Free museum shows and exhibits in New York City
Want to get a dose of art and culture without spending a penny? Head to one of these free museum shows.
Attention, art lovers! (Or people who occasionally view art! Or those who’d like to view more!) There are free museum shows happening in Chelsea and beyond every day. Find ’em below.
RECOMMENDED: Full list of free things to do in NYC
“Dramatic Jewelry: The Five Masters”
- Free
Aaron Faber Gallery, 666 Fifth Ave at 53rd St (212-586-8411, aaronfaber.com). Subway: E, M to Fifth Ave-53rd St; F to 57th St While trend-conscious women all over the world are currently donning bold and colorful rings, necklaces and bangles, this contemporary five-designer showcase brings statement baubles to another level. You’ll find glass displays filled with one-of-a-kind bespoke pieces from British designer Charlotte De Syllas, American craftsman Michael Good, Italian sculptor Paolo Marcolongo, Germany’s Peter Schmid, and couple Tom and Jutta Munsteiner. The Instagram-worthy items include 18-karat gold brooches, blown-glass-and-metal rings and geometrically cut gems that are more wearable art than jewelry. On May 18, Good stops by to talk about his work and anticlastic raising, the metalsmithing technique he developed (2–5pm; free).
Alexandre Arrechea, No Limits
- Critics choice
- Free
A new city-within-a-city has sprung up along the Park Avenue Mall: the latest public-art show conceived by the Fund for Park Avenue’s Sculpture Committee. Cuban-born artist Alexandre Arrechea, 42, put up the steel sculptures that create a walkable art tour between 54th and 67th Sts. Each piece is a riff on an iconic NYC building that twists and bends its source of inspiration as though it were a malleable garden hose. Among the architectural gems depicted are the Empire State and Chrysler buildings, plus lesser-known edifices such as the Helmsley, Seagram and Citigroup buildings.—Lee Magill
- Park Avenue Mall Park Ave, between 49th and 68th Sts, 10022
- Sun May 26 - Sun Jun 9
"Busted"
- Free
Ditch the stuffy museums and head to the High Line, where you can see a number of sculptures that riff on portraits and monuments, created by nine artists from around the world. Think Roman forum, but with a waft of humor and a contemporary spin. Works you’ll see among the benches and greenery include a bronze satyr, Colin Powell and a giant nose. Sculptors represented include Frank Benson, Steven Claydon, George Condo, Mark Grotjahn, Sean Landers, Goshka Macuga, Ruby Neri, Amalia Pica and Andra Ursuta.
- The High Line Washington St at Gansevoort St, to Tenth Ave at 30th St
- Sun May 26 - Wed Sep 18
"Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian"
- Critics choice
- Free
Presenting a diverse range of artistic output by natives of North, Central and South America, the permanent exhibition includes approximately 700 pieces spanning thousands of years. Tykes can gape at headdresses, 2,000-year-old duck decoys created by peoples in the Great Basin, elaborate masks from the Northwest Coast, and Olmec and Mayan carvings.
- National Museum of the American Indian Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, 1 Bowling Green, between State and Whitehall Sts
- Sun May 26 - Tue Dec 31
"On Time/Grand Central at 100"
- Critics choice
- Free
MTA Arts for Transit and Urban Design curate this contemporary-art exhibit that celebrates the transit hub’s centennial. Artists tackle the theme of time, with pieces that include a video of a recent Improv Everywhere performance in the terminal, an installation of Grand Central ephemera, and photographs and paintings that reference the station’s iconic imagery.
- New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex Grand Central Terminal, E 42nd St, between Lexington and Vanderbilt Aves
- Sun May 26 - Sun Jul 7
"Doodle 4 Google"
- Critics choice
- Free
The annual nationwide contest asks students (grades K–12) to submit their own version of the Google logo based on the 2013 theme: "My Best Day Ever." In addition to seeing the winning design on the Google homepage for 24 hours on May 23, the top submissions from each of the 50 states, judged on such criteria as artistic merit, creativity and ability to communicate, are on view at AMNH.
- American Museum of Natural History Central Park West, at 79th St, 10024
- Sun May 26 - Sun Jul 14
Museum
- Critics choice
- Free
Museum—a 60-square-foot repository located in an abandoned Tribeca freight elevator—debuted last May and, after closing to swap out exhibitions, has reopened for its second season. Its collection is a mishmash of found objects and artifacts donated by hobbyists; its permanent holdings include an index card detailing a pot dealer's pricing scale and—allegedly—the shoe that was thrown at President George W. Bush. This season's temporary exhibits include a collection of artifacts from American prisons, curated by Baron von Fancy; a selection of "moon rocks," gathered beneath the Park Avenue Armory during the recent Tom Sachs exhibit "Space Program: Mars"; and a selection of Screw magazine founder Al Goldstein's personal artifacts. During off-hours, curious spectators can peek at the items through peepholes and access its audio guide via cell phone.
BLDG 92
- Critics choice
- Free
The visitors’ center at the former shipbuilding complex offers information on the facility and its connection to the surrounding neighborhoods. Plan an afternoon trip to check out its core exhibit, “Brooklyn Navy Yard: Past, Present and Future,” which examines the space’s historical significance and future plans. Weekend tours of the yard itself are available by bus and bike ($18–$30). A free weekend shuttle departs from Jay St at Willoughby St.
"Reflections on Rosie"
- Critics choice
- Free
BLDG 92 and the Brooklyn Historical Society look at the legacy of Rosie the Riveter and the changing role of women in the workplace during World War II. The exhibit collects oral histories from pathbreaking women who worked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, as well as images from magazines of the time and the work of four female entrepreneurs who operate out of the hub today.
Red, Yellow and Blue by Orly Genger
- Free
Madison Square Park's latest art installation, Red, Yellow and Blue by Orly Genger, is a series of colorful wavy walls made up of painted, hand-knotted nautical rope—1.4 million feet of it, which comes to 20 times the length of Manhattan (the rope weighs 100,000 pounds). The primary-colored walls will dissect the park into spaces both hidden and visible, making it the ideal spot for a game of hide-and-seek, or just a great adventure with a camera in hand. Note that lawn access hours have not yet been determined.
- Madison Square Park E 23rd St to E 26th St, between Fifth and Madison Aves
- Sun May 26 - Sun Sep 8
