Ticketing FAQ
All tickets—including Member tickets, complimentary tickets, and pre-paid pass tickets—must be reserved online in advance of your visit.
Hours:
Open daily, 10 am–5:30 pm. Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Ticket reservations available from 10 am–4 pm, now through January 1, 2024.
The Butterfly Vivarium is unavailable September 19–September 29.
View temporary hall closures.
Museum Members: Sign in to your profile before reserving tickets to access Member pricing.
Pay-What-You-Wish Admission
New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut residents (with ID): The amount you pay for General Admission only is up to you. See How does Pay What You Wish work? for details.
Common Questions
General Admission
Adult $28 | Student (with ID) $22 | Senior (Ages 60+) $22 | Children (3–12) $16 | Member Free
Includes permanent exhibitions, entry to the Gilder Center, Extinct and Endangered and Garden of Green.
General Admission + One
Adult $34 | Student (with ID) $27 | Senior (Ages 60+) $27 | Children (3–12) $20 | Member Free
Includes permanent exhibitions, entry to the Gilder Center, Extinct and Endangered and Garden of Green, plus one of these Ticketed Exhibitions — Davis Family Butterfly Vivarium or Invisible Worlds immersive experience. or Worlds Beyond Earth (Hayden Planetarium Space Show) or Blue Whales: Return of the Giants (giant-screen film) or The Secret World of Elephants.
General Admission + All
Adult $39 | Student (with ID) $31| Senior (Ages 60+) $31 | Children (3–12) $24 | Member Free
Includes permanent exhibitions, entry to the Gilder Center, Extinct and Endangered and Garden of Green, plus two or more of these Ticketed Exhibitions — Davis Family Butterfly Vivarium, and Invisible Worlds immersive experience, and Worlds Beyond Earth (Hayden Planetarium Space Show), and Blue Whales: Return of the Giants (giant-screen film), and The Secret World of Elephants.
Resident Pricing
For residents of NY, NJ, and CT
Adult $25 | Student (with ID) $20| Senior (Ages 60+) $20 | Children (3–12) $14
Includes permanent exhibitions, entry to the Gilder Center, Extinct and Endangered and Garden of Green, but does not include ticketed exhibitions.
Resident Pricing + One
For residents of NY, NJ, and CT
Adult $30 | Student (with ID) $24 | Senior (Ages 60+) $24 | Children (3–12) $17 | Member Free
Includes permanent exhibitions, entry to the Gilder Center, Extinct and Endangered and Garden of Green, plus one of these Ticketed Exhibitions — Davis Family Butterfly Vivarium or Invisible Worlds immersive experience. or Worlds Beyond Earth (Hayden Planetarium Space Show) or Blue Whales: Return of the Giants (giant-screen film) or The Secret World of Elephants.
Resident Pricing + All
For residents of NY, NJ, and CT
Adult $35 | Student (with ID) $28 | Senior (Ages 60+) $28 | Children (3–12) $20 | Member Free
Includes permanent exhibitions, entry to the Gilder Center, Extinct and Endangered and Garden of Green, plus two or more of these Ticketed Exhibitions — Davis Family Butterfly Vivarium, and Invisible Worlds immersive experience, and Worlds Beyond Earth (Hayden Planetarium Space Show), and Blue Whales: Return of the Giants (giant-screen film) and The Secret World of Elephants.
You can use your mobile device to make a ticket reservation if you have arrived at the Museum without an advance reservation. You will immediately receive a confirmation email that contains a QR code for entry to the Museum.
Availability for same-day entrance or certain time slots may be unavailable due to limited capacity and advance reservations.
Who is eligible?
- Residents of NY, NJ, and CT may pay what you wish for General Admission only.
- Ticketed exhibitions—Davis Family Butterfly Vivarium, Invisible Worlds immersive experience, Hayden Planetarium Space Show, and giant-screen film—are NOT included and cannot be added to a Pay-What-You-Wish ticket.
