Museum in New York City

A visit to a museum in New York City is the best way to step into the past and understand the city’s culture. From art and history to science and innovation, museums here offer something for every interest. MakeMyTrip lists 2146 must-visit museums in New York City for 2026, making it easy to plan your trip. Exhibits are well curated, with guided tours and interactive displays that keep both adults and children engaged. Whether you’re fascinated by ancient artefacts or modern installations, each museum tells a story worth exploring. With New York City museum prices starting from INR 264, spending a few hours inside is affordable yet highly rewarding. This January, discover a new side of New York City with MakeMyTrip’s handpicked museums.

Dive Into the World of American Culture, History, and Art with Museums in New York City

New York City is known for its world-renowned museums, which are also available across a diverse range of subjects and fields of interest. In the city, you will also find various niche and specialty museums that house some of the most elegant and comprehensive collections of displays, creating impressive exhibits. From art to history, natural sciences, and natural history. The themes on which various New York museums are based, with their curated collections, range across a wide array.

From museums like MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which host art displays and installations across an impressive range, to history-related museums like the Tenement Museum, the options to choose from are immense. You can also explore fields like photography, cinema, culture, etc., with some of the best museums here. Have a look!

Explore the Diverse Museums of New York

Art Museums

1 - The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Known as one of the most comprehensive and largest New York museums dedicated to art displays and installations, this museum houses art pieces that are as old as 5,000 years. In the museum, you can find encyclopedic collections of displays like various musical instruments, costumes, and art pieces from across civilizations and eras, such as Asian, African, Byzantine, Islamic, etc.

• Address: Located at 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York 10028. To reach this museum, you can take the 6 train and get down at 77th Street station, from where you will need to walk a few minutes.
• Hours of Operation: Open daily with varied timings; closed on Wednesdays.

2 - The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

One of the best New York museums dedicated to modern and contemporary art forms, MoMA is also known to house displays from other creative fields like design, architecture, film, and photography. In the museum are housed significant collections of various artworks, including masterpieces of some best artists like Picasso and Van Gogh.

• Address: Located at 11 W 53rd Street, New York 10019. The museum is easily accessible from the E and M subway lines, and is just a few minutes’ walking distance away from the nearest subway stations, like 5th Avenue.
• Hours of Operation: Open daily from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm.

History Museums

1 - The New York Historical

A popular museum dedicated to the cultural and traditional history of New York City, this one carries about 400 years of history with it. You can explore various exhibitions, displays, and unique collections put on exhibit in The New York Historical Society, one of the most important New York museums. It is also known for displaying various immersive films that provide educational learning about the city. The museum also has a vast collection of documents to go through for a deeper insight.

• Address: Located at 170 Central Park West, New York 10024. It is convenient to reach this station via subway lines A, B, and C. Situated on the Upper West Side across Central Park, it is a prime landmark and can be reached by bus as well.
• Hours of Operation: Open between 11.00 am and 5.00 pm from Tuesday to Sunday; closed on Mondays.

2 - Museum of the City of New York

The entire focus of displays at the Museum of the City of New York is to portray the evolution of New York City and its people’s lifestyles over the years. One of the top New York museums, it houses about 1.5 million items put on display with a strong focus on the city’s heritage and culture. In the museum are preserved objects from as early as the 19th and 20th centuries. It also includes various prints, drawings, and paintings alongside various decorative objects and costumes of the city residents.

• Address: Located at 1220 5th Avenue, New York, 10029. You can get to the museum via various modes of public transportation, like buses, trams, subway lines, etc., which you can board from Midtown.
• Hours of Operation: Open daily from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm.

Science & Technology Museums

1 - Museum of Science and Technology (MOST)

The Museum of Science and Technology in New York’s downtown Syracuse is a museum dedicated to hands-on learning of various scientific and technological aspects. Housed in a historic former armoury, it is one of the most popular New York museums known for its expansive display of permanent as well as temporary exhibits designed for all age groups. Its National Grid ExploraDome is its key highlight that displays immersive films related to various science and technological subjects.

• Address: Located at 500 S Franklin Street, Syracuse, New York 13202. You can reach the museum via various means of public transport, like bus, tram, taxi, or subway.
• Hours of Operation: Open from Thursday to Sunday between 9.30 am and 5.00 pm; closed from Monday to Wednesday.

2 - Rochester Museum and Science Center (RMSC)

RMSC is popularly known as a multi-faceted museum that focuses greatly on various science and technological displays. In the museum, you will find various hands-on exhibits related to life sciences, natural history, and more. In the museum are also housed the Cumming Nature Center and Strasenburgh Planetarium. One of the best New York museums, it hosts various workshops and is known for its vast collection of over 1.2 million objects put on display.

• Address: Located at 657 East Avenue, Rochester, New York 14607. Self-drive or taxi hire are among the best ways to reach this museum, which is accessible from the I-490 Expressway.
• Hours of Operation: Open from Sunday to Friday with varied timings; closed on Saturdays.

Cultural & Specialty Museums

1 - American Museum of Natural History

One of the most popular New York museums, the American Museum of Natural History, is known for its extensive display of various natural components and their evolution. Some top displays at the museum include the likes of plant and animal fossils, minerals, rock formations, etc. In the museum, one can extensively discover the journey of natural history in the region, from prehistoric times up to the present.

• Address: Located at Theodore Roosevelt Park, 200 Central Park West, New York 10024. The museum is easily accessible via subway, with 77th Street Broadway as the nearest station, located just a few minutes away from here.
• Hours of Operation: Opens daily from 10.00 am to 5.30 pm.

2 - New York Transit Museum

A unique museum that is dedicated to the journey of public transport in metropolitan cities like New York, this one traces the growth and development of transit mediums. One of the best New York museums worth exploring, it is known for various historical artefacts related to buses, subways, and railways in New York City. You can also find various models and exhibits of preserved subway cars in this museum.

• Address: Located at 99 Schemerhorn Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201. Since a decommissioned subway station has been converted into this museum, you can easily reach here via bus lines and subway connectivity.
• Hours of Operation: Open from Wednesday to Sunday with varied timings; closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Children’s Museums

1 - The Children’s Museum of Manhattan

An interactive museum designed especially for kids between the ages of 0 to 6 years, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan is known to provide hands-on learning through its various exhibits. In the museum, you can find installations related to science, humanities, arts, and various other subjects of interest. There are also various workshops and classes held here for kids, which provide great insights.

• Address: Located at 212 W 83rd Street, New York 10024. One of the best New York museums, it is easy to reach here via various means of public transport, including buses, subway, taxis, etc.
• Hours of Operation: Open daily from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. Closed on Mondays.

Special Events and Night Tours in New York Museums

• Met Fridays

  At the Met in New York City, you can enjoy thriving events and performances every Friday hosted under the popular tag, Met Fridays. These events are mostly a celebration of music and art through various exhibits, installations, activities, and performances.

• First Friday Free Access

  Although not an event, the free access on First Fridays at Neue Galerie certainly invites a lot of attention from visitors and museum enthusiasts.

• Pop-up Events

  Some popular New York museums like Spyscape and the Museum of Ice Cream also host various pop-up events from time to time, inviting celebratory frenzy among visitors.