New York museums: free entry with the New York Pass®

By Shashia Mitchell

View of the Met in New York
View of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MoMA)

New York is home to over 170 top-notch museums in art, architecture, media, natural history, and technology. With your  New York Pass® in hand, you can visit:

  • The Natural History Museum
  • The Guggenheim Museum
  • Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
  • Van Courtland House Museum
  • The Museum of Sex

and many more.

You'll also enjoy savings of up to 50%, compared to buying individual attraction tickets.  

✈️ Buy The New York Pass® ✈️ 

Arts museums and galleries

🎨 MoMA PS1

Located in Long Island City, the MoMA PS1 is one of the oldest and largest nonprofit contemporary art institutions in the United States. It's family-friendly, engaging, and packed with vibrant events and installations all year round.

🎨 Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

This iconic, world-leading museum of modern art offers a rich program of exhibitions at 11 West 53rd Street. It's filled with permanent collections, special exhibitions, and iconic masterpieces by the likes of Vincent Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and many more.

🎨 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Designed by visionary architect Frank Lloyd Wright and completed in 1959, the Guggenheim Museum is masterpiece of modern architecture, and now part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. Enjoy one of the finest collections of 20th-century art, spanning Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, Early Modern and contemporary works. 

🎨 Whitney Museum of American Art

The Whitney Museum of American Art is the leading institution of American art and culture of our time, housed in a Marcel Breuer-designed building that is a landmark of modern architecture. See works from newer and upcoming artists, and legends like Georgia O'Keeffe, Edward Hopper, Jasper Johns, and Jackson Pollock. 

Media, architecture and design museums

🏛️ Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is the nation’s only museum dedicated to historical and contemporary design, with a collection of over 210,000 design objects spanning thirty centuries.

🏛️The Skyscraper Museum

With the skyline of Lower Manhattan as a backdrop and the panorama of New York harbor at its front door, The Skyscraper Museum occupies a site of breathtaking beauty, and offers a rich history of New York.

🏛️The Paley Center for Media

Here you'll discover some of the most popular and cutting-edge forms of media dating back to the 1920s. Over a two-hour visit, you can see some of the 100,000 radio and TV programs — some showing incredible historical moments like the moon landing.

Great museums for children...

🍭 Staten Island Children's Museum

Founded by a group of parents in 1974, The Staten Island Children's Museum is a place to exercise little minds, bodies, and imaginations at New York's only indoor-outdoor interactive museum. It's located in an 84-acre park, within a historic building on the grounds of Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens.

🔭 The New York Hall of Science

With more than 450 interactive and engaging exhibits, The New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) is New York’s only hands-on science and technology center.  It's dedicated to inclusivity, running programs for children with special needs, and excels at sparking curiosity and learning for all visitors.

🦕 American Museum of Natural History

The American Museum of Natural History is one of the largest and most innovative natural history museums in the world. See the 122-foot-long Titanosaur skeleton, the the Hall of Biodiversity, and explore the Human Origins and Cultural Halls

...and one that's definitely for the adults

🔞Museum of Sex

As the raunchiest museum in New York, the mission of the Museum of Sex is to preserve and present the history, evolution, and cultural significance of human sexuality through exhibitions, experiences, and programs. It's popular and tickets are extremely limited - so book in advance if you're visiting on a weekend, or else visit on a weekday for the best experience.

Social history museums

🏛️Fraunces Tavern

The oldest building in NYC, the Fraunces Tavern® Museum (with bar and restaurant) immerses you in American Revolutionary history, and you can eat and drink in the same space as the Founding Fathers. It's here, in the famous Long Room, where George Washington bade farewell to officers of the Continental Army on December 4th, 1783. It's now a complex of five buildings, with nine galleries.

🪖 Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

Built in 1943, the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid and her crew have a distinguished history of service, including tours of duty in both World War II and Vietnam. Now a floating museum, you can explore the Intrepid, and you can see the space shuttle Enterprise up close, a British Airways Concorde, and submarine Growler. Wander through interactive exhibitions, explore historic artifacts, and discover the history of American innovation and bravery.

🏛️Museum of the City of New York

The essential introduction to New York City, the Museum of the City of New York explores the past, present, and future of New York, through groundbreaking exhibitions that offer a behind-the-scenes look at what gives the city its singular character.

🏛️New York Historical Society

A trip to New York wouldn't be complete without a visit to the New York Historical Society, where four centuries of history, art, and artifacts tell the story of America through the lens of New York.

Cultural and religious museums

🏛️ Museum at Eldridge St.

