Plan Your Visit

What are the ticket types?

There are three ticket types at the Museum: General Admission, General Admission + One or General Admission + All.

General Admission

Adult $23 | Student (with ID) $18 | Senior (Ages 60+) $18 | Children (3–12) $13 | Member Free

Includes admission to permanent Museum halls but does not include special exhibitions.

New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut residents (with ID)*: The amount you pay for General Admission is up to you. The option to pay what you wish applies only to General Admission, and the transaction must be completed at a Museum ticket counter.

General Admission + 1

Adult $28 | Student (with ID) $22.50 | Senior (Ages 60+) $22.50 | Children (3–12) $16.50 | Member Free

Includes admission to permanent Museum halls plus one of these special exhibitions or films:

Exhibitions: Sharks

Films: Wings Over Water or World's Beyond Earth

General Admission + All

Adult $33 | Student (with ID) $27| Senior (Ages 60+) $27 | Children (3–12) $20 | Member Free

Includes admission to permanent Museum halls plus all special exhibitions or films.

Sharks  and Wings Over Water and World's Beyond Earth

2020 Update to Regional Ticketing: Pay What You Wish

Who is eligible?

• Residents of NY, NJ, and CT (with ID)* may pay what you wish for General Admission only. 
• Special exhibitions (Sharks, planetarium show, and giant-screen film) are not included. To see any of our special exhibitions, reserve a full-price General Admission ticket and add exhibitions.
• For visitors outside of the tri-state region, the fee for General Admission is mandatory.

*Accepted forms of ID include: 

• Driver’s license
• IDNYC
• State ID card
• Library card
• Student ID
• Current utility bill with address
• Voter registration card

The fee is suggested at $23 for adults, $18 for students with ID, $18 for seniors (ages 60 and up), and $13 for children (ages 3 to 12).

Do guests of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut residents qualify for pay-as-you-wish suggested admission?

Tri-state residents with valid identification can pay suggested admission fees for four (4) General Admission tickets.

General Admission fees are waived for:

• 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

Common Questions

How do I purchase a ticket to the Museum?

All tickets must be reserved online on the Museum’s website.

Who qualifies for student admission?

Students with valid identification qualify for student admission fees.

Who qualifies for senior admission?

Seniors ages 60 and up with valid identification qualify for senior admission.

Who qualifies for child admission?

Children ages 3–12 qualify for child admission.

For more details about the benefits of Membership, please see the full Membership FAQ.

What are the benefits of Membership?

Membership benefits at all levels include unlimited free General Admission and special exhibition tickets, priority access to the Member entrance at Central Park West at 79th Street (ground level, via the driveway), parking benefits, and more.

For additional details, please see the full Membership options. 

How can I purchase a membership?

You can purchase a membership in one of two ways:

Online

You will receive a confirmation email. Select your membership level here!

By phone

Call 212-769-5606 to purchase your membership. The Membership Office is open Monday to Friday from 9 am–5 pm. The Membership Associate assisting you will provide you with a membership number.

To begin enjoying your benefits, you will need to register your membership by logging into the Museum’s website and then reserve your tickets. 

How do I do I log into the Museum's website to reserve my Member tickets?

Register your membership and create a profile. If you already have a profile, you may click on the profile icon wherever you see it at the top right corner of the website and log in from there. Once you are logged into the Museum’s website as a Member, you will be able to reserve your free timed admission to the Museum.

If you encounter any errors while registering or have difficulty logging in, please call or email the Membership Office for assistance.

How long is my membership valid?

Members enjoy 12 months of wonder and discovery at the Museum. Memberships are valid through the end of the month of purchase, plus twelve full months thereafter. (For example, a membership purchased on April 11, 2022 will be valid through April 30, 2023.)

Parking is available at our facility conveniently located within the Museum; enter at 81st Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue. The parking garage is open from 6 am–11 pm on weekdays, 8am–11pm on weekends.

Rates are as follows:

• Up to 1 hr: $26
• Up to 2 hrs: $29
• 2 to 5 hrs: $36
• 5 to 10 hrs: $46
• Max to close: $51

NYC Parking Tax is included. For more information, please call 212-313-7278.

Electric vehicle chargers are available to visitors and monthly parkers on the mid-level of the parking garage. These free charging stations include four charging units with a total of eight ports.

