Updated 8/17/24

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There are so many amazing museums in New York City. Trust me, I know it can be hard to choose the best museums in NYC. New York City museums are some of the finest and most unique in the world. You are missing out if you don’t make time to see some of the art, history, science, and specialty museums throughout the five boroughs of the city. 

Maybe you are looking for the most famous museums in New York City? Perhaps you are hoping to find the lesser known museums in NYC? This New York City museums map and list has them all!

My list of NYC museums, that I have personally visited, is organized by museum type. With directions, the best way to buy tickets, and insider tips, this New York City museums map and list has everything you need to know about visiting all the cool museums in NYC. Plus see what to do and where to eat in NYC near each museum. 

The Ultimate New York City Museums Map & List

Speciality Museums in NYC

Perhaps it is a little strange to start my NYC museum list with the most unspecific category, but these are some of my favorite museums! These specialty museums are about a unique topic or concept. They may fit in with art, history, or science, but they seem a little extra special and need their own category! If you usually aren’t a museum lover, try one of these out and you may be surprised!

The New York Transit Museum 

The NY Transit Museum, which was built inside of an old subway station, makes it into my top five favorite NYC museums for sure! This is a great one for the whole family. Children love running through the historic subway cars on the no longer used subway tracks on the lower level. Adults will enjoy the detailed information and memorabilia about how the subway system was built, the changes in the fare system over the years, and the other parts of the transportation system that keeps New Yorkers moving. In a past exhibit I was touched by the stories of how transportation workers helped and responded in times of crisis. You will have a whole new appreciation for the MTA after this visit!

Where: 99 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Neighborhood & Borough: Downtown Brooklyn – Brooklyn

Getting There: Take the 2/3 to Hoyt St, or the A/C/F/R to Jay St-Metro Tech or the 2/3/4/5 to Borough Hall.

Tickets: General admission $10.

Food: Cafeteria for school groups only

Nearby: DO: The Center for Brooklyn History

EAT: Bijan’s (Mediterranean), Dekalb Market Hall at CityPoint (food hall with a diverse range of international choices)

The Museum of the Moving Image

I wouldn’t say I am a huge movie buff, but I found The Museum of the Moving Image very engaging. There are a lot of interactive exhibits and cool facts about the world of movie making. Learning the technique of everything from sound to costuming was fascinating!

Where: 36-01 35th Ave, Astoria, NY 11106

Neighborhood & Borough: Astoria – Queens

Getting There: Take the R/M to Steinway St or the N/W to 36th Ave

Tickets: General Admission is $20. Thursdays 2 – 6pm there is free admission.

Food: Cafe

Nearby: DO: The Noguchi Museum

EAT: Basil Brick Oven Pizza

FIT: Fashion Institute of Technology

In a city like NYC, there needs to be a fashion museum and there is one! FIT is a smaller museum with at least two or three unique exhibits on display at a time. You would never believe the range of possible exhibits all revolving around fashion. I have seen everything from an exhibit on fairy tale fashion to the history of lingerie. One of my favorite exhibits was on dance and fashion.

Where: 227 W 27th St, New York, NY 10001

Neighborhood & Borough: Chelsea – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the 1 or the N/R to the 28th St Station or the A/C/E or F/M to the 23rd St Station.

Tickets: Free!

Food: None

Nearby: DO: Madison Square Gardens, Macy’s, The Empire State Building.

EAT: Zia Maria (Italian)

Staten Island Museum

The Staten Island Museum never makes the list of top museums in NYC, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t visit. It is a general interest museum that covers natural science, history, art, and more. From our visit my mom remembers an exhibit on the Staten Island Ferry, but I remember a giant mastodon! My 5 day NYC itinerary will help you plan a full day in Staten Island and each borough.

Where: Building A, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301

Neighborhood & Borough: Staten Island

Getting There: Take the Staten Island ferry to the Staten Island terminal and then take the S40 bus on Ramp D to the Snug Harbor stop.

Tickets: Suggested admission of $8. Receive free admission with the NY Pass, Go City Explorer Pass, and the NYC Sightseeing Flex Pass.

Food: None

Nearby: DO: Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden. Historic Richmond Town – an hour by public transportation, so it is not particularly nearby, but if you make the trek to Staten Island you may as well check it out if you have time.

EAT: Beso (Spanish) near the ferry terminal.

National Museum of Mathematics 

The National Museum of Mathematics is a great option for children. Well I think it is primarily designed for children, but if you want to go without any children, I won’t judge! When we went here on a field trip, my students loved all the activities. It is like an indoor playground, with an extra amount of learning potential added in.

Where: 11 E 26th St, New York, NY 10010

Neighborhood & Borough: NoMad – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the N/R/W to 23rd or 28th St, or the 6 to 23rd or 28th St. You can also take the F/M to 23rd.

Tickets: General admission is $25.

Food: None

Nearby: DO: Madison Square Park, Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace

EAT: Eataly (Italian market and restaurants), Pippali (one of the many Indian restaurants in Curry Hill)

Brooklyn Children’s Museum 

The Brooklyn Children’s Museum holds the title of the world’s oldest children’s museum! It is geared towards infants to eight year olds. I will admit that I was intrigued by some of the exhibits when I visited on a field trip with my students! There is a kid sized Brooklyn that mimics the real Brooklyn and allows youngsters to take on the roles of a diverse range of people in the borough.

