New York City Museum Discount Tickets and Reduced Priced Admission
New York City Museums. Discount ticket offers Guide to New York city Museum Discounts – featuring admission offers and other ticket discounts
Guide to getting into the best museums in New York City for a discount price
There’s no question that New York City has some of the greatest museums in the world. The hard part is deciding which ones to visit. After all, in NYC, there are art museums, museums that capture history and the wonders of science, museums for kids, and even museums that celebrate television and media. If you’re one of those people who think of museums as being stuffy places full of boring artifacts, think again! Curators are always coming up with fascinating new exhibits that prove museums can be sources of both education and entertainment. We have profiled some of New York’s top museums, breaking down the basic information you need to know (e.g. location, hours, museum overview) and answering some other important questions.
NYC MUSEUMS
American Folk Art Museum
45 West 53rd Street
between 5th and 6th ave
(212) 265-1040
About the Museum
This museum captures the American experience like no other. America’s history and culture is represented through photographs, portraits, sculptures, and drawings, as well as with items like samplers, weathervanes, pottery, and other objects that express creativity in everyday life. Everything from traditional 18th and 19th century art (including Amish and Shaker works) to modern pieces by self-taught artists is on display here.
What to Expect
The Folk Art Museum’s collection of over 4,000 pieces can be easily perused in a couple hours, and since it is conveniently located next to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), you may want to tackle both of them in one go.
Free Days and Programs
The museum is free every Friday from 5:30pm – 7:30pm. During this time, known as “Free Music Fridays,” there is live music in the atrium and food and drinks are offered in the café. Admission is always free for children under 12. The museum also regularly offers selected lectures and programs free of charge.
The Good Stuff
The most recognizable painting in the collection is Ammi Phillips’s “Girl in Red Dress with Cat and Dog”. But this museum is probably best known for its spectacular collection of quilts.
American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West at 79th Street
(212) 769-5000
About the Museum
The 45 exhibit halls in this massive four-floor museum include impressive fossil and gem collections, artifacts of cultures throughout the world, the Hall of Human Origins which explores evolution and prehistoric man, the Hall of Reptiles and Amphibians, and numerous detailed dioramas that include life-size models of the world’s peoples, birds, mammals, and even a rainforest. Also part of the museum is the Rose Center for Earth and Space, which encompasses the Hayden Planetarium and exhibition halls that give visitors a glimpse into the history and nature of the cosmos.
What to Expect
The average visitor spends about three hours in the museum, but there is so much to see here that you could easily spend a full day or more exploring its vast collection. The museum also houses an Imax theater, but it costs extra. There are several places to eat in the museum, including a food court, a couple of cafés, and a more upscale dining area.
Admission
Unfortunately the Natural History museum does not have free days or discounts. The museum asks for a suggested admission, so if you choose to pay less, you may do so at the museum admissions desk. All exhibits are included in the price of admission, so there are no pesky extra charges to see the museum’s first-rate special exhibitions.
Best Time to Visit
The museum gets a lot of school groups, so it is best to visit either first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon if you want to avoid the crowds of kids. Weekends are not significantly more crowded than weekdays.
The Good Stuff
The Museum of Natural History is most famous for its large dinosaur collection, especially the fearsome T-Rex skeleton. The Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, with its 94’ life size model of the blue whale suspended from the ceiling, is a family favorite. And the largest blue sapphire in the world, known as the “Star of India,” is also housed in the museum. The planetarium is very popular as well, and you should be sure to get a look at it from the outside — it is one of New York’s most striking modern architectural designs. This museum was recently made even more well-known by the Ben Stiller film Night at the Museum, which takes place here (though only the exterior shots were actually filmed at the museum itself) and features many of its amazing exhibits coming to life.
Children’s Museum of Manhattan
212 West 83rd Street
(212) 721-1234
About the Museum
The Children’s Museum aims to help prepare children for formal education, approach the arts and sciences in such a way as to inspire creative and analytical thinking, and promote healthy lifestyles so as to foster physical, emotional, and environmental well-being. The museum meets these priorities through innovative and interactive exhibitions, as well as with workshops and presentations.
What to Expect
Children must be accompanied by an adult age 18 or older, and strollers will have to be left at the coat check. No food or beverages are permitted in the museum, but if you and the kids need a snack, there are plenty of places to eat nearby on Broadway or Amsterdam Avenue.
Free Programs and Discount Admission
We have a special relationship with the Children’s Museum that will allow you to get $1 off each admission (for up to four people), plus a 20% discount on merchandise from the museum gift shop. (For this and many more New York City discounts, click here.) Admission to the Children’s Museum is free for kids under 1. More than 80 public performances with authentic performers and 3,000 public programs are offered free with admission, connecting children to diverse cultural traditions and the performing arts.
Best Time to Visit
Get there early in the morning before the school groups start to arrive.
The Good Stuff
CMOM is more of an educational playground than an actual museum, and both kids and their parents will delight in the ever-changing “exhibits” which bring history alive and make learning fun. Whether it’s experiencing an ancient culture by climbing a Trojan horse and translating Greek messages, or stepping into the world of a cartoon favorite in the recent “Dora the Explorer” exhibit, kids of all ages will find learning an adventure at the Children’s Museum.
