How to visit your favorite NYC galleries and museums for free. Read the Outpost Club blog!

When you live in New York, getting to see all the galleries and museums you want can be expensive. But with a little know-how, you can enter many of your favorite museums for free. All you need is good timing (or a library card)... 

Photo: Kristian D. Yelp

The Frick

The Frick is a historic New York City mansion with a range of original artworks, including pieces by Rembrandt and Hans Holbein, inside. The Frick offers 'pay what you wish' entry on Wednesdays, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. You have to be in line by 5 p.m. to take advantage of the offer, but if you make it in time for 5, you're guaranteed admission. 

But if you don’t have Wednesday off work, “First Fridays” at the Frick is the perfect way to round off your Friday afternoon. On the first Friday of every month, the Frick opens its doors free to the public. And there’s more than just art on offer; you’ll also find live jazz music playing beside the fountain in the courtyard, as well as snacks and free drawing supplies, so you can try your hand at replicating the works of art (or your friends). Just make sure you arrive early, as admission starts at 6 p.m., but the line starts building up at 5 p.m or earlier.

The MET

The MET is expensive, but what most people don’t know is that you can “pay what you wish” if you’re a New York State resident--and as an Outpost member, you are! Just go to the Museum admissions desk with a valid ID and present your membership agreement as proof of address and enjoy this museum for nearly free. 

The MET also runs “Met Fridays” every Friday, with performances, classes and other entertainment until 9 p.m, all included with your museum ticket. The full event schedule can be found here. The MET has a beautiful roof terrace which comes alive on Friday evenings, making it the perfect location to watch the sunset with a cultural twist.

Photo: Guggenheim.org 

The Guggenheim

The Guggenheim is a masterpiece of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural talent, and inside isn’t half bad either. The Guggenheim is free on Saturdays, from 5 - 8 p.m., where you can enjoy the Impressionist, Early Modern and Contemporary artwork without burning a hole in your pocket. If you are able to shell out for admission, the gallery stays open later on Tuesdays with drinks, film screenings, talks, refreshments and of course art, until 9 p.m. Plus, until December, on the first Tuesday of every month the Guggenheim will host “Silent Nights,” where you can experience the gallery in “a uniquely contemplative atmosphere,” including dimmed lights and sweet silence in the rotunda as well as the galleries.

MoMa

The Museum of Modern Art, one of the most famous and prestigious modern art museums in the world, is free every Friday from 4 - 8 p.m. However, it’s currently closed and won’t reopen again until October 2019 (but it’s certainly worth the wait!). 

And some lesser known galleries and museums we love

Photo: Themorgan.org

The Morgan Library & Museum

The Morgan is the private collection of J. Pierpont Morgan (of J. P Morgan), consisting of rare books, as well as exquisite manuscripts, drawings and other artifacts. The building itself is an architectural marvel, a Neoclassical masterpiece just waiting to be explored. The Morgan is free on Fridays from 7 - 9 p.m.

Neue Gallery

The Neue Gallery is famous as the home of Gustav Klimt’s painting, The Kiss. Aside from that, it houses the best German and Austrian art in New York City. The museum is free on the first Friday of every month from 6 - 9 p.m and for a limited time (through September 2, 2019) guests can enter at all times for half price.

Photo: Neuegallery.org 

The Bronx Zoo

The Bronx Zoo is the world’s largest metropolitan zoo, home to over 6,000 animals. The acres and acres of greenery will make you feel like you’re in the middle of the countryside and you can enjoy it all for free all day, every Wednesday.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Entry to the beautiful Brooklyn Botanic Garden is free on Friday mornings until 12 p.m from March through November. During the winter months (December through February) it’s free every weekday, so if you can bear the breeziness, that’s your time to go.

Photo: Publicgardens.org

Bonus tips

If you have a New York Library card  you can sign up for a NYC Culture Pass. These passes are one-time reservations that offer you and a friend free entry to a wide list of museums, including those listed above, such as The Guggenheim, Frick, MET, Morgan, and even The Whitney, so it’s ideal for those who can’t make the trip at the free times listed here. If you’re staying in the city for a while, sign up for an IDNYC ID card and get free membership to a wide variety of cultural institutions, including the Met, MoMa and more (and of course, membership means free entry). Find details and sign up here. 

If you can’t or don’t want to get either of these cards, Bank of America customers also get free entry to a list of NYC museums on the first full weekend of every month. Find the list of included museums here.