Visiting New York City may be expensive but you won't break the bank at these museums. Here is a list of museums that are free or have a suggested admission (pay whatever you think the admission price should be) broken down into certain days.

Mondays
Brooklyn Botanic Garden - free during weekdays of November 20 to February 29 (regular price $8)
Museum at Eldridge Street - free tours from 10 a.m. to noon (regular price $10)
Rubin Museum of Art - free admission for seniors only (65 and up) on the first Monday of every month (regular price $7 for seniors)
Yeshiva University Museum - free from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. (regular price $8)

Tuesdays
Brooklyn Botanic Garden - free all day (regular price $8)
China Institute Gallery - free from 6 to 8 p.m. (regular price $7)
Morgan Library & Museum - free access to the McKim rooms only from 3 to 5 p.m. (full museum access $12)
Wave Hill gardens - free all day during off-peak months (January–April, July–August, November–December) and free 9 a.m. to noon during peak months (May, June, September and October) (regular price $6)

Wednesdays
Bronx Zoo - admission is pay-what-you-wish donation (regular price $15)
Brooklyn Botanic Garden - free during weekdays of November 20 to February 29 (regular price $8)
Museum of Jewish Heritage - free from 4 p.m to 8 p.m. (regular price $10)
NY Botanical Garden - free grounds access only. Does NOT include admission to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, Everett Children's Adventure Garden, Rock and Native Plant Gardens (April–October), or Tram Tour” (regular price for grounds-only access is $6)
Staten Island Zoo - free from 2 p.m to 4:45 p.m. (regular price $7)
Transit Museum - seniors free (regular price $3 for seniors)
Van Cortlandt House Museum - free all day (regular price $5)

Thursdays
Brooklyn Botanic Garden - free during weekdays of November 20 to February 29 (regular price $8)
China Institute Gallery - free from 6 to 8 p.m. (regular price $7)
Museum of Arts & Design - pay-what-you-wish from 6 p.m to 9 p.m. (regular price $15)
New Museum - free from 7 p.m to 10 p.m. (regular price $12)

Fridays
Asia Society - free from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. except from July 4 to Labor Day. (regular price $10)
Bronx Museum - free all day (regular suggested price $5)
Brooklyn Botanic Garden - free during weekdays of November 20 to February 29 (regular price $8)
Children's Museum of Manhattan - free on the first Friday of each month from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. (regular price $10)
Folk Art Museum - free from 5:30 p.m. (regular price $9)
Guggenheim - pay-what-you-wish from 5:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. (regular price $18)
International Center of Photography - "voluntary contribution”from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. (regular price $12)
Morgan Library & Museum - free from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (regular price $12)
Museum of Modern Art - free from 4 p.m to 8 p.m. (regular price $20)
New-York Historical Society - free from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (regular price $10)
The Noguchi Museum - pay-what-you-wish on the first Friday of each month (regular price $10)
NY Hall of Science - free from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. from September to June (regular price $11)
Rubin Museum of Art - free from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. (regular price $10)
South Street Seaport Museum - free on the third Fridays of each month from 5 p.m.to 9 p.m. (regular price $10)
Whitney Museum of American Art - pay-what-you-wish from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (regular price $15)

Saturdays
Brooklyn Botanic Garden - free from 10 a.m. to noon (regular price $8)
Brooklyn Children's Museum - free admission before 11 a.m. (regular price $7.50)
Brooklyn Museum - free on first Saturdays of each month from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. (regular suggested price $8)
Jewish Museum - free from 11:00 a.m. - 5:45 p.m. (regular price $12)
New Museum - free on first Saturdays of each month on a first-come, first-served basis (regular price $12)
NY Botanical Garden - free grounds access from 10 a.m. to noon. Does NOT include admission to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, Everett Children's Adventure Garden, Rock and Native Plant Gardens (April–October), or Tram Tour” (regular price $6)
Wave Hill - free from 9 a.m. to noon (regular price $6)

Sundays
Brooklyn Children's Museum - free admission before 11 a.m. (regular price $7.50)
Frick Collection - pay-what-you-wish from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (regular price $15)
Morgan Library & Museum - free access to the McKim rooms only from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. (full museum access $12)
Museum of the City of New York - free from 10 a.m. to noon (regular suggested price $9)
NY Hall of Science - free from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m from September to June (regular price $11)
Studio Museum in Harlem - free from noon to 6 p.m. (regular recommended price $7)

Museums with a suggested donation
American Museum of Natural History - ($15 recommended)
Bronx Museum - ($5 recommended)
Brooklyn Museum - ($8 recommended)
The Cloisters - ($20 recommended)
Metropolitan Museum of Art - ($20 recommended)
Museum of Biblical Art - ($7 recommended)
Museum of the City of New York - ($9 recommended)
New York City Fire Museum - ($5 recommended)
New York City Police Museum - ($5 recommended)
P.S. 1 MoMA - ($5 recommended)
Queens Museum of Art - ($5 recommended)
Sculpture Center - ($5 recommended)
Staten Island Museum - ($2 recommended)
Studio Museum in Harlem - ($7 recommended)

Other
Bank of America Museums on Us allows cardholders free admission during the first weekend of every month to the Metropolitian Museum of Art, the Jewish Museum, New York Hall of Science, International Center for Photography, Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium, American Museum of Natural History, and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space museum.

Great list! You can plan your week around it

I'd also recommend taking a bus tour if you've never been to NY before. They are cheap if you go online and will take you all over the place.

Those hop on and off bus tours are pretty cool. You can get off and do some walking tour then hop back on later on another bus.

Yep, that's exactly what i did.

Awesome list. Will using this next time im down in the city!

Good list......
I never knew that there these much of the free museums.
Thanks

This is really a great list. You can visit free museums in New York City and you can see arts. Museums that have suggested contributions and museums that have special free hours to visit. Many museums support themselves on the donations received by visitors, if can try to give even a small amount of donations.