Free Museums Near Me: 7 Ways to Visit America's Museums for Free

A great museum day doesn't have to start with a ticket line. Across the United States, thousands of museums open their doors for free, some every day and many more on a regular schedule. If you've ever searched for free museums near me, these are the most reliable ways to find them.

1. Start with museums that are always free

Some of the most visited museums in the country never charge for general admission. The best-known example is the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where every museum on the National Mall is free, including the National Museum of Natural History and the National Air and Space Museum.

The National Gallery of Art, also on the Mall, is free too. Beyond D.C., many university art galleries and city-run history museums are free year-round. They are often small, uncrowded and surprisingly rich.

2. Look for free days and free evenings

Many museums that normally charge admission offer free hours on a regular schedule, often one evening a week or one day a month. Schedules change, so the most dependable approach is to open a museum's page here, follow the link to its official website, and check its "Visit" or "Admission" page before you go.

3. Use your library card

A growing number of public libraries lend museum passes the same way they lend books. Passes usually cover free or discounted admission for a family on a specific date, and popular dates go quickly, so it's worth reserving a few weeks ahead. Ask your local library whether it participates.

4. Bank of America's Museums on Us

Bank of America and Merrill cardholders can get free general admission at participating museums on the first full weekend of every month through the Museums on Us program. Participating museums are listed on the program's website, and the offer typically covers the cardholder only.

5. Blue Star Museums for military families

Through the Blue Star Museums program, participating museums offer free admission to active-duty military personnel and their families, generally from Armed Forces Day through Labor Day each summer.

6. Pay-what-you-wish admission

Some museums ask for a suggested donation rather than a fixed price for certain visitors. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for example, admission is pay-what-you-wish for New York State residents and for students in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

7. Museum Day

Once a year, Smithsonian magazine's Museum Day lets visitors download a free ticket for two at hundreds of participating museums across the country. The event usually takes place in the fall, and tickets are released in advance on the magazine's website.

Find free museums near you

The fastest way to start is the museum map on our homepage: allow location access and we'll show the closest museums with distances. You can also browse every state or search by city. Before you visit, always confirm current admission on the museum's own website, since free days and policies change.