Imagine Fifth Avenue closed to cars, music playing in the street, people strolling between museums with ice cream in hand, and admission is free. That is the Museum Mile Festival.
What to expect
Museum Mile is a roughly 1-mile stretch of Fifth Avenue along Central Park, between 82nd and 110th Street on the Upper East Side. Some of the city's most famous museums line this part of the avenue, which is where the name "Mile" comes from.
On a Tuesday evening in June, this stretch of Fifth Avenue turns into a huge cultural street festival. The museums open their doors for free, and the celebration continues outside on the avenue.
These museums usually take part:
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
- Neue Galerie New York
- El Museo del Barrio
- Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum
- The Jewish Museum
- Museum of the City of New York
- The Africa Center
In addition to free admission, you can expect:
- Live music along the street
- Street food vendors
- Art workshops for kids
- Extended exhibition hours
Good to know
- The museum doors are open to everyone. Check each museum for its current program and exhibitions.
- The event is popular with both New Yorkers and visitors, so it gets very busy and long lines form at the museums. Arrive early and consider checking out some of the smaller museums too.
- In my opinion, The Met alone takes several hours, and even then you will not see everything. If you really want to enjoy The Met properly, I recommend coming on another day and taking your time. The Museum Mile Festival is a great chance to try museums that may not have been on your radar before.
- Part of the experience is simply enjoying the street festival atmosphere. You do not necessarily have to go inside a museum.
