The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC was named the top museum in the world by TripAdvisor. And it is completely free. In fact, there are several branches of the museum, including the Cloisters uptown, which are gorgeous, and they are all free! How is this possible you ask, it says it costs $25 per person.
All NY museums funded by the city are only able to request a suggested donation. There is a whole list of suggested amounts for various age groups, and many people, especially tourists, assume that they are required to pay these amounts. They are not, you can give anything you want, or nothing at all. Of course it is an amazing place requiring millions of dollars in upkeep, so I hope you will contribute!
The same holds true for the American Museum of Natural History. They receive city funding, so entry cost is your choice. Did I mention my son exhibited his 6th grade science project there?
Tickets at a suggested price are only available at each venue’s ticket counter, on-site. Any purchases in advance require the full suggested donation amounts.
Unfortunately, MOMA, the Museum of Modern Art, does not participate. So before you spend $25 a person, make sure the kids understand you are staying all day to get your money’s worth!
UPDATE! The Metropolitan Museum of Art just announced that as of March 1, 2018, anyone without a NYS ID will have to pay the suggested amounts! Students from NJ and CT are exempt.
Also, nationwide, there are free general admissions to be had, thanks to Bank of America:
This coming weekend get free general admission to more than 150 museums nationwide with the Museums on UsĀ® program. Just present your Bank of America credit or debit card, along with your photo ID.
Find a location near you! I have a Bank of America credit card that I haven’t used in 3 years. But I can use it to gain free admission the first full weekend of every month to many great museums in this country!
Find a list of participating museums!
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Laura Collins says
Need to check this out
Nicole says
I love using the B of A free entries. We have several near me that are free, so my husband and I try to go to those. We also use free passes from our library when possible.