MoMA in New York Tickets and Tours

Spending an afternoon at the MoMa is a great plan: here's how to get tickets and the works you can't miss inside.
MoMA in New York Tickets and Tours

More about: MoMA in New York Tickets and Tours

The MoMA in New York is the world's most important museum of modern art and one of the must-see attractions in the Big Apple. It has an extensive collection of 200,000 pieces, including works by Picasso, Dalí, Van Gogh and Andy Warhol, among many others.

The MoMA in New York (Museum of Modern Art) is incredibly popular. It is therefore not surprising that it is one of the most visited museums and that there are long queues at the ticket office. Here's how to avoid them:

The best option

The Museum of Modern Art Admission Tickets

Secure your advance ticket to MoMa

Perfect if you want to visit this museum without wasting time waiting at the ticket office and explore the exhibitions at your own pace.

MoMA offers a complete experience dedicated to modern art that is suitable for all ages. If you buy this ticket to MoMa in New York, you will get immediate access to the world's most famous collection of modern and contemporary art. MoMA houses such iconic works as Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, Miró's Dutch Interior and Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans.

The repertoire also includes architecture, photography, film, design, performance art and media. What's more, with this ticket to MoMA, you'll also have access to MoMA PS1, the contemporary art centre in Long Island City, for 14 days after your visit to the Manhattan headquarters, so you can soak up even more art.

Recommended if... you want to avoid queues at the ticket office and not miss out on the masterpieces of modern art during your visit to New York.


MoMA ticket prices

The exterior of MoMa| ©Wikimedia
The exterior of MoMa| ©Wikimedia

At Hellotickets, you can buy tickets to MoMa online in advance, starting at £23 It is best to avoid buying them at the ticket office, as there are usually long queues and after waiting a long time at the door, you will enter the museum already tired. If you are a minor or belong to a specific group (student, over 65, etc.), you may be eligible for special rates.

Below is more information about MoMa prices and discounts.

  • Adults: £28.
  • Over 65 with ID: £21.
  • Students with ID: £16.
  • Children under 16: free.

Book your tickets for MoMA in New York

MoMA opening hours in New York

At MoMA| ©Jill Lloyd
At MoMA| ©Jill Lloyd

MoMA is open from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day (Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.). MoMA is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. MoMA PS1 is also closed on New Year's Day.

Of course, if you're thinking of rounding off the experience with a drink in one of its cafés or restaurants, or even visiting its designer shops, you can check all the MoMA opening hours here to make sure you plan your visit without any hitches.

Book your tickets for the MoMA in New York

Where it is and how to get there

Location of MoMA on the map of New York
Location of MoMA on the map of New York

Before booking your tickets for MoMA in New York, you should know that it is located on 53rd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. To get to MoMA by public transport:

  • Subway: the nearest station is 5th Avenue and 53rd Street, lines E and V.
  • Bus: you can get there on bus lines M1, M2, M3, M4 and M5.

The great thing about its location in the heart of Midtown is that it makes it a perfect spot on the map from which to organise other visits or tours. So, if you have time, it's always a good option to walk there (it's not far from Times Square, Central Park or even the Flatiron Building).

Book your tickets for the MoMA in New York

Tourist cards that include the MoMA

The MoMA garden| ©Wikimedia
The MoMA garden| ©Wikimedia

To make the most of your trip to New York, the best idea is to book your New York tourist card. Why? If you use it well, you'll save money and time by not having to buy individual tickets and, in some cases, you won't even have to queue to get in. I recommend:

  • New York Pass: works by the day and you pay depending on the number of days. Highly recommended if you like to see a lot in one day. Includes skip-the-line access to over 100 top attractions and activities in New York, such as MoMA and the Statue of Liberty. You can read more details here: New York Pass.
  • New York City Explorer Pass: if you know exactly which tourist attractions you want to see, this is ideal because you can customise your visit to the max. You choose the attractions and pay according to the number. From the moment you activate the pass, you have a whole month to use it, so you can take your trip at your own pace. You can choose from over 100 activities and attractions, and you'll get skip-the-line entry to some attractions. More details here: New York Explorer Pass.
  • New York Sightseeing Pass: valid for a specific number of days, each day from midnight to midnight. This is the best option if you want to see the tourist attractions at your own pace. It includes skip-the-line access to over 100 attractions and activities, credit to spend on attractions, great discounts and a free meal at a restaurant of your choice from a list of popular places. You can find more details here: New York Sightseeing Pass.

Book your New York tourist card

What to see at MoMa?