Rediscovered by an academic in the 1970s and meticulously restored over the following three decades, the museum has been described as “gasp-inducing” by The New York Times. It's housed in the 1887 Eldridge Street Synagogue, now a magnificent National Historic Landmark.

🏛️Museum of Jewish Heritage

Explore the broad tapestry of Jewish life in the 20th and 21st centuries—before, during, and after the Holocaust. The third-largest Holocaust museum in the world, the museum is located on the southernmost tip of Manhattan, rounding out the cultural and educational landscape it shares with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Visit New York museums for free with The New York Pass®

Man walking through art gallery

With The New York Pass®, you can explore not just the museums, but also the big-name landmarks, local hotspots, and epic tours — all on one pass, all for one price. Not only that, but you'll enjoy savings of up to 50%, compared to buying individual attraction tickets.  

✈️ Buy The New York Pass® ✈️ 

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Harlem
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9 things to do in Harlem

We love Harlem. It's definitely one of New York's most vibrant neighborhoods. But what makes it so great? We're glad you asked! It’s historically been home to a large percentage of New York’s African-American community, whose heritage and culture are still abundantly celebrated here. It's also home to some of the best music spots in town, plenty of restaurants to feed the soul and a smattering of historical spots that are definitely worth checking out. Wondering where to hit first? Take a look at our top picks for things to do in Harlem. Take a tour of the neighborhood What better way to get acquainted with Harlem than by taking a guided tour? You’ll gain local insight from your guide and learn things you would definitely never have discovered on your own. Harlem Walking Tour’s Cultural Heritage Tour takes in many of Harlem's historic attractions, including legendary jazz clubs, historic mansions and sites from the Revolutionary War. Or, if you’d rather explore on two wheels, Unlimited Biking’s Harlem Highlights Tour will take you on a journey (both figuratively and literally) of Harlem's historical and cultural hotspots, giving you an understanding of how New York’s various economic booms and busts have shaped the neighborhood. And what’s more, both tours can be found on the New York Pass®. Visit a jazz club Although New Orleans has the claim to fame of being the birthplace of jazz, Harlem is certainly where many of the genre’s most famous musicians made a name for themselves. It is also known as the birthplace of bebop – the improvisational musical style known for its chord and key changes. You can see where it all began at Minton’s Playhouse, once a playground for the scene’s biggest acts. Catch a show there whilst enjoying dinner and a drink. Another good option is Bill’s Place, a venue that dates back to Prohibition-era, where you can catch live jazz on Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM and 10PM. If you’re not a jazz aficionado and don’t know where to start when choosing a show (or you are and just want to see another great performance), you can use your New York Pass to attend the Harlem Jazz Series. Every Tuesday afternoon and Friday evening, you’ll be able to watch some of today's most talented jazz musicians. The show is artistically directed by Craig Harris, a trombonist, composer, and longtime Harlem resident who has been part of the Harlem jazz scene since 1976. So you know you’re in for a treat. Apollo Theater Sticking with the theme of jazz, be sure to make a stop at one of the area’s most cherished buildings, the Apollo Theater. This old vaudeville theater is famous for its legendary Amateur Nights, which began in 1934. The likes of James Brown and Ella Fitzgerald launched their careers here and you can still attend on Wednesday evenings to check out new talent Experience a gospel choir Although Harlem’s music scene is synonymous with jazz, it’s also famed for its gospel choirs and highly spirited church services. A visit to one of these joyous services will have even the most ardent atheist tapping their toes. Inside Out Tours offer a Harlem Gospel Tour, which will give you an understanding of the cultural roots of gospel music and its importance in the Christian community in Harlem today. You’ll visit the famous Abyssinian Baptist Church and the tour will end with a performance from a local choir Museo del barrio Harlem’s diverse Latinx community is celebrated at the Museo del Barrio. It hosts a collection of art showcasing predominantly Puerto Rican artists from its founding community. Over the years, the collection has grown to also include over 6,500 works by Caribbean and Latin-American artists. Studio Museum of Harlem The Studio Museum of Harlem was the first black fine-arts museum in the country and is central to the thriving artistic community in Harlem today. Here, you can view works of African Americans, members of the African diaspora and artists from the African continent, plus you can check out a variety of temporary exhibitions. The museum is also the home of an archive of works by James Van Der Zee, the famous Harlem Renaissance photographer. Hamilton Grange We’re going to hazard a guess and say that your trip to New York may include tickets to see Hamilton. We’re right, right? Once you’ve seen the musical, you can head to Hamilton Grange, the preserved home of Alexander Hamilton himself. Here, you can explore an exhibit that covers some of the major events in Alexander Hamilton's life and you can take a guided tour of some of the historically furnished rooms. Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Market This colorful market will transport you to the bazaars of West Africa, with an array of stalls selling a variety of African textiles, cosmetics, foods, sculptures and clothing. It’s a good spot to pick up some unique souvenirs and get a feel for the West African community that thrives in Harlem. Try some soul food There’s nowhere better to get your fill of soul food than in Harlem. The best spot has to be Sylvia’s, which has been serving up Southern comfort stables since 1962. Another popular choice is Charles’ Country Pan Fried Chicken, the no-frills, buffet-style eatery, specializing in old-school skillet-fried chicken. Ready to explore Harlem? Get some of the best tours as part of the The New York Pass®. You’ll also be able to visit attractions all over New York for one low price.
Kirsten McCroskrie
Blog