Where: 145 Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213

Neighborhood & Borough: Crown Heights – Brooklyn

Getting There: Take the 3 to Kingston Avenue, the A/C to Nostrand Avenue or the C to Kingston/Throop Ave.

Tickets: General admission is $15. Free admission on Thursdays from 2 – 5pm.

Food: One Four Five café. You can also bring your own food to eat in the cafe or the roof terrace.

Nearby: DO: Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Prospect Park, Prospect Park Zoo.

EAT: Walk about 20 min to Franklin Avenue area for a lot of eating options: Chavela’s (Mexican), Cent’Anni (Italian), Barboncino (Pizza)

 Museum of Broadway

NYC has many claims to fame, including being one of the best cities for museums. Broadway shows are also one of the biggest draws to the city. They are so popular that even non theater goers add a Broadway show to their NYC itinerary. It’s surprising that it wasn’t until 2022 that a Broadway Museum was created.

Broadway shows have been a big part of NYC since the late 1800s. This museum celebrates the history of theater in Manhattan and the start of what we know as a Broadway play or musical today. The one way flow of the museum takes you through a timeline that is interspersed with immersive exhibits focused on a particular show. Popular shows are highlighted in chronological order with descriptions and interesting written tidbits alongside the artifacts and curated displays to match the shows’ themes. Then it is on to backstage Broadway to learn about the people who make a Broadway show happen. Your visit will end in the temporary exhibit space if one is open.

Where: 145 W 45th St, New York, NY 10036

Neighborhood & Borough: Times Square – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the N, Q, R, W, S, 1, 2, 3, or 7 to Times Square – 42nd St.

Tickets: General admission is $46.82. Receive free admission with the NY Pass, Go City Explorer Pass, and the NYC Sightseeing Flex Pass.

Food: None

Nearby: DO: Times Square, Broadway Shows.

EAT: Junior’s (for cheesecake), Dill & Parsley (fast casual Mediterranean), Lillie’s Victorian Establishment (cocktail bar & pub fare), Times Square Diner (American)

Poster House

The Poster House is one of the newest museums included in this New York City museums map and list as it wasn’t even open when I originally posted this blog! As the only poster museum in the US, the museum is all about the design of posters and the impact they have and continue to have on society.

Posters probably aren’t something you think about on a day to day basis, but their impact is much greater than you might expect. Currently all the exhibits rotate and are on display for a few months. It’s amazing how many different topics can be explored all through posters.

Where: 119 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011

Neighborhood & Borough: Chelsea – Brooklyn

Getting There: Take the F/M or 1 to 23rd St.

Tickets: General admission is $12. Free admission on Fridays.

Food: Café des Affiches

Nearby: Do: The Museum at Fit, Rubin Museum of Art

Eat: Eataly (Italian market & restaurants)

History Museums in NYC

I could take or leave history during school, but I love it when I am visiting a museum or reading historical fiction. There are numerous historical fiction books set in New York City. NYC also has some of the best history museums in the US. While many focus on a particular time, place, or people in history, others cover a wide range of general New York or American history.

Museum of the City of New York 

It’s rare that I will give you an answer when asked “what’s your favorite x, y, or ?” But I may just have a favorite NYC museum, the Museum of the City of New York. It’s the museum that I have visited more than any other museum. It is the perfect place to gain an in-depth knowledge about how the city came to be through their main on-going exhibit. They also have a lot of changing exhibits on un-known and well-known people, causes, and events that have been a part of the city.

Where: 1220 5th Ave, New York, NY 10029

Neighborhood & Borough: Upper East Side – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the 6 to 103rd St or the 2/3 to Central Park North – 110th St.

Tickets: Suggested admission is $20. Receive free admission with the NY Pass, Go City Explorer Pass, and the NYC Sightseeing Flex Pass.

Food: Chalsty’s Café, which offers Amy’s Bread (a delicious NYC bread company)

Nearby: DO: Northern end of Central Park, Museo del Barrio.

EAT: 20min away in Harlem, Amy Ruth’s (American comfort food)

The New York Historical Society

Even though I have visited the New York Historical Society a couple of times, this American history museum is another museum that I want to keep coming back to. The museum collections use paintings, sculptures, drawings, and a huge selection of historical artifacts to present everything from the 1969 Stonewall riots to the Life of John F Kennedy. There is also a children’s museum that focuses on the history of NY children and the Women’s History Center that is dedicated to the stories of women!

Where: 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024

Neighborhood & Borough: Upper West Side – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the B/C to the 72nd or 81st St – Museum of Natural History Station

Tickets: General Admission is $24.  On Fridays from 5 – 8pm you can pay as you wish. Receive free admission with the NY Pass, Go City Explorer Pass, and the NYC Sightseeing Flex Pass.

