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GUIDE

Free Museums in NYC

Free museum days, free nights and always-free galleries

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.

111 verified listings right now. Updated automatically.

Happening now
WED, NOV 11 · 10 AM–2 PM
58°F · Partly Sunny
✓ Verified Oct 29, 2026
Why this place: Free · at Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park), Staten Island · official listing on nycgovparks.org · checked Oct 29
Tours & walks

Volunteering at Conference House Park - The Blue Wave

📍 Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park) · Conference House Park, Staten Island
Free (NYC Parks event)
Happening now
Every Sun, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat · 10 AM–3:30 PM
61°F · Mostly Sunny
✓ Verified Nov 5, 2026
Why this place: Free · pay what you wish · repeats, so you can go another time · at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn · official listing on bbg.org · checked Nov 5
Outdoors

Brooklyn Botanic Garden daytime pay-what-you-wish (through Jan 15)

📍 Brooklyn Botanic Garden · Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Suggested donation · pay what you wish · Daytime admission pay-what-you-wish through January 15 while Lightscape is installed; evenings are separate paid Lightscape tickets
Happening now
Daily · 10 AM–5 PM
60°F · Partly Sunny
✓ Verified Nov 10, 2026
Why this place: Free · repeats, so you can go another time · at Queens County Farm Museum, Queens · official listing on queensfarm.org · checked Nov 10
Outdoors

Queens County Farm Museum grounds

📍 Queens County Farm Museum · Floral Park, Queens
Free
Happening now
Every Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri · 10 AM–4 PM
59°F · Mostly Sunny
✓ Verified Nov 11, 2026
Why this place: Free · repeats, so you can go another time · at Trailside Nature Museum, Westchester · official listing on parks.westchestercountyny.gov · checked Nov 11
Outdoors

Trailside Nature Museum at Ward Pound Ridge

📍 Trailside Nature Museum · Cross River, Westchester
Free
Starts in 22h 8m
THU, NOV 12 · 10 AM–2 PM
59°F · Light Rain
✓ Verified Oct 29, 2026
Why this place: Free · at Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park), Staten Island · official listing on nycgovparks.org · checked Oct 29
Tours & walks

Volunteering at Conference House Park - The Blue Wave

📍 Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park) · Conference House Park, Staten Island
Free (NYC Parks event)
Starts in 1d 7h
Every Thu · 7 PM–9 PM
54°F · Light Rain
✓ Verified Nov 3, 2026
Why this place: Free · pay what you wish · repeats, so you can go another time · at New Museum, Manhattan · official listing on newmuseum.org · checked Nov 3
Tours & walks

New Museum Pay-What-You-Wish Thursday Nights

📍 New Museum · Manhattan
Suggested donation · pay what you wish · Pay what you wish Thursdays 7–9 PM; advance online reservation required; limited onsite tickets not guaranteed.
Starts in 1d 22h
FRI, NOV 13 · 10 AM–6 PM
46°F · Light Rain
✓ Verified Nov 10, 2026
Why this place: Free · at New York Transit Museum Grand Central Gallery and Store, Manhattan · official listing on nytransitmuseum.org · checked Nov 10
Markets & pop-ups

New York Transit Museum Holiday Train Show 2026

📍 New York Transit Museum Grand Central Gallery and Store · 89 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017, Manhattan
Free
Starts in 2d 23h
SAT, NOV 14 · 11 AM–5 PM
46°F · Partly Sunny
✓ Verified Oct 26, 2026
Why this place: Free · registration required · at The New York Historical, Smith Gallery, Manhattan · official listing on shop.nyhistory.org · checked Oct 26
Markets & pop-ups

Designing Women Market at The New York Historical

📍 The New York Historical, Smith Gallery · Upper West Side, Manhattan
Free market entry (galleries extra)
Sold out
SAT, NOV 14 · 11:30 AM–12:30 PM
47°F · Partly Sunny
✓ Verified Oct 27, 2026
Why this place: Free · registration required · at Queens County Farm Museum, Queens · official listing on queensfarm.org · checked Oct 27
Outdoors

Recycling Holiday Scraps at Queens Farm — sold out

📍 Queens County Farm Museum · Floral Park, Queens
Free · advance registration required · sold out
Starts in 1w 3d
SAT, NOV 21 · 1 PM–3 PM
✓ Verified Nov 2, 2026
Why this place: Free · pay what you wish · at Staten Island Museum at Snug Harbor, Staten Island · official listing on statenislandmuseum.org · checked Nov 2
Community resources

Family History Month: Transcribe-a-thon at the Staten Island Museum

📍 Staten Island Museum at Snug Harbor · Snug Harbor, Staten Island
Suggested donation; pay what you wish
Starts in 3w 4d
SUN, DEC 6 · 12 PM–3 PM
✓ Verified Nov 7, 2026
Why this place: Free · at Hallockville Museum Farm, Long Island · official listing on hallockville.org · checked Nov 7
Markets & pop-ups

Holidays at Hallockville

📍 Hallockville Museum Farm · Riverhead, Long Island
Free

Questions

How many listings are in this guide?

111 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.

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