If you’re heading to New York City, chances are you plan to hit the city’s most popular attractions: the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park. You likely also have on your list some of the best museums in NYC, like the Met, MoMA, and the Guggenheim. But before you plan out your itinerary, you’re going to want to read this guide on 11 underrated New York museums.
These off the beaten track museums are some of the most unique things to do in NYC. These museums don’t have the same crowds you’ll find at other NYC experiences, and many are free museums in NYC!
Below, I’ll highlight my favorite unusual New York museums, from art museums to obscure galleries to even a spot where admission gets you a big ol’ bowl of delicious stir fry.
So if you’re looking for non-touristy things to do in NYC, you’ve found a bunch. I know you’ll love these museums in NYC as much as I did!
American Folk Art Museum
The American Folk Art Museum near Lincoln Center houses some of the country’s most significant art from self-taught artists. We’re more used to seeing masterpieces from painters and sculptors who studied art for decades, but this NYC museum highlights those who have created original works without training.
Their art education may be limited, but these artists’ imagination is not. Within this off-the-beaten-path New York museum, you’ll see paintings depicting everyday life, sculptures wrought from everyday objects and scenes sketched on the back of paper bags (the only paper some artists had). You may even see something that makes you rethink your definition of art.
How to visit the American Museum of Folk Art
Address: 2 Lincoln Square, New York City
Hours: Closed Mondays. Open hours vary; check web site for opening times. Closes 7pm.
Admission: Free (donations gladly accepted)
Nearby public transportation: 1 train
Neue Galerie
This New York art museum on the Upper East Side’s Museum Mile may be only blocks away from the city’s most famous museums, but it doesn’t have the same crowds or lines. The Neue Galerie (yep, that’s how they spell it), pronounced “Noya,” focuses on German and Austrian art of the 20th century. It calls a lovingly restored brownstone home.
The Neue Galerie displays works of fine art alongside beautifully designed objects such as chairs, glassware and a tea set I still fantasize about owning. I found myself staring at one portrait by Gustav Klimt, taking in the swirls and whorls of the patterns around a woman painted in gold. “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer” is one of my favorite paintings in all the New York museums—and I’ve been to just about every one.
Note, though, that children under 12 are not allowed in the Neue Galerie outside of special events and visits, such as Family Mornings. In addition, you cannot bring even empty water bottles into this NYC museum.
How to visit the Neue Galerie
Address: 1048 5th Ave, New York
Hours: Thursday – Monday, 11am – 6pm. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Admission: $12-25
Special admission days: First Fridays of the month, admission is free from 5 – 8pm. Children under 12 years are not admitted during First Fridays.
Nearby public transportation: 4, 5, 6 trains
Bard Graduate Center Gallery
Although I lived in New York for several years and go back often, I’d never heard of the Bard Graduate Center until my most recent visit. This unassuming museum on the Upper West Side, just a block and a half from Central Park, is one of New York’s best off-the-beaten-path discoveries. When I talk about it, even people who have lived in New York for decades say they’ve never heard of the Bard Graduate Center, much less been inside.
When I visited this little-known New York museum, it featured an exhibition on French fashion during World War I. Dresses, uniforms, magazines, photographs and catalogues were displayed on the museum’s three floors. I love looking at old fashion, so I was thrilled to take in the century-old gowns and caftans. But I learned a lot, too. The exhibition thoughtfully connected through-lines between fashion, feminism, social change and war.
I saw maybe two or three other people at the Bard Graduate Center, besides the incredibly nice woman at the counter. I had the museum almost entirely to myself. This museum is one of New York’s hidden gems that I can’t wait to revisit every time I’m in NYC.
How to visit the Bard Graduate Center
Address: 18 W 86th St, New York City
Hours: 11am – 5pm Friday – Sunday and Tuesday, 11am – 8pm Wednesday – Thursday. Closed Monday.
Admission: $5-7
Nearby public transportation: 1, B, C trains
Morgan Library and Museum
When you think of New York libraries, I’m about 99% sure you’re imagining the famous New York Public Library branch in Midtown with the enormous stone lions out front. After all, the NYPL has been in countless movies, from Sex and the City: The Movie to Spider Man.
