September in New York means the light gets a little gentler, the crowds thin out just enough, and — best of all — some of the city’s best museums are throwing their doors open for free. Whether you’re a broke-and-proud local or just love a good deal, here’s your full roundup of NYC’s free museum days this September, plus the spots that are always free, every single day.
September Free Days
Weekly & Recurring Free Days
- Sept 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 — Museum of the City of New York, Free Wednesdays, open to 9 PM
- Sept 3, 10, 17 & 24 — Museum of the Moving Image, 2–6 PM
- Sept 3, 10, 17 & 24 — Museum of Jewish Heritage, 4–8 PM
- Sept 4, 11, 18 & 25 (plus Sept 13) — Whitney Museum, Fridays 5–10 PM, Sunday all day
- Sept 4, 11, 18 & 25 — Morgan Library & Museum, 5–8 PM
- Sept 4, 11, 18 & 25 — New York Hall of Science, 2–5 PM
- Sept 4, 11, 18 & 25 (plus Sept 20) — Poster House, Fridays + third Sunday, all day
- Sept 4, 11, 18 & 25 — MoMA, 5:30–8:30 PM, NYS residents only
- Sept 5, 12, 19 & 26 — The Jewish Museum, all day
- Sept 6, 13, 20 & 27 — Studio Museum in Harlem, all day
- Sept 3, 10, 17 & 24 — Historic Richmond Town, 2–4 PM
One-Time & Special Free Dates
- Sept 4 — Noguchi Museum, 11 AM–8 PM
- Sept 6 — 9/11 Museum, 4–7 PM (NY locals only)
- Sept 7, 14, 21 & 28 — 9/11 Museum, 5:30–7 PM
- Sept 10, 11, 17, 18, 24 & 25 — China Institute Gallery, 5–8 PM
- Sept 17 — Intrepid Museum Astronomy Night, 5:30–9 PM
- Sept 24 — Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 2–5 PM
Heads up: Whitney, MoMA, the Morgan, New York Hall of Science, and Poster House all recommend reserving your free tickets early — these dates tend to fill up fast.
Always Free
No calendar-watching required for these — they’re free every day of the year.
- Bronx Museum
- Derfner Judaica Museum
- Center for Brooklyn History
- Coney Island History Project
- Lefferts Historic House
- Waterfront Museum
- Weeksville Heritage Center
- African Burial Ground National Monument
- American Folk Art Museum (open through Sept 13)
- Hispanic Society Museum & Library
- Museum at FIT (opens Sept 16)
- National Museum of the American Indian
- Nicholas Roerich Museum
- Print Center New York (opens Sept 17)
- Rose Museum at Carnegie Hall (reopens in September)
- Skyscraper Museum
- Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace
- Center for Jewish History
- Federal Hall National Memorial
- Hamilton Grange National Memorial
- General Grant National Memorial
- MoMA PS1
- King Manor Museum
- Queens County Farm Museum (except ticketed events)
- SculptureCenter (opens Sept 19)
- Dia Chelsea
- New York Earth Room
- The Broken Kilometer
- NYPL Treasures Exhibition
However you like to spend a Sunday afternoon — staring down a dinosaur skeleton, wandering a Chelsea gallery, or finally making it to that museum you’ve been meaning to visit for years — September’s giving you plenty of free excuses. Pin this one and plan your month around it.