Food: Coffee bar and restaurant

Nearby: DO: Central Park, American Museum of Natural History

EAT: Jacob’s Pickles (southern), Bellini (Italian), Flame (Asian), Land Thai (Thai)

Center for Brooklyn History

Another museum that makes it into my personal top five best museums in NYC is the Center for Brooklyn History. Formerly the Brooklyn Historical Society, the museum originally had multiple exhibits to learn about a variety of aspects of Brooklyn’s history. When I visited I remember seeing a photo exhibit on Truman Capote’s Brooklyn, an exhibit on slavery in Brooklyn, and a display on the sewage system. The sewage system wasn’t my favorite exhibit, but it was more interesting than you would think! Keep reading all my museum descriptions and you will see that waste is a recurring topic of study!

Now part of the Brooklyn Public Library system the center is now a research library and a free space for the community. As of the most recent update there is an exhibit on Brooklyn.

Where: 128 Pierrepont St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Neighborhood & Borough: Brooklyn Heights – Brooklyn

Getting There: Take the 2/3/4/5 to Borough Hall, the A/C or F to Jay St/Borough Hall or the R to Court Street.

Tickets: Free!

Food: None

Nearby: DO: The Brooklyn Bridge Park for views of Manhattan, a nice walk or a variety of sports including kayaking. The New York Transit Museum.

EAT: Lantern restaurant (Thai)

Tenement Museum 

NYC is known as a melting pot. You can learn about the fascinating history of the immigrants that started this melting pot in the city at the Tenement Museum. From sweatshop workers to Irish outsiders, you choose a topic that interests you and go on a guided tour to visit the museum. Ideally avoid visiting on a a really hot day, because you will feel just like the immigrants did years ago, hot and cramped together.

Where: 1103 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

Neighborhood & Borough: Lower East Side – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the J/Z to Bowery St or the F to Delancey St

Tickets: Tours are required and cost $30.

Food: No food available, but they do offer food tours

Nearby: DO: The Museum of Chinese in America, The Museum at Eldridge Street

EAT: Katz’s Delicatessen (an iconic NYC eatery), La Contenta (Mexican), Jadis (French), Spaghetti Incident (Italian) This lower east side free food tour.

Museum at Eldridge Street

A Jewish synagogue is included in this New York City museums map and list because it is now home to Museum at Eldridge Street. Located on the Lower East Side (LES) the synagogue was built in 1887 to serve the Jewish immigrants arriving from Eastern Europe. It was the first synagogue built in America by Eastern European Jews.

Your visit will begin in the lower level with the exhibit covering the arrival of the Jewish immigrants, their lives in the LES, building the synagogue, and the restoration process. A temporary exhibit covers topics related to Jewish history or culture. The two floors of the impressive synagogue above showcase many original features of the original building including almost 80% of the original stained glass.

Visit the museum on a self guided or docent guided tour. You’re able to see everything both ways, but a guided tour provides more information.

Where: 12 Eldridge St, New York, NY 10002

Neighborhood & Borough: Lower East Side – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the F to East Broadway.

Tickets: General Admission is $15. Pay what you wish on Mondays and Fridays. Receive free admission with the NY Pass, Go City Explorer Pass, and the NYC Sightseeing Flex Pass.

Food: None

Nearby: DO: The Museum of Chinese in America, The Tenement Museum.

EAT: Kopitiam (Malaysian), This lower east side free food tour.

Museum of Chinese in America 

This is another one of my top choices on this list of NYC museums. The Museum of Chinese in America has an on-going exhibit about Chinese in America and the challenges they have faced, along with the contributions they have provided to society. Other exhibits on more focused topics are always changing in the museum. There was an interesting exhibit one time when I visited about Chinese food and identity in America.

Where: 215 Centre St, New York, NY 10013

Neighborhood & Borough: Little Italy – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the N/Q/R/W, the J/Z or the 6 to the Canal Street station.

Tickets: General Admission is $12.

Food: None

Nearby: DO: The Tenement Museum, the Museum at Eldridge Street

EAT: Chinatown (Joe’s Shanghai, Nom Wah Tea Parlor), this free Chinatown walking tour.

Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site

The Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace is a national historic site that is part of the national park service. If you collect stamps make sure to bring your passport book! It was the home of Theodore Roosevelt Jr for the first 14 years of his life. Within the home is a small exhibit on the Roosevelt family members’ and Teddy’s life. On a guided tour you can visit the upstairs floors that are restored to the time period when Teddy’s family lived in the home. If you are a fan of the 26th president, you’ll love learning more about him and where he grew up.

Where: 28 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003

Neighborhood & Borough: Flatiron – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the 6 to 23rd street station or the R/W to 23rd street station.

Tickets: Free!

Food: None

Nearby: DO: Union Square, Madison Square Park, National Museum of Mathematics.

EAT: Eataly (Italian market and restaurants)

National Museum of the American Indian 

The National Museum of the American Indian has a location in NYC and DC. The museums are dedicated to preserving the culture of American Indians and showcasing their history. There was an interesting presentation of Native American fashions in the NYC location when I visited.

Where: 1 Bowling Green, New York, NY 10004

Neighborhood & Borough: Financial District – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the 4/5 to Bowling Green (closest). You can also take the 1 to Rector St or South Ferry, the R/W to Whitehall Street, the J/Z to Broad Street or the 2/3 to Wall Street.

Tickets: Free!

Food: None

Nearby: DO: Wall St, Castle Clinton National Monument, Battery Park, Ferries to Staten Island, Ellis Island and Liberty Island.