I’m going to tell you about another library that doubles as a museum—one almost no tourist ever visits.
The Morgan Library and Museum was financier Pierpont Morgan’s home, which he filled with room after room of rare books and art. When it became a museum in 1924, conservators kept the rooms looking just like they had when this very wealthy collector built it. So as you walk through the Morgan Library and Museum, you’ll see not only paintings on the wall but also sculptures on book shelves, couches and chairs, writing desks and fireplaces ready to be lit.
Some of this little-known museum’s rare books are cracked open, including a Gutenberg Bible—only one of 49 in the world. A gallery in the front of this New York museum holds seasonal exhibitions. When I visited, it highlighted the charcoal portraits of John Singer Sargent.
How to visit the Morgan Library and Museum
Address: 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York City
Hours: Vary, check the web site for hours. Closed Mondays.
Admission: $13-22, free for children under 12
Special admission days: Admission to the Morgan Library and Museum is free Friday nights from 7-9pm. Live jazz plays in the atrium, and wine and other drinks are available for sale.
Nearby public transportation: Grand Central Station (4, 5, 6, 7 and S trains)
Museum at Eldridge Street
The Museum at Eldridge Street is one of the most beautiful locations in New York City. It’s also one of the most hidden gems in all of Manhattan.
This historic synagogue in the Lower East Side was transformed into a museum. Its caretakers restored what had become a dusty, pigeon-filled building. With its epic stained glass windows, you won’t soon forget this underrated museum in NYC.
You’ll take a self-guided tour through the synagogue to learn about Jewish immigrants to the U.S. To learn more about what to expect in this Lower East Side museum (and for more photos!), read my full post on the Museum at Eldridge Street.
How to visit the Tenement Museum
Address: 12 Eldridge Street, New York City
Hours: Sunday – Thursday 10-5. Friday 10-3. Closed Saturday. Check the website for closures for Jewish holidays.
Admission: $8-15
Special admission days: Pay what you wish admission on Mondays and Fridays
Nearby public transportation: B, D trains at Grand St
Tenement Museum
New York is a city of immigrants—in fact, almost of all of the United States traces its heritage from elsewhere, except Native Americans. New York’s Tenement Museum tells real stories of the immigrant experience to root our understanding of how NYC was shaped by newcomers—and continues to be formed by that history.
The Tenement Museum in the Lower East Side takes visitors through one of several buildings where dozens of immigrant families lived. We did the Irish Outsiders tour, one of eight tours offered, each of which focuses on one immigrant group. Joining a tour is the only way to visit the Tenement Museum. Although I’m generally not a tour-loving person, I can’t imagine seeing this museum any other way.
In the Irish Outsiders tour, we learned of one Irish family, the Moores, that made New York its home in the 1800s. In just an hour, I came to care deeply for these real people who lived in the very building where I stood. Our tour guide brought them to life, sharing their struggles and celebrations while weaving in context of what life was like for immigrants during that time. I may not have remembered facts and statistics from a plaque, but I’ll never forget Bridget, the family’s matriarch, or Baby Agnes, who didn’t live to see her first birthday.
The Tenement Museum in New York is brilliant in the way it shares living, breathing history with visitors. It makes immigration, an issue that might feel abstract or contentious, feel concrete and personal. I want every single visitor to attend one of the tours in this New York hidden gem. I know I’ll be back to experience the other tours.
“Immigration is not a political story. It is a human story.”
-David, a Tenement Museum tour guide
I wouldn’t bring young children to the Tenement Museum, though. The tours involve a lot of standing and listening, and young kids would get restless. Children 0-5 are not admitted.
How to visit the Tenement Museum
Address: 103 Orchard Street, New York City
Hours: The museum opens at 10am and closes between 6:30 – 8:30pm, depending on the day.
Admission: $22-27.
