC residents all day Wednesdays. Book timed-entry tickets in advance.

New-York Historical Society – Pay-what-you-wish Fridays from 6-8pm. Admission to the on-site DiMenna Children's History Museum is included. Purchase timed-entry tickets in advance.

NYSCI – Free admission on Fridays from 2-5pm. Reserve tickets online in advance beginning Thursday mornings at 9am.

Queens Botanical Garden – Free admission daily from November through March.

Staten Island Zoo – Free on Wednesdays after 2pm. Timed-entry tickets are recommended.

Wave Hill – Admission is free all day on Thursdays. The garden also hosts special free arts events throughout the year. Check the calendar for more info.

RELATED: Best Children's Museums in NYC for Families to Visit

Make a donation of your choice at the American Museum of Natural History. Photo by Jody Mercier

Museums in NYC with Suggested Admission

American Museum of Natural History – Pay-what-you-wish general admission is available to residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, but timed-entry reservations must be booked in advance. Special exhibitions require paying full price.

Brooklyn Museum – General admission prices are suggested; pay what you wish. For special exhibitions, you must pay the full price, which also includes general admission. Timed-entry reservations are recommended. Admission is free during its First Saturdays programs.

The Cloisters – Pay-what-you-wish admission is offered for New York state residents as well as New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut students.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art – Pay-what-you-wish for New York state residents as well as New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut students.

​MoMA PS1 – NYC residents can enter for free; it's pay-what-you-wish for all other visitors.

El Museo del Barrio – Timed-entry tickets are recommended. Admission is pay-what-you-wish.

Museum at Eldridge Street – Pay-what-you-wish admission is offered on Mondays and Fridays.

Museum of the City of New York – Pay-what-you-wish at all times when you purchase tickets in person. Everyone under the age of 20 is free at all times.

Staten Island Museum – Timed-entry reservations are recommended.

NYC Museums with Free Admission Hours at All Times

American Folk Art Museum – Timed-entry reservations are encouraged.

The Bronx Museum – Timed-entry reservations are recommended.

The Museum at FIT

National Museum of the American Indian

SculptureCenter

The Skyscraper Museum – Museum admission is free through February 2023; timed-entry tickets are required.

Socrates Sculpture Park

Queens County Farm Museum – The museum does charge admission fees during large, public events.

Queens Museum – Timed-entry reservations are required.

RELATED: Museum Birthday Party Places in NYC: 10 Celebration-Worthy Culture Spots

Kids can contemplate larger-than-life sculptures at the Noguchi Museum for free. Photo by Jody Mercier

Grown-up Museums with Free Admission Hours

9/11 Memorial and Museum – Free on Mondays from 3:30pm to close; reservations are available on Monday mornings beginning at 7am.

Cooper-Hewitt Museum – Free admission daily from 5-6pm. 

The Frick Collection – Pay-what-you-wish admission on Thursdays from 4-6pm. 

Guggenheim Museum – Pay-what-you-wish on select Saturdays from 6-8pm. Timed-entry tickets are encouraged. Children under 12 are always free.

The Morgan Library & Museum – Free on Fridays from 5-7pm. Children 12 and under are free. Reservations are required.

The Noguchi Museum – Free on the first Friday of every month from 11am-6pm, with reservations released two weeks prior at noon. Children under 12 are free as are all NYC public school students. Advance tickets are required.

The Rubin Museum – Free on Friday nights from 6-10pm. Children ages 12 and younger are always free. Timed-entry tickets are recommended.

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Whitney Museum – Pay-what-you-wish Fridays from 7-10pm. Children under 18 are always free. Advance tickets are required.

This article was first published in September 2012; it has been updated for 2023.