The Jewish Museum
1109 Fifth Ave at 92nd Street
(212) 423-3200null
About the Museum
The 28,000 objects in this museum celebrate some 4,000 years of the Jewish experience, representing many facets of Jewish artistry. Some are significant works by Jewish artists, while others are pieces related to Jewish heritage or depicting Jewish culture. The artwork featured here is in a variety of media (including sculpture, photos, prints, paintings, and ceremonial and decorative art), but it is specifically contemporary art that has been the Jewish Museum’s major focus over the last few decades.
What to Expect
This is one of New York’s more modest-sized museums, so you can probably expect to see most of the collection in about two hours. Bear in mind that in observance of the Sabbath, the shops and the kosher café are closed on Saturday, and no interactive electronics are available then.
Free Days
The museum is free Saturdays from 11:00 am – 5:45pm.
Best Time to Visit
You might want to take advantage of the fact that they are open on Monday and Tuesday, which is when many of the other museums are closed.
The Good Stuff
There are a lot of fascinating items here, some fairly new, and others really, really old — such as a tile mosaic portion of a synagogue wall from the 16th century, a coin collection that includes pieces dating back to the 1st century, and objects of antiquity going back thousands of years. The museum’s National Jewish Archive of Broadcasting division has a treasure trove of Jewish-related programming, including Edward R. Murrow broadcasts reporting on the beginning of Israeli statehood, old Manishewitz wine commercials, and network TV shows ranging from Bridget Loves Bernie to Seinfeld. What’s more, the museum is housed in the old Warburg Mansion, which is an impressive sight itself.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
11 West 53rd Street
(212) 708-9400
About the Museum
If you visit one museum in New York, this world-class collection is the one you want to see. The two million plus pieces include everything from ancient Greek and Roman statues to Modern Art masterpieces. The European Paintings section is worth its own visit, and you’ll never forget the massive displays in the Ancient Near Eastern and Asian Art wings.
What to Expect
This museum is so colossal that one day is hardly enough to take it all in. So what you want to do when you arrive is grab a map, decide which sections appeal to you most (American Paintings? Arms and Armor? Islamic Art?), and concentrate on those first. If all that culture starts wearing you out, recharge at one of the museum’s many dining areas.
The Good Stuff
Look out for the stunning Rembrandts and Monets, Leutze’s iconic “Washington Crossing the Delaware,” and Vermeer’s “Young Woman with a Water Pitcher.” But famous paintings aren’t all that the Met has to offer — history becomes interactive in the Sackler Wing, which contains the reassembled ancient Egyptian Temple of Dendur, a favorite of kids and adults alike.
Museum of Modern Art
11 West 53rd Street
(212) 708-9400
About the Museum
This museum, known to New York locals as MoMA, is itself a noteworthy object as it was the first museum to devote itself entirely to works of the Modern Era (i.e. the late 19th century to the present). The collection, which is about 150,000 strong, includes modern and contemporary art in the form of paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, architecture, film, media, and much more.
What to Expect
With four floors of galleries, and yet another floor for special exhibits, this is another one of those big museums. There is also a lovely sculpture garden outside, and the museum houses two theaters where films are screened daily. MoMA is also the rare museum that boasts its own 3-star restaurant, Danny Meyer’s The Modern (which is open beyond the museum’s regular hours). But if that’s a little high-tone for your taste, there are also two cafés and an espresso bar.
Free Days
Admission is free on Friday evenings 4pm – 8pm. Oftentimes, a massive line forms outside the museum prior to the magic hour, but don’t be put off by it — MoMA’s friendly staff manages to get everybody inside pretty quickly. Admission is always free for children under 12. The museum sponsors occasional lectures and gallery talks that are free with admission, and tickets to the museum’s movie theaters may be obtained for same-day screenings at no charge by presenting your admission ticket stub at the Film and Media Desk.
The Good Stuff
The collection features works by such innovators as Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollack, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol. Even those who claim not to like modern art may be happy to find Monet and Cezanne on the walls here. Notable works include Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” and Jasper Johns’ “Flag”.
The Paley Center for Media
25 West 52nd Street
(212) 621-6600
About the Museum
At The Paley Center, you have access to an international collection of more than 140,000 programs covering almost 100 years of television and radio history, including news, documentaries, performing arts programs, children’s shows, sporting events, comedy and variety shows, and even commercials. Though the Paley’s collection does not include actual artifacts, the museum does occasionally host gallery exhibits that showcase pieces related to the history of TV and radio.
What to Expect
Formerly known as the Museum of Television & Radio, the Paley is perhaps New York City’s most unusual museum. When you first arrive, you sit at a computer and search through the museum archives for material that you would like to watch or listen to. After making your choices, you then proceed to a viewing station where you’re invited to watch and listen (with headsets) to the programs you have chosen. (Up to four people can sit at one console.)
Special Programs
The Paley holds regular screenings of material from the collection in their theaters. One of the museum’s most interesting ongoing programs is a series called Media as Lens which brings together writers, directors, producers, actors, and journalists from many disciplines for panel discussions on subjects such as the creative process behind a particular TV show or current trends in popular culture.
The Good Stuff
Here you can see or hear the original footage of iconic media events, but the Paley is a true delight for people looking for more specific, hard-to-find material. Perhaps you’ve been dying to once more see a short-lived TV show from the ’80s, an old PBS documentary, or a miniseries that you didn’t catch the ending to — they might have them here. Or just type a few keywords describing your interests (NASCAR? The Beatles? World War II?) into the computer search engine, and see what TV treats are revealed. If you’re looking for something specific, you can e-mail LAreference@paleycenter.org in advance to see if they have it in their archives.