To sign-up for this free service, download the ChargePoint app and set up an account before your visit.

There are bicycle racks in the driveway of the Museum's Rose Center for Earth and Space, as well as in the parking garage. Both are accessible on 81st Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue.

You can park and lock up your scooter at one of several racks located outside the entrances at 81st Street (Rose Center for Earth and Space) and 77th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue (though that entrance is currently closed). Small, foldable scooters for young children may be carried by an adult if they do not bring a lock.

• Subway: Take the B (weekdays only) or C to 81st Street. Two blocks west of the Museum, the 1 train stops at Broadway and West 79th Street. For a complete subway map, visit the MTA website. 
• Please note: The 81st Street subway station and subway entrance to the Museum are not wheelchair accessible. The closest accessible subway station is the 72nd Street station for the 1, 2, and 3 trains, with a connection on the northbound M7 on Amsterdam Avenue.
• Bus: The M79 bus travels east/west on West 79th Street across Central Park, with a stop next to the Museum on West 81st Street. Other buses also stop at or near the Museum, including the M7, M10, M11, M86, and M104 buses. For complete bus information, visit the MTA website.
• Train: From North of New York City: See the Metro North Railroad website for maps and schedule information.
  • From Long Island: See the Long Island Railroad website for maps and schedule information.
  • From New Jersey: See the New Jersey Transit website for maps and schedule information.
  • From Outside the New York City Metro Area: If you are traveling from outside the New York City Metro Area, please visit the Amtrak website for route and schedule information and to purchase tickets.

Coat check is temporarily unavailable. 

Strollers are welcome throughout the Museum, except in theaters.

• The recommended Museum entrance for strollers is 81st Street/Rose Center for Earth and Space.
• Double strollers are not typically permitted in the special exhibition galleries due to space constraints. Where strollers are not permitted, stroller parking is provided. 
• Visitors with strollers can use the Museum’s free Explorer app to find routes that include elevators. Choose the accessible route and receive turn-by-turn directions.

The following are required:

• Following the Museum’s COVID-19 Health and Safety requirements for visitors at all times. Requirements include wearing facial coverings during your visit for all visitors ages 2 and up.
• Children ages 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
• Directions from security guards or other Museum staff must be followed.

Please be courteous to persons with disabilities when using elevators and benches.

The following are prohibited:

• Explosives, firearms, knives, weapons, and noxious gases or substances
• Bikes, roller skates, skateboards, wagons, and scooters (with the exception of small, foldable scooters for young children that may be carried by an adult)
• Food or drink (water bottles permitted)
• Dogs or other pets (service animals permitted)
• Running, climbing, or sitting on exhibits or railings
• Carrying children on shoulders
• Creating a disturbance, yelling, audible music devices
• Soliciting, posting or distributing any sign, notice, ad, or print material
• Entering any non-public area without authorization
• Adults wearing masks of any kind, except for facial coverings worn for health and safety purposes consistent with the Museum's COVID-19 Health and Safety requirements.

Lower level, near the subway entrance (accessible)

Lower level, Rose Center for Earth and Space (accessible)

First floor, Milstein Hall of Ocean Life (located on hall's lower level, access via elevator on mezzanine level) (accessible)

First floor, Rose Center for Earth and Space (accessible)

First floor, near the Grand Gallery (family and gender-neutral restroom; accessible)

First floor, near Linder and Kaufmann Theaters

Second floor, outside of The Butterfly Conservatory

Third floor, Hall of Primates

Fourth floor, Wallach Orientation Center (accessible)

LACTATION STATION

Lower level, Rose Center for Earth and Space (accessible)

Long-Term Closures

The Northwest Coast Hall is closed for a major project to revitalize the historic gallery.

The following are temporarily unavailable:

• Discovery Room
• Public educational laboratories

Except where noted, photography for personal use is allowed with hand-held cameras using available light or electronic flash attachments.

• Selfie-sticks are not permitted at the Museum.
• Tripods and lights may not be used.
• Reproduction or sale of photographs is not allowed without Museum permission.
• No photography or filming is permitted in the theaters, including the Hayden Planetarium Space Theater or in the LeFrak Theater.

Visit the first-floor security desk in the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall, email [email protected], or call 212-769-5222.