Late-night museums in New York: MoMA, the Met and more

Bronx Museum of the Arts

• Free

It's the end of the week, and you don't want to make any more tough decisions. Thankfully, with the BMA's First Fridays, you don't have to. Take in art and music for free once a month, with entertainment such as DJ sets, live jazz bands, video displays and expert Q&As running well into the night. First Friday of the month 6–10pm; free.

Brooklyn Museum

Target First Saturdays at the beginning of every month lets you wander the museum until 11pm, taking breaks to hear music, sip drinks and enjoy cool activities related to the current shows. Line up early to secure tickets to see movies or to take limited-space classes, or become a member for preferential treatment. First Saturday of the month 5–11pm; free.

Discovery Times Square

This exhibit center off Times Square keeps its doors open until 9pm on weekends, so you can join the chorus and catch some culture when the sun goes down. Fri, Sat until 9pm, last admission 8pm; $27.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

• Critics choice

The Met has plenty of awesome stuff to gawk at, such as the Greek and Roman galleries, pre-Jesus textiles and lots of naked sculptures. Fri, Sat until 9pm; suggested admission $25, seniors $17, students $12, members and children under 12 free.

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

What do you mean, you still haven't been? The must-see gallery is viewable through 8pm on Fridays (nab free admission starting at 4pm) and during the summertime keeps its doors open until 8:45pm on the first Thursday of the month. The only problem is, you might find half of Manhattan there at the same time. Fri 4–8pm, first Thursday of Jun, Jul, Aug 10:30am–8:45pm; free.

The Morgan Library & Museum

J. Pierpont Morgan was a rich, scary man who had so much loot that the government would come to him for loans. The library that bears his name usually has some excellent exhibits and a wealth of historical treasures such as rare books, art and ancient artifacts. And come Friday night, you can peruse 'em for free. Fri 7pm–9pm; free.

Museum of Arts & Design

Thursday is the night for workaholics and stressed students to run in and see exhibitions showcasing everything from jewelry to bicycles. Thu 6–9pm; pay what you wish.

Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA)

Put down your wontons and learn about the people whose ancestors spawned them. MOCA aims to preserve and document the Chinese-American immigrant experience. Go for Target Free Thursday and buy Chinese meal afterward with the cash you saved on admission. Thu 6pm–9pm; pay what you wish.

New Museum of Contemporary Art

Exhibits by excellent but perhaps underappreciated artists—like Emory Douglas, Dorothy Iannone and Jeffrey Inaba—make this museum a nice, less-crowded alternative to MoMA. Thu 11am–9pm; $12.

Rubin Museum of Art

The Rubin features many sweet and soul-improving exhibitions on Eastern art and thought, making it the perfect place for a late-night bolt of inspiration. On Fridays, you'll get the bonus of drinks at the venue's K2 Lounge, plus movies, tapas and music. Fri 6–10pm; free.

Whitney Museum of American Art

• Critics choice

TGIF at the Whitney, which stays open an extra three hours to mark the end of the workweek. Fri 1–9pm; $18, students and seniors $14, children under 18 free.