Special admission days: You must join a tour to visit the Tenement Museum. Tours often sell out, especially on the weekends, so it’s best to buy tickets in advance. That said, some tours are more popular than others, so you have a better chance of getting last-minute or day-of tickets to these tours, or all tours during weekdays.
What’s more, this New York museum offers discount for military members, teachers, people who are disabled and people who live in the neighborhood (with zip code 10002).
Nearby public transportation: F, M, J and Z trains
Level 10 travel tip: The Tenement Museum also has an excellent gift shop, accessible to the public without the need of tickets. If you’re looking for New York gifts, books or souvenirs, the Tenement Museum is one of NYC’s best places to find them.
The Frick Collection
If you’ve ever wanted to imagine what it’s like to live as a zillionaire in a New York mansion, the Frick Collection is the place to do it. This little-known museum is right down the street from the Met and the Guggenheim, but it’s off the beaten path. I recently went to the Frick Collection on a Saturday morning, when there were no crowds and zero lines—compared to the Met, where you can expect to wait upwards of 30 minutes just to buy your ticket in.
The Frick Collection has kept the look and feel of a residence, displaying paintings in rooms still furnished with couches, tables, desks and the like. This hidden gem specializes in art; in fact, it displays three paintings by Johannes Vermeer—of the only 34 Vermeers known in the world.
In addition to the art, the museum’s courtyard is worth a visit in its own right. This central spot is lit by the many windows set into the roof, and its fountain casts a spell of calm over the entire room. Tropical plants and flowers breathe life into the courtyard. It’s an excellent place to sit for a while—a peaceful refuge in bustling New York.
As a heads-up, the Frick is in the middle of proposing updates and remodels to the Frick Museum. The current proposal is controversial because it would turn some rooms into traditional museum galleries with white walls (and no plush setees). So before you visit the Frick Museum, check its web site to ensure construction won’t interrupt your visit.
Children under 10 years old are not admitted.
How to visit the Frick Museum
Address: 1 East 71st Street, New York City
Hours: Tuesdays – Saturdays 10am – 6pm. Sundays 11am – 5pm. Closed Mondays.
Admission: $12-22
Special admission days: Wednesdays 2 – 6pm are pay what you wish for admission. Admission is free First Fridays from 6 – 9pm.
Nearby public transportation: 6 and Q trains
Museum of Food and Drink
I almost literally stumbled across Brooklyn’s Museum of Food and Drink when walking to meet a friend for lunch. This little museum is definitely off the beaten path but is worth a visit, especially if you’re particularly interested in the cuisine the museum is highlighting when you’re in town.
When I recently went to the Museum of Food and Drink, it focused on Chinese-American restaurants. The first thing I noticed was how good it smelled in there—as if I were walking into a restaurant, not a museum.
I thought the museum’s displays were overly text-heavy. To get the most out of the exhibit, I had to read a lot, and I missed more interactive opportunities. That said, I enjoyed looking at all the menus and learning about Chinese-American food: from the patterns of immigration (and discrimination) to opening restaurants for Chinese workers to adapting recipes for American tastes.
I didn’t realize that my ticket also got me a taste of one of the sample recipes. I sat down at the counter and talked with the chef, who told me about his own family’s history of immigration from China while he stir fried a cauliflower dish in an enormous wok. Talking with the chef—hearing his very personal stories, including how one grandfather fled totalitarian China by swimming miles through the ocean until he reached an island—was by far the best part of my experience at the Museum of Food and Drink.
How to visit the Museum of Food and Drink
Address: 62 Bayard Street, Brooklyn
Hours: Friday – Sunday 12 – 6pm. Closed Monday – Thursday.
Admission: $7-14, children 5 and under are free. These general admission tickets include one tasting.
For the full tasting of 3 dishes, tickets are $17-25.
Nearby public transportation: M train
Jewish Museum
Also along Museum Mile—5th Avenue on the Upper East Side, where there’s practically a museum on every block—sits the Jewish Museum. This institution celebrates Jewish contributions to art and culture.
