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470 rated museums

Best Museums in Manhattan, NYC

The best museums across 41 Manhattan neighborhoods, ranked by star rating and how many reviews back it.

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Moodap lists 470 rated museums in Manhattan, spread over 41 neighborhoods. Ground Zero in Financial District leads the list with a 4.9-star rating, and Financial District has the most to choose from (63).

Prices run from $ to $$$$. Common vibes include cultural, inspiring, quiet, classic. A perfect score from a handful of reviews doesn’t outrank hundreds of strong ones, so the places at the top are ones many people rate highly.

Top 10 Museums in Manhattan

  1. Rank 1

    Financial District

    Ground Zero

    4.9 out of 5 on GooglePrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet
  2. Rank 2

    Upper West Side

    Play Street Museum - Upper West Side

    4.9 out of 5 on GooglePrice level $

    A museum on the Upper West Side. Reviewers come for the activities, say it handles big groups, and single out the staff.

  3. Rank 3

    Financial District

    South Tower Pool

    4.9 out of 5, 356 Google reviewsPrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet
  4. Rank 4

    Financial District

    9/11 Memorial & Museum

    4.8 out of 5 on GooglePrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet
  6. Rank 6

    Financial District

    North Tower Pool

    4.8 out of 5 on GooglePrice level $$

    A museum in the Financial District. Insider tip: Look for white roses on names at the Memorial, which indicate the 9-11 Memorial staff is honoring the birthdays of victims. Known for The largest manmade waterfall in North America.

  7. Rank 7

    Upper West Side

    Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation

    4.8 out of 5, 419 Google reviewsPrice level $$

    A museum on the Upper West Side. Insider tip: Book tickets for the Butterfly Vivarium in advance as it requires a separate admission ticket and can reach capacity quickly. Known for its Davis Family Butterfly Vivarium.

  8. Rank 8

    Hell's Kitchen

    Submarine USS Growler

    4.8 out of 5, 289 Google reviewsPrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet
  9. Rank 9

    East Village

    The Brant Foundation

    4.8 out of 5, 265 Google reviewsPrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet
  10. Rank 10

    Upper East Side

    Ukrainian Institute of America

    4.8 out of 5, 224 Google reviewsPrice level $$

    A museum on the Upper East Side. Reviewers single out the staff and mention coming on a date.

Financial District

18 spots

Financial District guide
  1. Rank 1

    Indoor

    Ground Zero

    4.9 out of 5 on GooglePrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet
  2. Rank 2

    Indoor

    South Tower Pool

    4.9 out of 5, 356 Google reviewsPrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet
  5. Rank 5

    Indoor

    North Tower Pool

    4.8 out of 5 on GooglePrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet
  6. Rank 6

    Indoor

    The Stranger's Project

    5.0 out of 5, 70 Google reviewsPrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet
  9. Rank 9

    Indoor

    Fraunces Tavern Museum

    4.7 out of 5, 123 Google reviewsPrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet
  11. Rank 11

    Indoor

    Evacuation Day Plaza

    4.8 out of 5, 33 Google reviewsPrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet
  13. Rank 13

    Indoor

    The Seaport

    4.5 out of 5 on GooglePrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet
  14. Rank 14

    Indoor

    Pier 16

    4.5 out of 5 on GooglePrice level $$$$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet
  16. Rank 16

    Indoor

    Cunard Building

    4.6 out of 5, 90 Google reviewsPrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet

Upper East Side

5 spots

Upper East Side guide
  2. Rank 2

    Indoor

    The Sherry-Netherland

    4.7 out of 5, 280 Google reviewsPrice level $$$$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet
  3. Rank 3

    Indoor

    The Frick Collection

    4.6 out of 5 on GooglePrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet
  4. Rank 4

    Indoor

    Shady Ladies Tours

    4.7 out of 5, 89 Google reviewsPrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet

Hell's Kitchen

3 spots

Hell's Kitchen guide
  1. Rank 1

    Indoor

    Submarine USS Growler

    4.8 out of 5, 289 Google reviewsPrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet
  2. Rank 2

    Indoor

    Intrepid Museum

    4.7 out of 5 on GooglePrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet

Upper West Side

2 spots

Upper West Side guide

East Village

2 spots

East Village guide
  1. Rank 1

    Indoor

    The Brant Foundation

    4.8 out of 5, 265 Google reviewsPrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet

SoHo

2 spots

SoHo guide
  2. Rank 2

    Indoor

    Jackie Robinson Museum

    4.7 out of 5, 158 Google reviewsPrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet

Chelsea

2 spots

Chelsea guide
  2. Rank 2

    Indoor

    Babycastles

    4.7 out of 5, 73 Google reviewsPrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet

Manhattan Valley

2 spots

Manhattan Valley guide
  2. Rank 2

    Indoor

    Lajos Kossuth Monument

    4.9 out of 5, 35 Google reviewsPrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet

Lower East Side

2 spots

Lower East Side guide
  2. Rank 2

    Indoor

    Beastie Boys Square

    4.7 out of 5, 113 Google reviewsPrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet

Midtown

2 spots

Midtown guide
  2. Rank 2

    Indoor

    Columbus Circle

    4.5 out of 5 on GooglePrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet

Stuyvesant Town

1 spots

Stuyvesant Town guide

Central Park

1 spots

Central Park guide

Carnegie Hill

1 spots

Carnegie Hill guide

Koreatown

1 spots

Koreatown guide

Alphabet City

1 spots

Alphabet City guide
  1. Rank 1

    Indoor

    Hare Krishna Tree

    4.8 out of 5, 50 Google reviewsPrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet

Hamilton Heights

1 spots

Hamilton Heights guide
  1. Rank 1

    Indoor

    Zenith Art & Fashion

    4.8 out of 5, 46 Google reviewsPrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet

East Harlem

1 spots

East Harlem guide
  1. Rank 1

    Indoor

    The Africa Center

    4.6 out of 5, 123 Google reviewsPrice level $$
    • Cultural
    • Inspiring
    • Quiet

Times Square

1 spots

Times Square guide

Meatpacking District

1 spots

Meatpacking District guide

Chinatown

1 spots

Chinatown guide

Explore Museum Activities by neighborhood

Frequently asked questions

What are the best museums in Manhattan?
Ranked by rating and number of reviews, the top museums on Moodap are Ground Zero in Financial District (4.9 stars), Play Street Museum - Upper West Side in Upper West Side (4.9 stars) and South Tower Pool in Financial District (4.9 stars). The full top 10 is at the top of this page.
Which Manhattan neighborhood has the most museums?
Financial District has the most, with 63, followed by Upper East Side (52) and Upper West Side (27).
Where can I find affordable museums in Manhattan?
1 of the 50 museums listed here are budget-friendly ($). The best-ranked of them is Play Street Museum - Upper West Side in Upper West Side.
How does Moodap rank museums?
By star rating, weighted by how many reviews back it: a place with hundreds of strong reviews ranks above a perfect score from a handful. Places with few or no reviews come after well-reviewed ones. Not sure which fits your plans? The Mood Match quiz picks one for your mood in about 25 seconds.

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