Free museum days, pay-what-you-wish nights and always-free galleries in New York City, from the big Manhattan institutions to borough favorites. Every listing below is checked against the museum’s own page, and the list refreshes on its own as new free days are announced.

27 verified listings right now. Updated automatically.

Starts in 7h 25m

Daily · 5 PM–6 PM

68°F · Sunny

✓ Verified Oct 27, 2026

Why this place: Free · pay what you wish · repeats, so you can go another time · at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Manhattan · official listing on cooperhewitt.org · checked Oct 27

Arts & culture

Cooper Hewitt Pay What You Wish hour

📍 Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum · Upper East Side, Manhattan

Pay what you wish 5–6 PM daily; 18 & under free anytime

Starts in 1d 22h

Every Sat · 8 AM–3 PM

48°F · Sunny

✓ Verified Oct 25, 2026

Why this place: Free to enter · repeats, so you can go another time · at MoMA PS1, Long Island City, Queens · official listing on grownyc.org · checked Oct 25

Farmers markets

Greenmarket at MoMA PS1

📍 MoMA PS1, Long Island City · Long Island City, Queens

Free to walk in · produce is paid

Starts in 2d 1h

SAT, OCT 31 · 11 AM–8 PM

56°F · Sunny

✓ Verified Oct 26, 2026

Why this place: Free to enter · kid-friendly · at South Street Seaport, Manhattan · official listing on theseaport.nyc · checked Oct 26

Family & kids

Halloween at the Seaport: Trick-or-Treating, Free Museum Day & Dog Costume Contest

📍 South Street Seaport · Seaport, Manhattan

Free museum admission and trick-or-treating; no ticket listed for the Haunted Fish Market

Starts in 3d 2h

SUN, NOV 1 · 11 AM–3 PM

59°F · Mostly Sunny

✓ Verified Oct 26, 2026

Why this place: Free · kid-friendly · at Queens Botanical Garden Compost Yard, Queens · official listing on queensbotanical.org · checked Oct 26

Family & kids

Pumpkin Smash at Queens Botanical Garden

📍 Queens Botanical Garden Compost Yard · Flushing, Queens

Free if you bring your own pumpkin

Questions

How many listings are in this guide?

27 verified listings right now. Updated automatically.

How are these listings checked?

Every listing links to the organizer's own page: the venue, the city agency or park, or the official ticket or RSVP page. We don't copy listings from other event sites.