How to explore Manhattan’s museums for free
(or nearly)
Last Sunday, I was treated to an hour of angelic music sung by the professional choir of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and the visiting Saint Patrick’s Cathedral Dublin Choristers. If you like classical harmonies in an ancient setting, listening to Evensong in the world’s largest Gothic cathedral is an experience not to be missed in New York. Even if you’re not particularly religious, the musical treat is a rare freebie in the consumerist city, as most tourists have to shell out $15 just to go sightseeing inside the cathedral. Google rarely tells visitors how to visit the cathedral without spending a dime.
As a foreign student spending my hard-earned and hopelessly devalued savings in a freaking expensive city, I was delighted to learn that my NYPL card also gave me free access to many of the city’s museums. With the Culture Pass, I have saved hundreds of dollars visiting art institutions including MOMA, Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, Guggenheim Museum, and the Morgan Library that charge visitor fees. Later, I would learn that New York City residents have pay-as-you-wish access to hugely popular attractions like the Met and the American Museum of Natural History, which I managed to explore just before the rush of the post-pandemic revenge travel season. You can even bring companions and save more!
Morgan Library and Museum
My school ID also allowed me to apply for $10 student tickets at Carnegie Hall, which sends text alerts for special events such as the free Jon Batiste show at the Cooper Union downtown, certainly one of my most memorable cultural experiences in the city. If you’re a frustrated musician or dancer whose hopes were dashed by grinding childhood poverty, the Lincoln Center (which includes the prestigious Juilliard School) on the Upper West Side is a great place for hanging out and watching free performances all year round. Pro tip: if you’re looking for discounted Broadway tickets, the TKTS booth at Lincoln Center is definitely a better option than the one at Times Square as it’s inside a building and has fewer lines.
There’s nothing like watching literary and television personalities talk about their work in person, so it’s been a heady cultural experience to sit in the audience during one of NYPL’s many special public events. I’ve watched Project Runway’s Tim Gunn and the BBC’s Mary Beard talking about the Twelve Caesars, and bestselling author Annie Proulx giving her insights about writing her latest book Fen, Bog & Swamp. The recorded talks are made available in NYPL’s YouTube channel afterwards, but there’s really no comparison to a live event when listening to serious talks featuring famous people.
It’s going to be spring soon, so next week we’ll talk about the birds and the trees and other wonderful sights in New York’s urban parks, which you can all enjoy for free. We’ll even venture outside Manhattan and take a stroll in Brooklyn and the Bronx where we can stop and smell all the colorful flowers after the dreadful chill in February.