When you were a kid going to museums was great, you either got in for
free or your parents would pick up the tab. Plus, your mom would pack you
your favorite
sandwich, with the crust cut off and everything. Now, as "grown ups," going to a museum has become quite a costly venture. A day at the MoMA or the Gugenheim can cost almost as much as your weekly Metro Card. And then you either need to brown bag it or spend an arm and a leg for your museum cafeteria lunch, that leaves much to be desired. The good news is the guide below can get you into a different museum every day of the week for free (or at least under five bucks). The bad news, I can’t help you on the lunch tip, your either going to have to cut your own crust off, or sell your soul to the lady at the museum café.
Brooklyn
Botanic Garden
"
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has come to represent today the very best in urban
gardening and horticultural display. More than 12,000 kinds of plants from
all over the world are displayed on 52 acres and in the acclaimed Steinhardt
Conservatory." On those days where you feel like the city is closing in on
you, this is the perfect escape.
Hours: (Oct. -Mar.) Tues. - Fri. 8:00am - 4:30pm, Sat. -
Sun. 10:00am - 4:30pm, | (Apr. - Sept.) Tues. - Fri. 8:00am - 6:00pm, Sat.
- Sun.10:00am - 6:00pm, Closed Mon.
Location: 1000 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn
Free: Tuesdays and Saturday before 12:00pm
Regular Admission: Adults $5, Seniors and Students $3
Brooklyn
Museum
" The Brooklyn Museum is the second-largest art museum in New York City and one
of the largest in the country. Its world-renowned permanent collections include
more than one million objects, from ancient Egyptian masterpieces to contemporary
art, and represent a wide range of cultures."
Hours: Sun. 11:00am - 6:00pm, Wed. - Fri. 10:00am - 5:00pm,
First Sat. of the month 11:00am - 11:00pm, Closed Mon. - Tues.
Location: 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn
Free: First Saturday of every month
Regular Admission: Suggested Donation, Adults $8, Seniors
and Students $4
Bronx
Museum of Art
"
The Bronx Museum works as a catalyst for ideas and change, encouraging the
production of engaging and transformational art experiences with the goal of
connecting the viewer’s own everyday experience within specific areas in contemporary
culture"
Hours: Wed. 12:00pm - 9:00pm, Thurs. - Sun. 12:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: 1040 Grand Concourse at 165th St, Bronx
Free: Wednesdays
Regular Admission: Adults $5, Students and Seniors $3
The
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
Described as a “virtual cornucopia of decorative and design arts in Andrew Carnegie's
Upper East Side mansion,” the Copper-Hewitt looks at work ranging from every
day items like furniture, computers and toothbrushes to complicated architecture
and graphic design.
Hours: Sun. 12:00pm - 5:00pm, Tues. 10:00am - 9:00pm, Wed.
- Sat. 10:00am - 5:00pm, Closed Mon.
Location: 2 East 91st St. (on 5th Ave)
Free: Tuesdays, 5:00pm - 9:00pm
Regular Admission: Adults $8, Seniors and students $5
Fashion
Institute of Technology Museum
" The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology is the repository for one
of the world's most important collections of costume and textiles, with particular
strength in 20th-century fashion. Dedicated to the documentation of fashion
and style as manifested at all levels of society, the museum interprets fashion
and design - from magnificent Balenciagas to sturdy denim - within social
and cultural contexts."
Hours: Tues. - Fri. 12:00pm - 8:00pm, Sat. 10:00am - 5:00pm,
Closed Sun. and Mon.
Location: 27th St and 7th Ave
Free: Always
The
Jewish Museum
"Over the past 100 years, the Museum has assumed its role as a major cultural
institution for New York City and the world. The Jewish Museum is an art museum
exploring Jewish culture.”
Hours: Sun. - Wed. 11:00am-5:45pm, Thurs. 11:00am-8:00pm,
Fri. 11:00am- 3:00pm
Location: 1109 Fifth Ave at 92nd St
Free: Thursdays, 5:00pm - 8:00pm (pay what you wish)
Regular Admission: Adults $10, Students and
Seniors $7.50, Children under 12 Free
Museum
of Art and Design
Also known as the American Craft Museum, visitors will find familiar things
like baskets, chairs, teapots created from clay, fiber, glass, metal, wood, and
other exotic materials exemplifying the vibrant diversity and richness of contemporary
creativity in craft.
Hours: Fri. - Wed. 10:00am - 6:00pm, Thurs. 10:00am - 8:00pm
Location: 40 West 53rd St
Free: Thursdays, 6:00pm - 8:00pm (pay what you wish)
Regular Admission: Adults $9, Students and Seniors $6
Museum
of Modern Art
“From an initial gift of eight prints and one drawing, The Museum of Modern
Art's collection has grown to include more than 100,000 paintings, sculptures,
drawings, prints, photographs, architectural models and drawings, and design
objects. MoMA also owns some 14,000 films and four million film stills, as
well as 140,000 books, artist books, and periodicals, all part of the Museum's
library.”
Hours: Sat. - Tues. 10:30am – 5:45pm, Thurs. 10:30am – 5:45pm,
Fri. 10:30am–8:15pm, Closed Wed.
Location: 11 West 53rd Street, btw. 5th and 6th Avenue
Free: Fridays, 4:00pm - 8:00pm (pay what you wish)
Regular Admission: Adults $20, Seniors $16, Students (with
valid id) $12, Children (16 and under) Free
Museum
of the Moving Image
"The Museum of the Moving Image is dedicated to educating the public about
the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital
media
and to examining their impact on culture and society."
Hours: Wed. - Thurs. 12:00pm - 5:00pm, Fri. 12:00pm - 8:00pm,
Sat. - Sun. 11:00am - 6:30pm
Location: 35 Avenue at 36 Street, Queens
Free: Fridays, 4:00pm - 8:00pm
Regular Admission: Adults $10, Students and Seniors
$7.50
National Museum of the American Indian
“The
Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian is dedicated to the preservation,
study, and exhibition of the life, languages, literature, history, and arts
of Native Americans.” (editor's
note: this is one of my favorite museums in the city)
Hours: 10:00am - 5:00pm daily, Thurs. to 8:00pm
Location: One
Bowling Green
Free: Alway
Wavehill
"A non-profit cultural institution located on 28 acres in the northwest Bronx,
Wave Hill is dedicated to exploring the interaction between human beings
and the natural environment...Wave Hill maintains award-winning gardens and greenhouses;
manages an urban woodland and provides environmental education."
Hours: Apr. 15 - Oct. 14, 9:00am - 5:30pm daily| June - July,
9:00pm - 5:30pm daily, Wed. until 9:00pm | Oct 15 - Apr. 14, 9:00am - 4:30pm
| Always Closed Monday
Location: West 249th St. and Independence Ave, Bronx
Free: Tuesdays (all day) and Saturday (before 12:00pm)
Regular Admission: $4 adults, Students and Seniors $2
**Continue to check back as FreeNYC will continue to update you with information
on how to get into museums with out breaking the bank**
