New York City is home to many of the world’s grandest museums, and June is unofficially the month for visiting NYC museums.
The offerings of June make it easier than any other time of year to get a glimpse of the sublime, with many of the city’s top museums offering special events, extended hours and even free admission.
Museum Mile Festival
Every year since 1978 museum month is kicked off with the Museum Mile Festival. The area on Fifth Avenue, from 82nd Street to 105th Street, is affectionately known as Museum Mile as it features many prominent NYC museums such as The MET, the Guggenheim, the Neue Galerie, Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, The Jewish Museum, and others.
The festival was created to promote awareness of and make the museums on Fifth Avenue more accessible; it did just that by making the participating museums on Fifth Avenue free for anyone to visit for one day only.
The festival has evolved into an exciting event, offering street entertainment and local artists displaying their street art. There is something for the entire family. This year’s festival is June 13th from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. It’s the perfect way to sample and find your favorite Fifth Avenue museum.
American Museum of Natural History Sleepovers
Do you remember when the Ben Stiller movie ‘Night at the Museum’ came out in 2006, giving life and personality to all the exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History? I mean, could there be a more loveable Teddy Roosevelt than Robin Williams.
Well, you now have the chance to experience almost the same thing (as an adult) in the same famous museum. There’s no guarantee all the exhibits will spring to life, however, it is guaranteed you’ll have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend the night looking up at the Giant Blue Whale in the Hall of Ocean Life.
The museum is making this a one-of-a-kind night for adults with special events and exhibits, snacks, and entertainment—as if the chance to roam almost empty museum halls and sleep beneath the whale wasn’t enough. You can purchase tickets online. The event takes place June 30th.
Extended Hours
As part of museum month, many museums will be offering extended visiting hours on certain days. The extended hours are intended to help you fit a visit into your busy schedule. So, why not plan a fun and enchanting evening out? Make sure to check frequently with your favorite museums for special summer events taking place as well.
A couple of our favorite museums with extended hours are The Whitney Museum of American Art which will remain open until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and The MET which will remain open until 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, including The MET Cloisters which will extend its hours to 7:30 p.m. on Fridays.
Our little hotel by Washington Square Park adores the arts, and we can’t help but be excited by what June brings to the art and museum world.
The City is full of unique museums that through their exhibits can transport you around the world, and help you experience some of the world’s most amazing works of art.
Photo Credit: ‘The Guggenheim during the Museum Mile Festival‘ by Amit Gupta under CC BY-NC 2.0