When I recently visited, I loved the expansive exhibition on Edith Halpert, one of the most influential gallerists in United States history. She was revolutionary as she championed artists who were also African American, Jewish, Japanese American, self-taught or another marginalized identity. And she celebrated their works during controversial times, from World War II (when the US government interned people of Japanese descent) to the McCarthy era.
The New York museum’s permanent collection is a mix of modern and contemporary art alongside traditional works, such as cases to hold the Torah. New York’s Jewish Museum also holds a world-class collection of menorahs, including one carved from wood stolen from factories in a concentration camp.
Regardless of your background or religion, the Jewish Museum in NYC is an excellent add to an art lover’s list.
How to visit the Jewish Museum
Address: 1109 5th Avenue at 92nd Street, New York City
Hours: Thursday 11am – 8pm, Friday – Tuesday 11am – 5:45pm. Closed Wednesdays.
Admission: $8-18. Children 18 and under, as well as active duty military and their families, are always free.
Special admission days: The Jewish Museum is free to visit on Saturdays and Jewish holidays. Know, though, that its audio guides are unavailable on Saturdays.
Nearby public transportation: 6 train
Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum
The Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum isn’t technically a hands-on children museum, but it’s one of the most engaging museums for children (and adults!) I’ve seen.
First of all, this New York museum’s displays are so varied that every room offers a surprise. From a piece of oversized light bulbs filled with moving mechanical butterflies to a room where visitors can design and display their own wallpaper, the Cooper Hewitt is never dull.
I can’t believe I hadn’t ever visited, or really heard of, the Cooper Hewitt until my most recent trip to New York City. I can’t help but be disappointed in all those years I missed this innovative and thought-provoking museum.
How to visit the Cooper Hewitt
Address: 2 East 91st Street, New York City
Hours: Monday – Friday 8am – 6pm. Saturday 10am – 7pm. Sunday 10am – 6pm.
Admission: $9-18 ($2 off your ticket if you buy online). Children 18 and under are always free. $10 tickets for people with disabilities.
Special admission days: Saturdays are pay as you wish from 6 – 9pm.
Nearby public transportation: 4, 5 and 6 trains
Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian
Lower Manhattan is not exactly off the beaten path—Battery Park, the Statue of Liberty and Ground Zero draw thousands of visitors each day—but tourists rarely visit the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. That’s a shame for them, but nice for you: You’ll be able to explore the artifacts, dress and art of North America’s Native Americans without fighting any crowds.
This off the beaten path museum highlights different tribes and cultures, showing the variety of clothes, pottery, beadwork, paintings and sculpture from across North America. The museum also addresses head-on the history of violence against Native Americans.
I appreciated the hands-on digital displays alongside some pieces. My kids would love playing with the touch screen in front of a traditional outfit. And downstairs, the imagiNATION Activity Center invites kids to dive in to Native American culture and design. Kids can pretend to kayak, build a bridge by weaving together ropes and build an igloo with blocks.
The museum building itself, the Alexander Hamilton Customs Building, is breathtaking, too. I spent almost as much time admiring the building’s intricate details as I did immersing myself in Native American craftsmanship.
How to visit the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian
Address: 1 Bowling Green, New York City
Hours: 10am – 5pm, Thursdays open until 8pm
Admission: Free
Nearby public transportation: 4, 5, J, Z, R and W trains
New York City Fire Museum
History buffs and kids alike find a lot to love about the New York City Fire Museum. This off the beaten path museum in Soho has filled an old fire station with artifacts and memorabilia of fire fighters dating from when the city was still called New Amsterdam, not New York.
Antique fire engines, lanterns and other gear fill entire rooms. Old posters give visitors a sense of how fire fighters fit into a city much different from today’s—for example, I learned about fires and other emergencies in the city’s Five Points neighborhood, near modern-day Chinatown and the Lower East Side.
I loved the second floor’s parade fire engines, which fire fighting brigades would proudly ride down the street during city celebrations. Clearly, New York loved its fire fighters long before their sacrifices on 9/11.
Speaking of which, the New York Fire Museum also has a memorial for fire fighters who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center Twin Towers. The memorial, covered in photos of those who were killed, was overwhelmingly emotional. If you visit the New York Fire Museum with kids, decide ahead of time how you’ll address this history with your children.
