Free Times to Visit NYC Museums, Gardens, and Zoos
Many of New York City's top museums, zoos, gardens, and cultural institutions offer FREE or reduced admission on certain nights, days, or hours at least once a month—a city perk that no busy, cash-strapped parent should miss out on! Plus, many of the "grown-up" museums let kids in for free year-round.
It can be hard to keep track of when and where these freebies are available, so we've compiled an exhaustive list of reduced or FREE admission days at all of your favorite NYC cultural spots from the Bronx Zoo to the Brooklyn Children's Museum.
As always, you can check our Events Calendar for more budget-friendly kid activities every day or peruse our Free in NYC Guide. Try our Museum Guide or Zoos and Gardens Guide for more on the latest kid-friendly art and exhibitions in NYC. Also, don't forget to put your library card to work for free admission at many of these same places!
Children's Museums, Zoos, and Gardens with Free Times
The Bronx Zoo – General admission is free on Wednesdays. Visitors are asked to donate what they wish to support the zoo's mission. Total Experience activities cost extra.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden – Free 8am-noon on Fridays from March to November. Free on winter weekdays December to February. Children under 12 are always FREE.
Brooklyn Children's Museum – Pay-what-you-wish on Thursday afternoons from 2-6pm and on Sundays from 4-7pm.
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Kids paint at the Children's Museum of the Arts where admission is waived every Thursday afternoon. Photo courtesy of the museum
Children's Museum of the Arts – Pay-what-you-wish Thursdays from 4-6pm.
New York Aquarium – Pay-what-you-wish on Wednesday afternoons from 3-5pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and 3-3:30pm the rest of the year.
New York Botanical Garden – Free grounds admission all day on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9-10am; New York City residents receive free grounds admission at all times with proof of residency. Special exhibits cost extra, but the Everett Children's Adventure Garden is included.
New York Hall of Science – Free admission on Fridays from 2-5pm and Sundays from 10-11am.
New-York Historical Society – Pay-what-you-wish on Fridays from 6-9pm. Admission to the on-site DiMenna Children's History Museum is included. (Tickets fo Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibit, running until the end of January 2019, cost extra.)
Queens Botanical Garden – Free admission daily November through March. Free admission Wednesdays from 3-6pm and Sundays from 9-11am the rest of the year—except on festival days.
Spark by the Brooklyn Children's Museum – Pay-what-you-wish admission on Thursdays from 1-6pm.
The Staten Island Children's Museum – Free admission on Wednesdays from 3-5 for general public; free all day for grandparents.
Staten Island Zoo – Free on Wednesdays after 2pm.
The Sugar Hill Museum is always free for kids under 8. Photo by Jody Mercier
Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling – Admission for children 8 and younger is always free. Everyone enters for free the third Sunday of the month.
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Wave Hill's Enchanted Weekend. Photo by Joshua Bright/courtesy of the museum
Wave Hill – Free Tuesdays and Saturdays from 9am-noon. The garden also hosts special free arts events throughout the year. Check the calendar for more info.
Free Family Programs at Museums
Several museums offer regularly scheduled free programs. In addition to no-cost admission, visitors are treated to special tours and activities. Sometimes these events require tickets (which are free), and they're all either aimed at families or are kid-friendly.
Brooklyn Museum First Saturdays – First Saturday of every month from 5-11pm. Kids age 19 and under are always free.
El Museo del Barrio Super Sábado – Free at all times for children under 12 and for everyone on the third Saturday of every month from 11am-6pm. A visit here also gets you free admission to the Museum of the City of New York, located right across the street.
Museum of Modern Art – General admission is always free for kids age 16 and under and parents can score a free pass on Friday nights from 4-8pm. MoMA also offers multiple free programs for families, including Tours for Fours, A Closer Look for Kids, and Family Films. Tickets are required and distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at the Education and Research Building entrance at 4 West 54th Street.
New Museum First Saturdays for Families – Children under 18 are always free. In addition, on the first Saturday of every month, from 10am-noon, the museum offers free admission for up to three adults per family. On Thursdays from 7-9pm, it's pay-what-you-wish for all visitors.
Museums with Suggested Admission
American Museum of Natural History – Special exhibits and experiences cost extra.
Brooklyn Museum
The Cloisters
MoMA PS1
El Museo del Barrio
The Met Breuer
The Metropolitan Museum of Art —Pay-as-you-wish for New York State residents as well as New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut students.
Museum of the City of New York – Neighbors visit for free anytime.
Queens Museum
SculptureCenter
Staten Island Museum
Museums That Are Always Free
American Folk Art Museum
The Bronx Museum of the Arts
Lehman College Art Gallery – The gallery also hosts educational workshops and family art workshops free of charge.
The Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology
National Museum of the American Indian
Queens County Farm Museum – The museum does charge admission during large, public events.
Grown-Up Museums with Free Hours
9/11 Memorial and Museum – Free on Tuesdays from 5pm to close.
Asia Society Museum – Free on Fridays from 6-9pm, from Labor Day through June. Children under 16 are always free.
Cooper Hewitt Museum – Pay-what-you-wish on Saturdays from 6-9pm. Kids 18 and under are always free.
The Frick Collection – Free on the first Friday of the month from 6pm-9pm; pay-what-you-wish on Wednesdays from 2-6pm. Must be at least 10 years old to visit.
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Take the whole family to the Guggenheim for pay-what-you-wish Saturdays. Photo by Kris McKay
Guggenheim Museum – Pay what you wish Saturdays, 5-7:45pm. Children under 12 are always free.
Historic Richmond Town – Free Fridays. Ages 3 and under are always free.
The Jewish Museum – Free on Saturdays; pay-what-you-wish on Thursdays from 5pm-8pm. Children 18 and under are free.
The Morgan Library & Museum – Free on Fridays from 7-9pm. Children 12 and under are free.
Museum of Arts and Design – Pay what you wish Thursdays from 6-9pm. Children ages 18 and under are free.
Museum of Chinese in America – Free on the first Thursday of each month.
Museum of Jewish Heritage – Pay-what-you-wish on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4-8pm. Ages 12 and under are always free.
Enjoy the MOMA with kids under 16 anytime! Photo by Martin Seck
Museum of Modern Art – Free on Fridays from 5:30-9pm. Ages 16 and under are always free.
Museum of the Moving Image – Free on Fridays from 4-8pm. Children under age 3 are always free.
The Noguchi Museum – Free on the first Friday of every month from 10am-5pm. Children under 12 are free as well as all NYC public school students.
Kids are always FREE at the Whitney Museum. Photo by Shira Kronzon
Whitney Museum – Pay what you wish Fridays from 7-10pm. Children under 18 are always free.
This article first published in September 2012, but is updated frequently. Jody Mercier and Amy Sullivan contributed additional reporting.