The Free List / LATE
Friday-night museums in NYC
Choose Whitney for an all-visitor free Friday evening, MoMA if you meet its New York State residency requirement, or the Met for a late visit with paid or eligible pay-what-you-wish admission.
Quick answer
Free means no admission charge for the stated offer. Free with eligibility requires qualifying proof. Pay what you wish is shown separately and can require a payment. Special programs may have their own tickets.
| Museum | Admission | When | Regular evening hours | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Museum of Modern Art | free with eligibility | Friday 5:30pm–8:30pm | Friday 10:30am–8:30pm | required / recommended |
| Whitney Museum of American Art | free | Friday 5pm–10pm; second Sunday 10:30am–6pm | Friday 10:30am–10pm | required / recommended |
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art | pay what you wish | Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday | Friday / Saturday 10am–9pm | required / recommended |
Plan your visit
Midtown / free with eligibility
Museum of Modern Art
11 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019
Uniqlo Free Fridays -- free for NY State residents 5:30-8:30pm
Admission hours: 5:30pm-8:30pm
Tickets and restrictions: NY State ID required. Advance reservation required. Enter through 53rd St entrance.
Official ordinary opening hours · source checked 2026-09-05. Admission windows above may cover only part of the evening.
Official admission source · Tickets / registration · Policy source checked 2026-09-05 · Full venue page
Meatpacking District / free
Whitney Museum of American Art
99 Gansevoort St, New York, NY 10014
Free Friday evenings 5-10pm for all visitors. Free 2nd Sunday of every month. Visitors 25 and under always free.
Admission hours: Fri 5-10pm; 2nd Sun 10:30am-6pm
Tickets and restrictions: Tickets required; capacity is limited. Advance reservations recommended. Friday free admission is for everyone.
Official ordinary opening hours · source checked 2026-09-05. Admission windows above may cover only part of the evening.
Official admission source · Tickets / registration · Policy source checked 2026-09-05 · Full venue page
Upper East Side / pay what you wish
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028
Pay-what-you-wish for NY State residents and students from NY/NJ/CT
Admission hours: Sun-Tue, Thu 10am-5pm; Fri-Sat 10am-9pm; Closed Wed
Tickets and restrictions: NY State residents and NY/NJ/CT students only; minimum $0.01 per ticket. NY billing address required online; NJ/CT students buy in person with student ID. Advance tickets not required.
Official ordinary opening hours · source checked 2026-09-05. Admission windows above may cover only part of the evening.
Official admission source · Tickets / registration · Policy source checked 2026-09-05 · Full venue page
Check the date before you go
Calendar calculated for 2026-09-23. Newest policy check among these museums: 2026-09-05. Policy verification dates appear with each museum and do not change merely because the calendar rebuilds. Holidays, ticket capacity and special closures can override regular hours. This is a curated selection, not a complete list of every NYC museum; see all venues.
Brooklyn Museum First Saturday is an event program with no next date currently announced. Guggenheim closes at 5:30pm under its published ordinary schedule and is not included as a late-opening museum.