EAT: One of the restaurants along Stone St (Ulysses, Route 66 Smokehouse)

Historic Richmond Town 

Historic Richmond Town is an open air museum that presents Americans’ lives from different time periods and backgrounds in an authentic setting. You can participate in themed tours where a costumed guide leads you through the streets, homes, and stores of the town.

Where: 441 Clarke Ave, Staten Island, NY 10306

Neighborhood & Borough: Staten Island

Getting There: Take the Staten Island ferry to the Staten Island terminal and then walk to Bay St/Victory Blvd and take the S74 bus to Arthur Kill Rd/Cemetery 1 Gate. Other bus options are available, so make sure to check with google maps or the MTA trip planner for the best option depending on where you are coming from and the time of day. You can also take buses directly from Brooklyn.

Tickets: General admission is $11, with free admission on Thursdays 2 – 4pm

Food: Main Street Coffee (cafe), Egger’s Ice Cream

Nearby: DO: Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Gardens and the Staten Island Museum are about an hour away by bus.

The Morgan Library & Museum

You may be familiar with this NYC museum if you have read The Personal Librarian, one of the many fascinating historical fiction books set in NYC. The book is about Belle da Costa Greene, JP Morgan’s personal librarian who was responsible for helping to create the impressive collection of rare books, artwork, and manuscripts. The collection has been expanded since it was completed in 1906, but the original rooms of the library can still be visited. While there are some written descriptions, the focus is on the historic rooms and the antiquities they contain.

Within the rest of the building other exhibits rotate and cover a variety of art and history topics that typically feature items from the Morgan collection that are not on permanent display.

Where: 225 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016

Neighborhood & Borough: Murray Hill – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the 4, 5, 6, or 7 to Grand Central, the 6 to 33rd St, or the B, D, F, or Q to 42nd St.

Tickets: General Admission is $25. Admission to the historic rooms of the library is free Tuesday and Sundays 3 – 5pm. The entire museum is free Fridays from 5 – 7pm.

Food: Morgan Cafe

Nearby: DO: Madison Square Gardens, Macy’s, The Empire State Building

EAT: Bonchon (Korean fried chicken)

9/11 Memorial and Museum

The 9/11 Museum is a very important NYC museum to visit, but it is not for the faint of heart. I love learning history, but this kind of history is devastating. The museum is within where the Twin Towers stood. As the museum is quite large and receives many visitors everyday I think the first part of the museum which has dim lighting and not a lot of written information helps to space visitors out. In this section I thought paying for an audio guide may be worth it, but most of the exhibits have a lot of written information. It can take several hours to get through the museum without an audio guide, but it may enhance your visit if you prefer listening.

The main exhibit “September 11, 2001” is divided into three parts. The first section includes a minute by minute re-telling of the tragic day. The first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993 and the history of the hijackers is covered in the second section. In the final section the rescue and recovery efforts are described. All three sections include a great deal of written information, photographs, artifacts, and video footage. Be aware that several alcoves are labeled as containing sensitive material. I stayed away from them as I believe they contained some traumatizing images.

The memorial exhibit is the other core exhibit with photographs of all of the individuals killed. Other changing exhibits connect to 9/11 in a variety of ways. I’m someone that reads every single word in a museum, but the museum was so sobering for me that I admit it got to be too much for me.

Where: 180 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10007

Neighborhood & Borough: Financial District – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the A, C, 1, 2, or 3 to Chambers Street, take the A, C, J, Z, 2, 3, 4, or 5 to Fulton Street, take the 2 or 3 to Park Place, take the E to World Trade Center, take the R to Rector or Cortlandt Streets, or take the 1 to WTC Cortlandt.

Tickets: General admission is $33. Reserve a timed ticket reservation. Free admission Monday nights from 5;30 – 7pm. The memorial is free with or without admission to the museum. Receive free admission with the NY Pass, Go City Explorer Pass, and CityPass.

Food: Cafe

Nearby: DO: One World Trade Center Observatory (receive a discount with a 9/11 Museum visit) 

EAT: Stout (American), The Irish American Pub (Pub), Sarabeth’s (Brunch)

Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration & the Statue of Liberty Museum

Combine a visit to the National Museum of Immigration on Ellis Island with the Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island. One ticket includes ferry transportation, the grounds of both islands, audio guides on each island, and entrance to both museums.

The Statue of Liberty museum tells the story of this iconic landmark. At the Ellis Island museum you’ll learn about the history of immigration in NYC through a self-guided audio tour. It’s estimated that half of the American people today are descendants of people who came through Ellis Island. With 120 hours of audio content, there is so much to learn at both museums.

Be aware that you will need to go through a mandatory airport like security screening prior to boarding the ferry. You can’t take any food with you, only water in a clear bottle. Large bags are also not allowed. There are lockers you can pay to use if you need to leave any belongings behind.

Where: Ellis Island

Neighborhood & Borough: Ellis Island & Liberty Island

Getting There: Take the 4/5 to Bowling Green (closest). You can also take the 1 to Rector St or South Ferry, the R/W to Whitehall Street, the J/Z to Broad Street or the 2/3 to Wall Street. Take a ferry from Castle Clinton at Battery Park (ferry is included in your ticket).

