Starting January 1, admission to MoMA PS1 will be completely free for all

Here's a fun twist: for what might actually be the first time, NYC is about to get cheaper.

Beginning January 1, 2026, MoMA PS1 will become the city’s largest free museum, eliminating admission for all as the institution marks its 50th anniversary. The change is made possible by a major gift from creative entrepreneur Sonya Yu, a longtime champion of community-building through the arts.

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PS1 has long leaned into experimentation and accessibility, from its repurposed schoolhouse home in Long Island City to its decades of boundary-pushing exhibitions. And this new move marks a defining moment.

“For fifty years, MoMA PS1 has made the work of living artists relevant and accessible,” said Connie Butler, Agnes Gund director, in an official statement. “I am deeply grateful for Sonya Yu’s transformative support, which will make free access to our oasis for contemporary art and culture here in Queens possible for all. Thanks to Sonya’s extraordinary gift, we can invite even more New Yorkers and audiences from across the world to engage with our program.”

Yu’s gift expands a program that previously offered free admission only to New Yorkers. Now, everyone who walks through the doors gets the same no-cost entry. Yu said she hopes the initiative will spark new connections for audiences who may not previously have seen themselves represented in museum spaces.

For Queens officials, the change feels like a natural extension of the borough’s ethos.

“It’s no surprise that New York City’s largest free museum is here in Queens, where we continue to break down barriers to the arts,” said borough president Donovan Richards Jr. in an official statement.

PS1’s free era will kick off in plenty of time for its marquee exhibition, "Greater New York," which opens on April 16, 2026, along with a slate of other programming tied to the museum’s anniversary. 

PS1 will maintain its current hours, with tickets available online. Starting next year, the only barrier between you and a world of contemporary art is figuring out which train to Queens is running on any given day.