The great thing about New York is that it has a bit of everything for every taste. New York is the capital of the world and a true metropolis in every sense. Whether you are a born New Yorker or just a stranger passing by, this city will find a way to surprise you. A unique mix of different cultures and influences meet here, each leaving its unique mark in corridors of time. Needless to say, New York has a huge offering of museums to visit. It this article we will point out at what free NYC art exhibitions are available to visit.
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American Museum of Natural History
Located in the very heart of New York, in the upper West Side of Manhattan, this is the largest natural history museum in the world. The museum is composed of 28 connected buildings with 45 exhibition rooms. The collection consists of 33 million different items. Here you can find:
- Fossils and minerals
- Plants and animals
- Rocks and meteorites
- Human Remains
- Human artifacts
The museum opened its doors to the public in 1869, and today it has 850,000 visitors per month. Most popular exhibitions here are dinosaur fossils, the Dzanga-Shanga rainforest, giant Olmec Head and the dynamic Earth globe. Best time to go there if you wish to avoid the crowds is early Sunday mornings or late afternoons. If you want to book tickets in advance, you will have to pay the full price online, and if you get in for free, some exhibitions won’t be available to you. Namely IMAX and Hayden Planetarium show. If you liked Manhattan for its diversity and culture contact Manhattan movers and arrange a stress-free relocation here.
National Museum of the American Indian
When we say New York, our thoughts usually drift towards busy streets filled with people running late for their meetings. These are typically held in one of the numerous sky-piercing glass buildings. Another idyllic picture typical for this city is Central Park in autumn when every possible shade of orange, yellow and red collide to create a stunning visual experience. But what makes this city a pinnacle of human civilization is not its financial power or number of citizens. It is the culture. We continue our tour with another interesting museum which you can visit if you are interested in the history of American Native people. Furthermore, this museum is completely free and is a great place to go with your family. There are daily tours which include storybook readings and interesting workshops for children.
Bronx Museum of the Arts
Like the name suggest the museum is located in the Bronx and was opened in 1971 in partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum primarily hosts various works from modern contemporary artists. Here you can see over 800 paintings, photographs, sculptures and works on paper. Exhibitions celebrating the art and influence of Latin America, Africa, and Asia are often held here. From 2012 the museum stopped charging entrance fees and is now free on all days. In conclusion, if you love modern art, make sure you visit the Bronx Museum of Arts.
Visit El Museo del Barrio for free NYC art exhibitions
Located in the Fifth Avenue, this museum boasts one of the largest collections of Latin American and Caribbean art. It houses of 6,500 pieces which embody 800 years of Latin American art. Here you can find paintings, photographs, and artifacts from the pre-Colombian period, documentary films, sculptures, and drawings. Just north from the Museo del Barrio is the Museum of the City of New York which is also completely free to visit. The museum has an impressive collection of artifacts, documents, and photographs that witness the history of this city. During its rich history, New York oversaw events like the battle for Long Island and gave us people like Herman Melville, J.D. Salinger or Martin Scorsese.
Galleries to visit for free NYC art exhibitions
Being a major cultural hub, New York has an endless offering of gallery exhibitions and artistic installations. It is a difficult task to visit all of them, especially if you are here for a limited period of time, but here we will list those which are free to visit.
Chase Contemporary is an art gallery that primarily focuses on the Pop Art movement. Here you can see art by Andy Warhol, born in New York, as well as Retna, known for her graffiti works. Andy Warhol was the leader of the Pop Art movement in America. To this day his works generate debates of how we should perceive art. For instance, Richard Taittinger Gallery opened in 2015 and here you can see works by contemporary artists from all over the globe.
Phillips is a gallery in Park Avenue where you can find works from various modern artists. Furthermore, this gallery gained cult status because collectors come here to buy and sell their artworks. If you collect paintings, this might be the best place for you. Soho Contemporary is, like the name suggests, another place where you can find works ranging from Pop Art to Abstract Expressionism. Works from Andy Warhol and Jean-Michelle Basquiat are on display here.
For all of you cultural and art buffs, we are positive that New York won’t disappoint you. These were some of the Free NYC art exhibitions that you can visit. If you dig deeper you can find even more. It is difficult to keep track of all the exhibitions because new ones emerge almost daily. And if you decide to spend a couple of dollars for entrance fees, your choices become infinite. Enjoy your stay in New York.