Tickets: $32.50 for tickets. You need to buy tickets in advance. Tickets include all ferry transportation and entrance to the Statue of Liberty and the museum on Ellis Island. Make sure if you want to go inside the Statue of Liberty you buy a ticket with pedestal or crown access. Those tickets sell out quickly, so the further in advance you buy them the better. Also choose carefully if you want the ferry from New Jersey or Manhattan. Receive free ferry access, admission, and audio guides with CityPass.

Food: Cafe at both Ellis Island and Liberty Island

Nearby: Both islands usually take most of the day, so don’t plan too many other activities.

DO: Wall St, Castle Clinton National Monument, Battery Park, National Museum of the American Indian

Science Museums in NYC

This New York City museums map and list also includes science museums. Just like the history museums in the city, NYC makes science come alive at these science museums.

American Museum of Natural History

I have visited The American Museum of Natural History three times and I don’t think I have even seen half of it. It covers a huge range of topics. From dinosaurs to meteorites you can be immersed in so many different worlds. My favorite areas are the human and culture halls full of displays of people from different time periods and regions around the world.

Where: Central Park West & 79th St, New York, NY 10024

Neighborhood & Borough: Upper West Side – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the B/C to 81st St – Museum of Natural History Station or the 1 to the 79th St Station.

Tickets: General admission is $28. Pay what you wish is available for NY, NJ, and CT residents. Save time at this busy museum and buy tickets ahead of time. Receive free admission with the NY Pass, Go City Explorer Pass, the Sightseeing Flex Pass, and CityPass.

Food: Sit down restaurant, food court, and two cafes

Nearby: DO: Central Park (central Western part), New York Historical Society

EAT: Bellini (pizza/Italian), Jacob’s Pickles (southern), Flame (Asian), Land Thai (Thai)

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum 

If you love things that go zoom, check this New York City museum out! The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum is full of interactive exhibits and different modes of transportation that you can go inside. Climbing around in a real submarine was the most memorable part for me.

Where: Pier 86, W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

Neighborhood & Borough: Hell’s Kitchen – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the C/E to the 50th St station.

Tickets: General admission is $36. Buy online and skip the line. Receive free admission with the NY Pass, Go City Explorer Pass, the Sightseeing Flex Pass, and CityPass.

Food: Family friendly grill and a marketplace

Nearby: DO: Hudson Yards and the Edge Observation Deck

EAT: North River Lobster Company (seafood on a boat), Tacuba (Mexican), Bombay Grill House (Indian), Don Giovanni Ristorante (Italian)

Art Museums in NYC

As you can tell from the museums in NYC map you don’t need to travel abroad to see world class art. NYC is full of impressive art museums of all types that showcase a variety of art from around the world. Many of the best art museums in the USA are within the five boroughs of NYC. 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art 

Don’t get the MET, the art museum, confused with the MET, the opera house, or the Mets, the New York Baseball team. The MET, the art museum, is one of the largest museums in the world. This is another museum I have been to three times, but still feel like I haven’t seen it all.  What can you see at the main location of this gigantic art museum? Well a better question would be what can’t you see! The museum collection seems to contain art from every corner of the world. My favorite part was the area of the American Wing that had period rooms.

Where: 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028

Neighborhood & Borough: Upper East Side – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the 4/5/6 to the 86th street station.

Tickets: General Admission is $30 and includes same day visits to both The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. NY, NJ, and CT residents can pay as they wish.

Food: Several cafes

Nearby: DO: Central Park, The Neue Gallery, The Guggenheim, Cooper Hewitt – Smithsonian Design Museum

EAT: Uva (Italian)

The Cloisters 

The Cloisters is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This museum branch is dedicated to the architecture, art, and gardens of medieval Europe. It’s nowhere near the size of the MET, but the castle like setting provides a uniqueness to the museum.

Where: 99 Margaret Corbin Dr, New York, NY 10040

Neighborhood & Borough: Washington Heights – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the A to 190th Street.

Tickets: General Admission is $30 and includes The Met Fifth Avenue on the same day. NY, NJ, & CT residents can pay as they wish.

Food: Trie Cafe

Nearby: DO: Fort Tryon Park

EAT: Little Dominican Republic* (neighborhood within Washington Heights)

The Brooklyn Museum 

The Brooklyn Museum is another gigantic art museum with works of art from around the world. The first Saturday of most months is free. It took me almost two years before I got a chance to go on a Target First Saturday, but it is worth it! There are a range of special exhibits and events, anything from dance performances to hands on art workshops to author talks.

Where: 200 Eastern Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY 11238

Neighborhood & Borough: Prospect Heights – Brooklyn

Getting There: Take the 2/3 to the Eastern Parkway – Brooklyn Museum stop.

Tickets: Suggested general admission is $20. There is an additional cost for special exhibitions. For $34 you can gain admission to both the museum and the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. The first Saturday night of most months is free.

Food: Cafe and The Norm Restaurant, with an international menu.

