Free Museums and Museum Days in Westchester and the Hudson Valley | MommyPoppins

Looking for FREE museums and museum days in Westchester and the Hudson Valley? Check out our exhaustive list below!

Westchester and the Hudson Valley are rife with enrichment opportunities, and some of the best places for these experiences take place in our area museums. While frequent visits can get costly, many of the museums on this list are FREE or have FREE days or times. Others are FREE for kids under a certain age, so we have broken those down by age group. Some programs still require registration, so we suggest you check with the museum before you head out. 

Reminder: In addition to the days and times listed here, many libraries offer a number of FREE museum passes as well. 

Get more ideas for FREE fun delivered to your inbox by signing up for our newsletters, and discover all the FREE events and activities near you in our Westchester Guide to Free Things To Do with Kids.

The cut-off ages imply that once children reach that age, they no longer qualify for FREE entry.

Free Museum Days in Westchester and the Hudson Valley 

Westchester Children’s Museum – Rye
Admission is FREE at this children’s museum for children ages 1 and under. Also, every Wednesday, they have a FREE Museum Minis program for toddlers 2 and under. 

Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum – Poughkeepsie
Family Free Night is held from 5–8pm on the third Saturday of each month at the MHDM. The museum also offers some free children’s workshops on select days. 

FASNA Museum of Firefighting – Hudson 
The museum hosts FREE Super Saturdays once a month, with fun kid-friendly activities and shows as well as FREE attendance to the museum. Registration is required for some of the programs. Children under 3 are always FREE. 

Neuberger Museum of Art – Purchase
While children under 12 are always FREE, everyone can visit for FREE on the first Saturday of every month.

Dia:Beacon – Beacon
Admission is always FREE for Beacon residents, but other residents of the Hudson Valley can take advantage of FREE days on the final Sunday of the month. Children under 5 are always FREE. 

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The whoel family can enjoy free entry to the Marine Education Center at Harbor Island Park. Photo courtesy of the center

Museums with Free Admission for the Whole Family

Westmoreland Sanctuary Nature Center and Wildlife Preserve – Mt Kisco
The Natural Science Museum and hiking trails are FREE of charge to all visitors and open 7 days a week. The museum features live animals including rabbits, birds, and turtles plus educational exhibits. 

Cranberry Lake Preserve and Nature Center – White Plains
This 190-acre park in the heart of Westchester features hiking trails and a nature center offering children’s programs, live animals, and interactive educational displays. Visitors can learn about the area’s past by following the History Trail to the remains of a 19th-century farmhouse and early 20th-century stone-mining operation.

Orange County Farmers Museum – Montgomery
This farm-focused museum is always FREE, although it’s only open on weekends from May until October.

Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center – Poughkeepsie
FREE and open to all, this museum features rotating art exhibitions, including art from around the world.

Magazzino Italian Art – Cold Spring
FREE and open to the public, this museum specializes in postwar and contemporary Italian art. Visit the website to make a reservation before your visit, as space is limited.

West Point Museum – West Point
The West Point museum focuses on the history of the West Point military base and the U.S. Army, featuring a large collection of cannons. 

Art Omi – Ghent
Admission is FREE at this institution, but donations are encouraged. This Sculpture & Architecture Park is situated on 120 acres in the Hudson Valley and offers a range of large-scale works in nature, plus a 1,500-square-foot gallery. Registration is required on the museum website. The institute also offers art camps and Saturday children’s art workshops. 

Marine Education Center at Harbor Island Park – Mamaroneck
The Aquarium at the Marine Education Center features fish and wildlife found locally in Long Island Sound. Activities for kids include touch tanks and FREE educational programs.

Free Admission for Kids Under 3

Hudson River Museum – Yonkers
The museum features rotating art exhibitions, a planetarium, and crafts and STEM workshops for kids.

Hudson Highlands Nature Museum – Cornwall
Surrounded by hiking trails that are FREE for the whole family to enjoy, this nature museum features a number of live animals found in the Hudson Valley. Activities include live animal demonstrations by museum staff as well as interactive exhibits teaching about nature and STEM topics. 

Museum Village – Monroe
See what life was like in the Hudson Valley in the 19th century. During guided tours, interpreters bring history to life with demonstrations and hands-on activities. Admission is FREE for children 3 and under. 

Free Admission for Kids Under 5 

Storm King Art Center – Cornwall
This outdoor art museum features large sculpture installations spread out across a large area with walking and stroller paths. They also offer children and families day activities on certain Sundays.

Hudson River Maritime Museum – Kingston
Located on the Kingston riverfront, this museum celebrates the maritime heritage of the Hudson River and its tributaries. They also operate a Wooden Boat School, Sailing, and Rowing Schools from its campus along Rondout Creek. FREE for kids aged 5 and under.

Lyndhurst Mansion – Tarrytown
Children 5 and under are FREE to explore (with parent supervision) this historic house and grounds, with lavish decorations and special events on certain holidays.

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Show your child around the Katonah Museum of Art. Photo courtesy of the museum 

Free Admission for Kids Under 12

Katonah Museum of Art – Katonah
While the museum is always FREE for children under 12, the institution also participates in FREE museum days throughout the year. Featured kid- and family-friendly events include family days, stroller tours, and creative community Fridays. 

Olana State Historic Site – Hudson
Access to Olana’s 250-acre landscape and miles of hiking trails is FREE. The park is open every day from 8am to sunset. Museum tours are FREE for children under 12.  

Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden – South Salem
Children 12 and under are always FREE. On their opening day celebration in the spring, admission is also FREE for all.