If you’re curious to learn more, read my full post on the New York Fire Museum here.
How to visit the New York Fire Museum
Address: 278 Spring Street, New York City
Hours: 10am – 5pm daily.
Admission: $5-10
Special admission: Free for active and retired military, and active and retired members of FDNY/NYPD/DSNY/PANYNJ
Nearby public transportation: 1, C and E trains
Museum of the City of New York
This New York museum is along Museum Mile, but it’s not on the beaten path by a long shot. The Museum of the City of New York is just up the street from the Met and the Guggenheim but gets way fewer visitors.
That’s too bad, because this underrated museum is so cool.
On a recent visit, the museum hosted an exhibit on the puppets of New York, from Sesame Street characters to larger-than-life puppets from the city’s Halloween parades.
My favorite section of the museum was a photography exhibit showcasing how the city has changed over the decades. The black and white photos showed neighborhoods that looked as if they’d been bombed, graffiti-covered subways and block parties for famous musicians. I couldn’t stop thinking of those photos for the rest of my trip. It’s incredibly how much New York has transformed.
How to visit the Museum of the City of New York
Address: 1220 5th Avenue, New York City (at 103rd Street)
Hours: Friday – Sunday, 10 – 6.
Admission: $14-20. People 19 and under enter free.
Nearby public transportation: 6 train at 103rd, 2/3 trains at 110th Street/Central Park North
El Museo del Barrio
Just one block away from the Museum of the City of New York, El Museo del Barrio is absolutely worth a stop. El Museo was founded as a counterweight to the privilege of white male artists who dominate traditional fine arts museums.
In El Museo, you’ll find exhibits that center artists of Latin American descent. It also makes an effort to highlight queer and other voices traditionally left out of fine arts circles.
On a given visit, you’ll see paintings and sculptures, just as you would in most other museums. El Museo also curates video, installation, and unconventional pieces. Recently, we saw sculpted bags of Takis, paintings decorated like quinceañera cakes and a wall covered in shredded paper as if it were a giant piñata.
How to visit El Museo del Barrio
Address: 1230 5th Avenue, New York City
Hours: Friday – Sunday 11-5
Admission: $5-9 suggested admission. Children 12 and under enter free.
Special admission days: Members of the Whitney get free admission.
Nearby public transportation: 6 train at 103rd, 2/3 trains at 110th Street/Central Park North
The most underrated museums in NYC
These unique, non-touristy museums in NYC probably won’t be on most visitors’ itineraries—which makes them even more appealing in my book. These unusual things to do in NYC are underrated not because they’re not worth visiting but because they’re off the beaten path.
That makes you want to go to these New York museums even more, doesn’t it?!
When you visit—whether you go on museum free days or pay full admission—let me know how you like them. And definitely give me the heads up of which New York museums or other unique things to do in NYC I should check out on my next trip!
These are so great! Love learning about the smaller, less touristy museums when I travel. How have I missed the Museum of Food & Drink?! I will definitely add that to my list next time I am in Brooklyn!
The Chinese-American exhibit up now was delicious, and African-American food is next. Yum!!
I have been getting together a list of things to do in NYC and this makes a perfect addition. Thank you so much for sharing
You’re welcome, Georgina! I hope you have a wonderful trip to NYC!
I love going to unusual museums. They are unique and sometimes quirky which makes them stand apart. I will never forget how much I enjoyed my visit to Sulabh Toilet Museum in Delhi.
A toilet museum?! Now that I have to see!!!
Oh my goodness! The Morgan Library and Museum looks amaaaazing! Seriously, all of these look fun to explore, but that is like travel-porn for library lovers!! 😀
I would be keen to visit a bunch of these, but goodness they have some hefty price tags don’t they!? I guess you could spend a whole bunch of dollars if you visited them close together. It seems like a fantastic list for folks who live nearby, who can visit them slowly over a longer period of time.
It makes me appreciate how lucky we are to have so many fantastic free museums back in London.