Travel Tuesday: Big Bus (Midtown Route)

Big Bus | Smart Destinations Big Bus Hop-on Hop-off Tour Visiting New York City gives you the opportunity to see some of the world's most exciting and most popular attractions. However, there are so many great sights to see, it can often be overwhelming trying to find the time to view them all? Luckily the Big Bus provides guided tours around the city where you can see notable landmarks and even choose which sections of the city you will be touring. Passengers also can enjoy the luxury of Big Bus' "Hop-on Hop-off" service which allows them to get off the bus at one of the stops along the route and hop on to another bus from any of the stops. Today we're going to look at the Midtown Route aka the "Purple Route" which operates daily from 9am to 6pm. Big Bus | Broadway Show Tickets Hop-on Hop-Off You'll find many of the city's gems peaking out at you along your journey through Midtown. The route is approximately 1.5 hours long and is led by an experienced and often entertaining tour guide who makes sure that you not only see all that New York City has to offer, but also that you enjoy every minute of it. Passengers have the choice of sitting on either the lower-interior level of the double-decker bus or the top level where you are high enough to touch the traffic lights. When the sun is out, it's hard to think of a better way to view NYC and some of the city's most popular landmarks. Midtown Route Along the ride you'll get to see areas that you've probably been hearing about your entire life. The world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden makes an appearance during the tour. You'll also get to see the iconic Empire State Building and Grand Central Terminal. The Midtown route proves to be quite convenient as it not only makes stops at these popular staples in NY history, but also stops at Circle Line Sightseeing where passengers can Hop-off and board a beautiful cruise of the city. Empire State Building | TripAdvisor New York Pass holders gain a 1-day ticket for the Big Bus and have the option of upgrading their ticket for a discounted rate at the point of redemption. You can also add specific tours to your ticket such as the Night Tour or the Brooklyn tour. For more information such as pricing or schedules on the Big Bus Hop-on Hop-off Tour and their different routes, please click here
Go City Expert
Blog

Attraction of The Week: Brooklyn Museum

Brooklyn Museum | The New Yorker Brooklyn Museum While most of New York City's major museums exist in Manhattan, there is one museum that has shown over the years that the trip to Brooklyn is well worth it. Located on Eastern Parkway, the Brooklyn Museum is a lively hub where art, culture and entertainment are celebrated. Throughout the year, the museum displays changing exhibitions as well as live performances for all respective age ranges. All five floors in the Brooklyn Museum offer something different with themes and styles that connect flawlessly along the spacious walls. Collection Founded in 1895, the Brooklyn Museum has pulled together quite an impressive collection of artistic works over their 122 years of existence. Today the museum's collection totals around 1.5 million pieces and boasts the likes of legends like Georgia O'Keefe, Max Weber and Mark Rothko. In 2002, the Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation also gifted the beautiful Judy Chicago exhibit known as 'The Dinner Party' to the museum. Many view 'The Dinner Party' as the first major feminist artwork and now it is a permanent exhibition on display. Brooklyn Museum | @nytimes With all of the works residing in their collection, it certainly helps to have some space. The museum occupies around 560,000 square feet along Eastern Parkway and measures as the 3rd largest museum in all of New York City. Prior to the museum's construction, the plan was to make it the world's largest art museum. Although it didn't become such, third place is nothing to scoff at in this regard. First Saturdays In addition to the many exhibitions, you can also expect events to be happening at the Brooklyn Museum all year 'round. One rather fascinating event that the museum holds is called First Saturdays. On the first Saturday of each month, a huge, free party is held for all of New York to visit. Some of New York's most exciting young DJ's like Kitty Cash and Jasmine Solano have played at First Saturdays. Great music fills the rooms as everyone gets to dance and view the museum for free on a Saturday night. Brooklyn Museum | Timeout If you're interested in stopping by the Brooklyn Museum, visit the attraction page and plan your trip today!
Go City Expert

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