Nearby: DO: Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Prospect Park, Prospect Park Zoo, Brooklyn Children’s Museum

EAT: Cheryl’s Global Soul (soul food), Ample Hills Creamery (ice cream), The Islands (Caribbean)

Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art or MoMa is not only one of the top museums in NYC, but one of the best modern art museums in the country. It should be your top choice if you want to visit a large modern art museum. Throughout the six floors of the museum you can see some classics like Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” along with pieces by Frida Kahlo and Pablo Picasso.

Where: 11 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019

Neighborhood & Borough: Midtown – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the N/Q/R/W to the 57th street station or the E to the 5th Ave – 53rd St Station or the 4/5/6 to the 59 St-Lexington Ave Station.

Tickets: General admission is $28. Buy online and skip the line. Fridays are free from 4pm to 8pm for NYC residents. Receive free admission with the NY Pass, Go City Explorer Pass, and the Sightseeing Flex Pass.

Food: Cafes and a a sit down restaurant

Nearby: DO: Times Square & Broadway Shows

EAT: Topaz Thai Authentic (Thai), Ellen’s Stardust Diner (for the singing waitstaff experience), The Halal Guys (Middle Eastern food truck), Pazza Notte (Italian)

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Photo by Elizabeth from www.rootswingsandtravelthings.com 

The Guggenheim also contains modern artwork. What was most impressive to me was the Frank Lloyd Wright building itself and the spiral staircase inside.

Where: 1071 5th Ave, New York, NY 10128

Neighborhood & Borough: Upper East Side – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the 4/5/6 to the 86th St Station.

Tickets: General admission is $30. Buy online and skip the line. You can pay what you wish on Mondays and Saturdays from 4 – 5:30pm. Receive free admission with the NY Pass, Go City Explorer Pass, the Sightseeing Flex Pass, and CityPass.

Food: Cafe

Nearby: DO: Central Park, The Neue Gallery, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cooper Hewitt – Smithsonian Design Museum

EAT: Cafe d’ Alsace (French), Mole (Mexican)

The Frick Collection 

Henry Clay Frick’s collection is displayed in his gilded age mansion. The numerous rooms are full of furniture, textiles, paintings and more.

The museum is currently closed until late 2024.

Where: 1 E 70th St, New York, NY 10021 (as of last update temporarily at 945 Madison Avenue)

Neighborhood & Borough: Upper East Side – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the N//R/W to 5th Ave Station or the 6 to 68th St Station or the Q to the 72nd St Station.

Tickets: General admission is $22. Pay what you wish on Thursdays from 4pm – 6pm.

Food: None available

Nearby: DO:Central Park.

EAT: Up Thai (Thai)

El Museo del Barrio

El Museo del Barrio is a Latin cultural and art museum. Exhibits vary, but they all focus on work from Caribbean and Latin American artists. The museum’s permanent collections contains over 8,500 objects and covers over 800 years of history.

Where: 1230 5th Ave, New York, NY 10029

Neighborhood & Borough: Upper East Side – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the 6 to 103rd St or the 2/3 to Central Park North – 110th St.

Tickets: Suggested admission is $9. Receive free admission with the NYC Sightseeing Flex Pass.

Food: Cafe

Nearby: DO: Northern end of Central Park, The Museum of the City of New York.

EAT: 20min away in Harlem, Amy Ruth’s (American comfort food)

Whitney Museum of American Art 

The Whitney focuses on 20th- and 21st-century American art.

Where: 99 Gansevoort St, New York, NY 10014

Neighborhood & Borough: Meatpacking District- Manhattan

Getting There: Take the L or the A/C/E to 14th St station.

Tickets: General admission is $30. Save time and buy tickets online. Free admission Friday nights from 5 – 10pm and the second Sunday of the month. Receive free admission with the NY Pass, Go City Explorer Pass, and the Sightseeing Flex Pass.

Food: Frenchette Bakery, Studio Bar

Nearby: DO: Walk the High Line

EAT: Chelsea Market (and shop!)

Museum of Arts & Design

MAD is a smaller scale museum that holds a contemporary collection full of a variety of materials. Traditional and non-traditional works from artists and designers are displayed. They have a lot of intriguing exhibits. When I visited the first time they had one about trash.

Where: 2 Columbus Cir, New York, NY 10019

Neighborhood & Borough: Columbus Circle/Midtown – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the A/B/C/D/1 to the Columbus Circle stop.

Tickets: General admission is $20. Admission is half price on Thursdays. Receive free admission with the NY Pass and the Go City Explorer Pass.

Food: Classic modern american restaurant with views of Central park.

Nearby: DO: Columbus Circle Mall, the south end of Central Park, the Plaza Hotel

EAT: Guantanamera (Cuban), Blue Seafood Bar & Eatery (Seafood), Bocca di Baco (Italian)

Queens Museum

The Queens Museum is a visual arts museum with exhibits related to contemporary urban life. One of the highlights is a panorama of the city that you can walk around. It really gives you a sense of the layout of the city. Ironically this museum also had an exhibit on trash when I visited. If you didn’t know, trash is a big thing in NYC. If you are confused what I mean, that probably means you have never visited the city and seen the heaping piles on the side of the street!

Where:  New York City Building, Corona, NY 11368

Neighborhood & Borough: Flushing Meadows-Corona Park – Queens

Getting There: Take the 7 to the Mets-Willets Point subway stop.

Tickets: Suggested admission for adults is $8.