One of the galleries at MoMa| ©Wikimedia
One of the galleries at MoMa| ©Wikimedia

From the eight paintings and one drawing with which MoMa began back in 1929, its collection has grown to over 100,000 pieces today, including paintings, prints, sculptures, photographs, drawings, designs, films, architecture and printed matter. Added to this is the annexation of MoMa PS1 in Queens, a cultural space that focuses especially on contemporary art.

All this makes it undoubtedly one of the best museums in New York, so don't forget to book your tickets for the MoMA in New York. It's a must-see.

The MoMA's vast collection is spread over six floors, although most of it is distributed between floors 2, 3, 4 and 5, as the first floor is used as a lobby (shop, ticket office, art lab, restaurant, etc.) and the sixth floor is reserved for special exhibitions. Below, you can see the best works at the MoMA.

Book your tickets for MoMA in New York

Museum collections

Inside the MoMA| ©MoMa
Inside the MoMA| ©MoMa
  • Hall: During your visit to MoMa in New York, you can enjoy a coffee and relax in the museum's Sculpture Garden, an oasis in the middle of the city, designed by Philip Johnson in the 1950s.
  • Floor 2, Collection 1970s - Present: The second floor of MoMA in New York is dedicated to prints, illustrated books and audiovisual media. There is also a café here.
  • Floor 3: The third floor of the museum is devoted to collections of architecture, graphic and industrial design, drawing and photography.
  • Floor 4, 1940s–1970s Collection: Here you can find works by artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Japer Johns, Jackson Pollock, Yayoi Kusama, Robert Rauschenberg and Mark Rothko.
  • Floor 5, 1880s-1940s Collection: On the fifth floor of MoMA, you can see paintings by artists such as Frida Kahlo, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse and Piet Mondrian.
  • Floor 6: The sixth floor is reserved for special exhibitions. From the large windows on the top floor, there are amazing views of Midtown Manhattan, where important buildings such as Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral and Grand Central Station are located.

Isabel's traveller tip

For a quick visit to MoMA, focus on the fourth and fifth floors, where you'll find works by famous artists such as Warhol, Pollock, Matisse and Cézanne.

Where to eat near the MoMA?

Eating near the MoMA| ©Brett Jordan
Eating near the MoMA| ©Brett Jordan

If all that art has worked up your appetite or you're just in the area during your day of sightseeing and fancy a bite to eat, here's a guide to the best places to eat near the MoMA.

In general, you're in luck because it's an area with lots of offices and people. Finding a good American burger, a pasta dish or even a place to stop for a quick bite of fast food won't be difficult.

Book your tickets for the MoMA in New York

A brief history of MoMa

Entrance to the MoMA| ©Wikimedia
Entrance to the MoMA| ©Wikimedia

Located in the heart of Manhattan, right next to Central Park, is the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York, the most important museum of modern art in the world. It was opened in 1929 on the initiative of three philanthropists named Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, Mary Quinn Sullivan and Lillie P. Bliss with the aim of helping others to understand and enjoy modern visual arts.

When MoMA opened its doors, it began exhibiting its first works in modest facilities. However, the public response was so positive that in the following years the museum had to move several times to larger locations until it settled in its current home in 1939.

When booking your tickets for the MoMA in New York, you should know that it is currently considered a temple of modern and contemporary art in the West and has even undergone a new expansion to make more space for new exhibitions.

Book your tickets for the MoMA in New York

The MoMA shop

The MoMA shop| ©Bianca Porcar
The MoMA shop| ©Bianca Porcar

Be warned: if you go into the museum shop, you'll want to take everything home with you. You may think that buying souvenirs in museums is a trick to exploit tourists, but the products in the official MoMA shop (MoMA Design Store) are well worth a look, at the very least. Design lovers will find unique items ranging from books, furniture and decorative pieces to mugs and souvenirs of New York.

The shop at this New York museum has its own website, as you would expect, and attracts hundreds of visitors every day, whether or not they are MoMA visitors. It is located right in front of the museum, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, and is open every day of the week.

Book your tickets for the MoMA in New York

Other museums that may interest you

Natural History Museum| ©Ana Belén Puente
Natural History Museum| ©Ana Belén Puente

If you would like to round off your visit to New York with another museum, I highly recommend:

Buy your tickets for the MoMA in New York

Reviews from other travellers

4.6
· 20729 Reviews
  • L
    L.
    4
    (0 Reviews)
    I recommend this pass to anyone who wants to make the most of their visit to the city.
  • R
    R.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    The Sightseeing Flex Pass was an excellent investment for my trip to New York.
  • A
    A.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    I loved the option to choose on the fly which attractions to visit.
  • L
    L.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    The pass gave me the freedom to explore the city without worrying about buying individual tickets.
  • C
    C.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    Some attractions had limited opening hours, so it is important to plan ahead.