I definitely spent a bit of money on my last trip to NYC, but I did pay close attention to the free and discounted days. I got in free to the Jewish Museum, the Cooper Hewitt and the Morgan Library by paying close attention to the free and cheap museum days in New York; and the American Indian Museum is always free. But I hear you, they add up!
The next time you’re in NYC, also check out the Albertine – it’s a gorgeous French and English book store near Central Park that has the prettiest painted ceiling. If you’re a library lover you’ll adore it.
This list is amazing! I hold a special place in my heart for NYC as I got married there. Cant wait to check some of these out on our next visit – like Brooklyn’s food museum!
Aw, I love it when destinations have a special sentimental meaning. Let me know how you like the Food and Drink Museum!
I like the spirit of visiting the off-the-beaten-path museums. As for the food and drink museum, and it smelling like food, I would have probably missed most of the exhibits craving for food. 🙂
Haha, I know – the amazing smell of food was definitely an attraction! You could always go straight for the food and then go back around to the exhibit. Ya gotta have your priorities straight! 😉
Hey Catherine,
Awesome post! I am a museum fanatic. I live on the west coast and I think I visited all the Musuem type places here. I travel occasionally to the east coast and I cannot get enough of the places to visit.
Your post is being bookmarked right now, for future reference. Thank You!
Anna, I’m a museum nut too! What’s your fave museum on the West Coast?? I hope you get to check out some of these New York museums on your next trip… they might not be what everyone else does, but that’s part of the appeal, isn’t it?
Wonderful article. I now have a handful more places to explore on my next visit. I’m most interested in the Tenement Museum, Morgan Library and Native American Museum.
You’re going to love them, Calvin! So happy to give you ideas for your next trip to NYC.
So happy to give you ideas for your next trip to NYC, Calvin! I def want to spend more time in the Morgan Library, too.
Ok, sign me up for all of these! I’ve been to MOMA (which was great) but I wish I’d known about many of these lesser-known museums on my last trip. I’ll definitely stop at the Nueue Gallerie, as a big fan of Gustav Klimt on my next trip.. And, the Morgan Library and Museum looks really great, too…such charm! I’m bookmarking this article as input to my itinerary. THANK YOU!
I love Klimt too! The portrait in gold is worth a visit in and of itself. I still heart MoMA but there are too many great museums in New York to stop there!
I would like to see the Frick Museum. Gorgeous courtyard. I can’t believe how many museums there are in NY! And many are free?! Will check out some of these.
Thank you for sheding some light on this collection of less visited museums. They all sound interesting – The Morgan Library and Museum is added to my must visit places in NYC. Thank you for sharing it!
Greatt list! The Morgan Library is one of my FAVORITE places in NYC. I think its very underrated. I tell everyone I know to go there. Love your other suggestions too! Pinning this for my next visit.
This is such a helpful guide for so many amazing museums! When I went to NYC the Public Library was closed – the Morgan Library looks like it would have been such a good spot to go to too! I will definitely need to visit the next time I am there.
Both libraries are 100% worth a visit! So glad my post on unusual NYC museums helped. 🙂
What a fun interesting blog post! I have a huge fascination and love for libraries and awesome book stores, so the Morgan Library and Museum would totally be something I’d love and never would’ve known about it had I not stumbled on this blog post. Thank you for sharing 🙂
You’re so welcome, Destiny. There are so many unusual museums in New York City that it’d be a shame to only stick to the well known ones. I’m a big fan of libraries and books to – I hope you get to go to the Morgan Library soon! It’s beyond cool.
This is such a helpful guide for so many amazing museums! it’s a great thing to do in this museum…
So glad you liked the post on New York’s hidden museums, Sahl! There are a ton of gems in NYC.
Saving this list for our next visit to New York. We have visited 9 or 10 times and have only been to one of these – The Tenement Museum. We also went on the Irish Outsiders tour and thought it was a fascinating lesson in immigrant history.
Isn’t New York amazing in that there’s *always* something more to do? So glad you liked this post on unusual museums!