Food: Cafe

Nearby: DO: New York Hall of Science*

EAT: Flushing (~30min walk away or ~20min by public transportation): Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings (Chinese), Gan Hoo BBQ (Korean BBQ), New World Mall Food Court (Asian food court) 

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Located in the Carnegie Mansion the Cooper Hewitt is a design museum full of historic and contemporary objects. There have been exhibits featuring objects Ellen Degeneres has collected from around the world and jewelry from Susan Grant Lewin’s collection.

Where:  2 E 91st St, New York, NY 10128

Neighborhood & Borough:  Upper East Side – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the 4/5/6 train to 86th St or the 6 to 96th st.

Tickets: General admission is $22. From 5 – 6pm admission is pay what you wish. Receive free admission with the NY Pass and the Go City Explorer Pass.

Food:  Tarallucci e Vino Cafe

Nearby: DO: Central Park, The Guggenheim, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Neue Gallery

EAT: Cafe d’ Alsace (French), Mole (Mexican)

American Folk Art Museum 

The American Folk Art Museum is full of portraits, quilts, furniture, and other pieces from self-taught artists. When we visited there was a unique portrait display of children after they had died. We were able to learn about the unique process of painting the dead and why it was done. After that there was a totally different and more lighthearted exhibit on American roadside attractions.

Where:  2 Lincoln Square, New York, NY 10023

Neighborhood & Borough: Upper West Side – Manhattan

Getting There:  Take the 1 to 66 St/Lincoln Center.

Tickets: Free!

Food: None

Nearby: DO: Lincoln Center for the performing arts – catch a performance or take a guided tour. Central Park.

EAT: Magnolia Bakery, Cafe Fiorello (Italian)

Studio Museum in Harlem

The Studio Museum is the first black fine-arts museum in the country. It is dedicated to promoting the cultural and artistic works of local artists of African descent and to those from around the world.

Where: 144 W 125th St, New York, NY 10027

Neighborhood & Borough: Harlem – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the A/B/C/D to 125th St. station.

Tickets: Temporarily Closed

Food: None at this time

Nearby: DO: General Grant National Memorial, Apollo Theater, the north end of Central Park.

EAT: Amy Ruth’s (chicken and waffles), Sylvia’s (chicken and waffles). The Harlem Shake (classic burgers and shakes)

Neue Galerie New York

Neue Galerie is full of of late 19th and early 20th century Austrian and German fine and decorative arts. If you have seen the movie “The Woman in Gold”, you will be excited to see the actual picture that the movie was based on.

Where: 1048 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028

Neighborhood & Borough: Upper East Side – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the 4/5/6 to 86th St. Station.

Tickets: General admission is $28. The first Friday of the month there is free admission from 5 – 8pm.

Food:Café Sabarsky

Nearby: DO:Central Park, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cooper Hewitt – Smithsonian Design Museum, The Guggenheim

EAT: Cafe d’ Alsace (French), Mole (Mexican)

The Rubin Museum of Art

Photo by Kat Teurfs 

The Rubin Museum of Art‘s collection focuses on the Himalayas, India, and the surrounding areas. They have a permanent collection on Tibetan art.

Where: 150 W 17th St, New York, NY 10011

Neighborhood & Borough: Chelsea – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the1 to 18th St (the closest option). You can also take the A/C/E to 14th St, the 2/3 to 14th St, the F/L/M to 14th St or the N/Q/R/4/5/6 to 14th St – Union Square

Tickets: General admission is $19. Buy tickets online. From 6pm to 10pm every Friday night admission is free.

Food: Café Serai – Indian Restaurant

Nearby: DO: Union Square, Madison Square Park

EAT: The Grey Dog (brunch)

Ukrainian Museum

The Ukrainian Museum is a cultural museum of all things, you guessed it, Ukrainian! A good portion of the museum is folk art and fine art pieces that tell the history of the Ukrainian people. When I visited there was a large display on the impressively made Ukrainian Easter eggs.

Where: 222 E 6th St, New York, NY 10003

Neighborhood & Borough: Ukrainian Village (East Village) – Manhattan

Getting There: Take the 6 to Astor place or the R/W to 8th St – NYU.

Tickets: General admission is $15.

Food: None available

Nearby: EAT: Try a Ukrainian restaurant in the area. Sadly the one I was going to recommend is now closed. Give another one a try and let me know how it is!

Noguchi Museum

The Noguchi Museum was designed and created by the Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi. The museum is full of Noguchi’s sculptures, designs, models, and drawings. Outside there is a small sculpture garden.

Where: 9-01 33rd Rd, Queens, NY 11106

Neighborhood & Borough: Astoria- Queens

Getting There: Take the F to 21 St – Queensbridge and then the Q103 bus to Vernon Blvd/33 Rd. You can also take the E to Court Square-23 St Station and then the Q69 bus to 21 St/34 Av. Another option is taking the N or W to Broadway and then the Q104 bus to Vernon Blvd/33 Rd. If you are stopping in Long Island City first take the 7 to Vernon Blvd – Jackson Ave and then the Q103 bus to Vernon Blvd/33 rd.

Tickets: General admission is $16. Free on the first Fridays of every month.

