The Metropolitan Museum of Art Free Days

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is pay-what-you-wish every day for New York State residents; NY, NJ and CT students (with ID) — no free-day calendar needed. The Met is pay-what-you-wish every day for New York State residents and NY, NJ and CT students — the amount you pay is up to you, from $0.01 per ticket. Everyone else pays $30 (adult). Pay-what-you-wish tickets online require a New York State billing address; NJ/CT students buy in person with student ID Verified on The Metropolitan Museum of Art's own page, last checked 2026-10-01.

At a glance

What "free" covers here

The Met doesn't need savings math — the ticket line is pay-what-you-wish for New York State residents; NY, NJ and CT students every day. Budget for the rest instead: all tickets include exhibitions and same-day entry to both Met locations. For anyone outside the free group, regular admission runs $30.

Upcoming free days

No calendar needed if you qualify: New York State residents; NY, NJ and CT students (with ID) pay what they wish on any open day. Everyone else pays standard pricing ($30 adult (standard)).

Know before you go

• Who qualifies: New York State residents; NY, NJ and CT students (with ID). Bring proof for every adult in the group — redemption is where residency gets checked, not booking.
• Reservations: Pay-what-you-wish tickets online require a New York State billing address; NJ/CT students buy in person with student ID.
• What's covered: All tickets include exhibitions and same-day entry to both Met locations.
• Schedule detail: Suggested admission daily for NY residents + NY/NJ/CT students.
• Worth knowing: Accepted residency proof is broad: a NYS license, IDNYC, a current bill with a NY address, a student ID — even a New York library card.
• Another way in free: The Met participates in Museums on Us — Bank of America cardholders get free general admission on the first full weekend of every month, independent of the schedule above.

Other ways in, no calendar required

• Bank of America cardholders skip the calendar entirely at The Met: Museums on Us covers one free general admission on the first full weekend of every month, card + photo ID at the desk.
• Households with a SNAP EBT card can use Museums for All: free-to-$5 admission for up to four, valid during regular hours at 1,700+ institutions across the country — look up The Met on the official participant list.
• An art- or history-museum membership from another city may already cover The Met: check the NARM roster with our reciprocity lookup — a qualifying membership travels to 1,400+ museums.

Dates don't line up?

Regular tickets ($30 adult (standard)) are on metmuseum.org — skip third-party sellers, the official price is the floor. Planning a bigger New York itinerary? A CityPASS New York bundle can undercut separate tickets — just check the current lineup for The Met before paying.

Also free in New York

American Museum of Natural History (pay-what-you-wish daily (residents)) · Bronx Zoo (no regular free day) · MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) (fridays 5:30pm–8:30pm) · Brooklyn Museum (pay-what-you-wish daily) · Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (sun/tue 4pm–5:30pm (pwyw)) · Whitney Museum of American Art (fridays 5pm–10pm) · Museum of the Moving Image (thursdays 2pm–6pm) · 9/11 Memorial & Museum (mondays 5:30pm–7pm) — or see the full free museum days in New York guide.

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