Unofficial visitor guide · New York
New York museums: free hours and closing days
Several New York museums have free evenings or pay-what-you-wish hours, though some apply only to New York State residents. The Met closes on Wednesdays, and the Whitney, the Frick and the Neue Galerie on Tuesdays. Each museum's own page is linked.
An independent visitor page: we are not affiliated with any of these museums.
Free and pay-what-you-wish hours
Free means free for everyone in that time slot. Pay what you wish means you choose the price, often only for New York State residents.
| Museum | Free hours |
|---|---|
| MoMA Free on Fridays 17:30–20:30 for New York State residents | Free |
| Whitney Museum of American Art Free on Fridays 17:00–22:00 and on second Sundays, with a free ticket | Free |
| Frick Collection Free on First Fridays (not in January or September); pay what you wish on Wednesdays 13:30–17:30 | Free |
| Neue Galerie Free on First Fridays 17:00–20:00 | Free |
| 9/11 Memorial & Museum Museum free on Mondays 17:30–19:00; timed tickets | Free |
| The Met Fifth Avenue Pay what you wish (at least 1 cent) for New York State residents and NY, NJ and CT students | Not free |
| American Museum of Natural History Pay what you wish for New York State residents (general admission) | Not free |
| Guggenheim Museum Pay what you wish on Tuesdays and Sundays 16:00–17:30 (at least $1) | Not free |
| Brooklyn Museum Pay what you can at the admissions desk | Not free |
moma.org · whitney.org · whitney.org: free admission · frick.org · neuegalerie.org · 911memorial.org · metmuseum.org · amnh.org · guggenheim.org · brooklynmuseum.org
Which New York museums close on Tuesday or Wednesday?
The Met Fifth Avenue and the Met Cloisters close on Wednesdays; the Whitney, the Frick and the Neue Galerie on Tuesdays; the Brooklyn Museum on Mondays and Tuesdays. MoMA, the American Museum of Natural History and the Guggenheim open every day.
| Museum | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Met Fifth Avenue Until 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays | Monday: open | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: closed | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| The Met Cloisters | Monday: open | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: closed | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| MoMA Until 20:30 on Fridays | Monday: open | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| American Museum of Natural History | Monday: open | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| Guggenheim Museum | Monday: open | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| Whitney Museum of American Art Until 22:00 on Fridays | Monday: open | Tuesday: closed | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| Frick Collection | Monday: open | Tuesday: closed | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| Neue Galerie Galleries closed until 12 November 2026 | Monday: open | Tuesday: closed | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| Brooklyn Museum | Monday: closed | Tuesday: closed | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| 9/11 Memorial & Museum Museum closed on most Tuesdays; open every Tuesday in December 2026 | Monday: open | Tuesday: part of the day | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| Tenement Museum Guided tours only | Monday: open | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
✓ open · ✕ closed · ½ open part of the day. Public holidays can differ; see below.
metmuseum.org · metmuseum.org · moma.org · amnh.org · guggenheim.org · whitney.org · frick.org · neuegalerie.org · brooklynmuseum.org · 911memorial.org · tenement.org
Christmas and New Year
The Met, MoMA, the American Museum of Natural History, the Guggenheim, the Brooklyn Museum and the Neue Galerie close on Thanksgiving (26 November 2026) and 25 December. The Met, the Brooklyn Museum and the Neue Galerie are also closed on 1 January.
metmuseum.org · moma.org · amnh.org · guggenheim.org · brooklynmuseum.org · neuegalerie.org
Is there an official audio guide in your language?
| Museum | Audio guide languages | Price |
|---|---|---|
| The Met Fifth Avenue | Yes | 1 language · Free |
| Guggenheim Museum | Yes | 6 languages · — |
| Whitney Museum of American Art | Yes | 2 languages · Free |
| Neue Galerie | Yes | 1 language · Free |
| 9/11 Memorial & Museum | Yes | 8 languages · $11 |
guggenheim.org: Digital Guide · whitney.org: FAQ · whitney.org: Visit · whitney.org: Audio guides (Spanish) · neuegalerie.org: Visitor policies · neuegalerie.org: Digital guide · 911memorial.org: Audio Guide
Questions visitors ask
Which New York museums are free?
At set times: the Whitney is free for everyone on Fridays 17:00–22:00 and on second Sundays, the Frick and the Neue Galerie on First Fridays, and the 9/11 Museum on Mondays 17:30–19:00. MoMA is free on Fridays 17:30–20:30 for New York State residents, and the Guggenheim is pay what you wish on Tuesdays and Sundays 16:00–17:30. moma.org · whitney.org · frick.org · neuegalerie.org · 911memorial.org · guggenheim.org
Is The Met pay what you wish?
Only for New York State residents and for students from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, who pay what they wish, at least 1 cent; New Jersey and Connecticut students must buy in person. Everyone else pays the general admission price, which also covers The Met Cloisters on the same day. metmuseum.org
Which New York museums are closed on Tuesday?
The Whitney, the Frick Collection and the Neue Galerie close on Tuesdays, the Brooklyn Museum on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the 9/11 Museum on most Tuesdays. The Met is open on Tuesdays but closed on Wednesdays. whitney.org · frick.org · neuegalerie.org · brooklynmuseum.org · metmuseum.org
Can I take photos in New York museums?
At The Met and the American Museum of Natural History you can take photos for personal use. The Frick Collection allows photos only in the Garden Court, and the Neue Galerie does not allow photos in its galleries. metmuseum.org · amnh.org · frick.org · neuegalerie.org
Checked against the museums' own pages on 21 October 2026.
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