Food: None available

Nearby: DO: The Museum of the Moving Image

EAT: Basil Brick Oven Pizza

New York City Museums Visiting Tips

NYC Museum Passes

You may have noticed in the ticket sections above that I mentioned four different passes. Once purchased these passes include free admission for the top sights in NYC including many of the best museums in NYC that are in this post. With the purchase of a pass you can reserve your tickets on many of the museum sites ahead of time.

They are great if you are visiting the city for a few days or as a resident who is going to sightsee with visitors. When some friends came to visit me we did a three day NY Pass and saved a lot of money (yes I calculated it). The pass you choose depends on everything you want to do and how many days you have. I recommend using a pass for the most expensive attractions and museums. Figure out what you want to do and then run the numbers to see which pass has the best deal.

NY Pass: With the NY Pass you receive free admission to over 100 of the must-see sights in the city for the number of days you choose, between 1 – 10, on the pass.

NY Go City Explorer Pass: This is another sightseeing pass with over 100 attraction choices. Unlike the NY pass above which is by the number of days, this one is by the number of attractions. You can purchase a pass with 2 – 10 attractions.

NYC Sightseeing Flex Pass: This pass has over 150 attractions. It includes many of the most famous museums in New York City as well as several lesser known museums in NYC that aren’t on the other passes.

NY CityPass: This pass is valid for 9 days and includes admission to five attractions. Every pass includes the Empire State Building and the Museum of Natural History. The remaining three attractions you choose from six choices.

NYC Museum Discounts

General Discounts: I didn’t list all the discounts under the tickets sections above, but most have discounts for children and seniors. Many have student, military, and/or educator discounts.

Free or Pay as You Wish: Under the ticket section of each museum above I listed if there were any free days or pay as you wish times. Especially if you live in the city, you can plan to visit the museums during those times. If you are visiting, be flexible on what museums you want to visit. The famous museums in New York City are well known for a reason, but it doesn’t mean they are the only cool museums in NYC. Just be aware that museums can be extra packed during any discount times.

IDNYC Card:  I rave about this card to anyone who will listen to me! If you are a NY resident you can obtain this card for free. The card acts as a form of ID, but also comes with a ton of benefits. For one year you can have access to memberships at over 40 cultural institutions and museums. In addition to visiting a lot of the museums on this list for free I also was able to go to cool events like a special NYC ballet performance at no cost!

Museum Mile Festival: If you are in the city the second Tuesday of June you can enter many of the Upper East Side museums for free in the evening. In addition to looking around the museums you can partake in activities in the street, which is closed to traffic.

Open House New York: This is an awesome NYC event that happens for one weekend every October. The city literally opens its doors for free to places like museums that usually charge admissions and other places that aren’t typically open to the public. Through this program I was able to visit some NYC museums for free that don’t have other discounts throughout the year. I also visited some cultural centers and took behind the scenes tours at a flotation studio and the Brooklyn Navy yard, to name a few.

Cool Culture Family Pass: With this family pass you and your participating family members have unlimited general admission to about 90 museums and cultural institutions throughout the city. You are eligible to receive a pass if your child attends certain child cares, head starts, Pre-Ks, or Title 1 public schools. Check the website to learn more and ask at your child care center or school if they participate in the program.

Exhibitions & Special Events

Almost all of the museums listed above have exhibits and special events. Make sure to check the hours and calendar before visiting.

Museum Gift Shops

Also don’t forget that most of the museums have a gift shop with good quality items related to the museum’s content and/or NYC.

Restrooms & Water

Every museum has water fountains and restrooms available too!

Whether you buy a discount pass or not, make sure to buy tickets online ahead of time to the top museums in NYC. If they offer online tickets, it means you should buy them that way! Save your time for exploring all the fabulous museums, instead of waiting in lines to buy tickets. 

All the NYC museums and nearby recommendations included I have personally visited, except if noted with an *. That means I just heard enough good things to feel confident enough to add it!

In the complete list of New York City museums I think I have made a pretty big dent, but even I haven’t been to them all! There are many more museums I hope to explore in the future. I hope this guide and map of New York City museums helps you visit all the best museums in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and Manhattan! Let me know in the comments below which NYC museums you think are the best! 

Where to Stay in NYC to Visit the Top Museums in NYC

The Upper East Side has a good chunk of the museums, especially the art museums. Midtown is close to the hustle and bustle of Times Square and convenient to the majority of museums and other iconic attractions throughout the city. Don’t disregard staying in the boroughs though. Usually you can find a better deal and still be close to some of the best sights of the city. Other than the slow wifi, I have had a great experience staying at the Grandview Hotel in Queens every-time I go back to the city to visit.

Booking.com

More About NYC

BOOKS

• Historical Fiction Books Set in NYC
• Chick Lit Set in New York City
• Children’s Books about NYC

BROADWAY

• How to Get Discount Broadway Tickets

CHRISTMAS

• The Best Things to Do in New York in December

ITINERARIES

• 4 Days for First Time Visitors
• 5 Days: One Day in Each Borough

LIFE IN NYC

• Moving to NYC Alone
• How to Save Money Living in NYC

TOURS

• The Best NYC Tours

WHERE TO STAY

• Grandview Hotel (Queens)
• Where to Stay in Brooklyn

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