NYC is full of great museums for kids– and I’m not only talking about the museums that are especially FOR kids like the Children’s Museum–I’ve got a list of great kid-friendly FREE museums in NYC!
There are many museums in NYC that kids will enjoy, and more importantly, where they will learn a lot– museum outings are perfect for hot summer days (Hello AC!) and also to keep the learning going during the summer months, though in a less structured way than in the classroom. While museums can be pricey, there are many ways to see museums for FREE in NYC!
Here’s a list FREE museums in NYC that kids and adults will love:
American Museum of Natural History (open M-F 10 AM-5:45 PM) – Suggested admission is $22 for adults/ $12.50 for children but you can pay less than the suggested amount if you purchase your ticket at the museum counter
Brooklyn Children’s Museum – Free Thursdays 2-6 PM
Children Museum of Art (CMA) – Pay as you wish every Thursday 4-6 PM
Children’s Museum of Manhattan – Free on the first Friday of every month from 5-8 PM
The Jewish Museum is free to all on Saturdays, pay what you wish on Thursdays from 5-8 pm and children under 18 are always free! There is a small (but very cute) children’s section.
Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) – (open M-Th 10 AM-5:30 PM and F-Su 10 AM-9 PM) – Suggested admission is $25 for adults but you can pay less than the suggested amount if you purchase your ticket at the museum counter.
Museum of the City of New York – Children and teens are always free!
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) – Free every Friday 4-8 PM. Children under 16 years old are always free
Museo del Barrio– Celebrate Latino culture at the Museo del Barrio!
Free for kids 12 and under
Free for Seniors on Wednesdays
Free every third Saturday of the month for Super Sábado
*SPECIAL 2×1 OFFER*
With your admission to El Museo del Barrio, you can gain FREE entrance to the Museum of the City of New York.
Museum of the Moving Image – Located in Astoria, NY it features a history of TV and movies. It is free every Friday 4-8 PM
National Museum of the American Indian (always free)
New York Hall of Science – Free every Friday 2-5 PM and Saturdays 10-11 AM
New York Historical Society – Admission is pay-as-you-wish from 6-8 pm on Fridays, free for kids under 4.
PS the Children’s Museum portion on the lower level is super cute! AND there is a Mo Willems exhibition on display until Sept. 25th, as well as Spanish language programming for kids once a month.
Whitney Museum of American Art – Pay what you wish on Fridays 7-10 PM – children under 18 years old always free
There is another way to get free admission to some cultural institutions in NYC– sign up for the NYC ID card => Click here for more info on how to get ID NYC.
What’s your favorite museum for kids in NYC?
Share with us below!
