Museums, Museums, Museums

The best things in life are FREE (or they should be)

The common phrase ‘the best things in life are free’ doesn’t always resonate – especially when you are living in one of the world’s most expensive cities. Everywhere you look there are things, eats, people – all begging for your pence (or penny). What is amazing to me, in such a city as London, is that some of the most priceless things you will ever see are, in fact, free. Ok, so you can’t take them home, but you can look at famous art, artifacts, pieces, collections – all for free. Thanks to public financing, admission to all nationally-run museums in London is free to the general public. If only the rest of the world could be as artistically (and financially) progressive and supportive. While in New York City, for example, museums are not free on a daily basis, most do have free days or hours for those of us who are starving artists starving for art. Below is a compilation of some of the world’s most famous art museums and their free days and times. Happy free-loading.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, USA – no free days or times but admission is by ‘suggested donation’ which is $20 but you are allowed to pay-what-you-can. Museum of Modern Art, New York City, USA – Free admission on Fridays from 4 – 8 pm. Whitney Museum of Art, New York City, USA – ‘Pay what you wish’ on Fridays from 6 – 9 pm. The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia - Free admission the first Thursday of every month The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, USA – Free admission Thursdays from 5 – 8 pm British Museum, London, UK – Free all day, everyday The Tate Museum, London, UK – Free all day, everyday Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA – Admission is by voluntary contribution Wednesdays after 4 pm. Vatican Museums, Rome, Italy – Free admission the last Sunday of every month Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, Spain – Free admission on the following dates every year: May 2 (Official Holiday for the Region of Madrid); May 18 (International Museum Day); October 12 (National Holiday); November 19 (Anniversary of the Museo Nacional del Prado); December 6 (Constitution Day) The Smithsonian , Washington, D.C., USA – Free all day, everyday Centre Pompidou, Paris, France – Free admission the first Sunday of every month The Louvre, Paris, France – Free admission the first Sunday of every month and on July 14