- To see any of our Ticketed exhibitions, select a Resident Pricing Ticket.
- For visitors outside of NY, NJ or CT, the fee for General Admission is mandatory.
Steps to make a pay-what-you-wish reservation:
- Select the checkbox that says "NY, NJ, or CT Residents. The amount you pay for General Admission is up to you."
- Enter an eligible zip code.
- Select "Pay What You Wish"
- Select the number of tickets.
- Select date and time of entry.
- Enter the amount you would like to pay.
The fee is suggested at $25 for adults, $20 for students with ID, $20 for seniors (ages 60 and up), and $14 for children (ages 3 to 12).
Or bring a valid ID to the Museum and pay what you wish at a ticket counter.
*Accepted forms of (valid) ID to prove NY, NJ or CT residence:
- Driver's license
- IDNYC
- State ID card
- Library card
- Student ID
- Current utility bill with address
- Voter registration card
If you are a Corporate Member, IDNYC member, have a library pass, Culture pass, or a multi-pass (like CityPass, NYPass, Go City, Tiqets, etc):
- Select the "Passholders or IDNYC and Corporate Members" checkbox.
- Select number of tickets.
- Select date and time of entry.
This is a reservation for timed-entry only.
Your transaction will be completed at the Museum.
Payment will be made at the Museum, if required.
If you are eligible for ticketed exhibitions, Hayden Planetarium Space Show, or giant-screen film they will be selected on arrival.
General Admission fees are waived for the following groups:
- Museum Members, IDNYC Members, corporate members, and corporate reward program members (including Chase Private Client Arts & Culture Card members)
- Children under 3
- All members of the U.S. military and their families during the Blue Star program, from Armed Forces Day to Labor Day. At other times of the year, free general admission is provided to members of the U.S. military and one guest.
- Cool Culture pass holders
- Caregivers accompanying visitors with disabilities
- Museum staff and museum sector staff
- Visitors who enter the Museum during the last hour of the day, 4:30-5:30 pm
*Please note that complimentary admissions still require a timed-entry reservation. Check the box that says "Passholders or IDNYC and Corporate Members" on the ticketing page to make your reservation.
Your transaction will be completed at the Museum.
Ticket reservations are non-transferable and non-refundable.
Yes! Call 212-769-5270, 9 am–5 pm ET, 7 days a week.
Temporarily Unavailable
- Coat check service
*Eating is prohibited in Museum galleries. Visitors may leave and return using the same timed-entry ticket on the same day. When re-entering the Museum, visitors must enter at the 81st Street or Central Park West entrances and must go back through the security line to be readmitted.
- Discovery Room
- Public educational laboratories
Health and Safety Requirements for Visitors
- Facial coverings are strongly recommended throughout the visit for all visitors ages 2 and up.
- Avoid visiting if you have symptoms of COVID-19, have been diagnosed with COVID-19 within the past 14 days, or have been in close contact (within 6 feet for 10 minutes or more) with someone infected with or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 within the past 14 days.
- Children under age 12 must remain with adults at all times.
- Use hand sanitizer, which will be available at stations throughout the building.
- Follow directions from staff and signage for physical distancing, reducing contact, and other guidelines for use of facilities.
- Follow the Museum’s Code of Conduct.
- Visitors who require an accommodation for any of these items must contact [email protected] before your visit to discuss your needs.
Entrances and Exits
- Visitors can enter and exit through Central Park West (upstairs) at 79th Street or at the accessible entrances on 81st Street/Rose Center for Earth and Space or Columbus Avenue at 79th Street/Gilder Center.
- For priority access, Members and their guests can use the Member entrance at Central Park West and 79th Street (ground level, under the grand staircase).
- Access-a-Ride Service and GPS devices:
- 56 West 81st Street - for the entrance at 81st Street/Rose Center
- 415 Columbus Avenue - for the entrance at Columbus Ave/Gilder Center
- Please note: There is no driveway at the Gilder entrance.