Visiting the Met with kids can be an enriching and educational experience for the whole family. As a local mom, I’ve found that a trip to the Met with kids is much more manageable when you have a plan that balances world-class art with outdoor play. In this guide, I’ll share how we navigated the Met with kids using free admission benefits and a visit to the nearby Ancient Playground.
How to Visit the Met with Kids for Free
One of the best-kept secrets for local families is finding ways to enjoy world-class art without the hefty price tag. Here are two reliable ways to get free admission:
1. Bank of America “Museums on Us”
- The Benefit: On the first full weekend of every month, Bank of America, Merrill, or BofA Private Bank cardholders receive one free general admission.
- Pro Tip: Since the benefit is per cardholder, make sure both parents have their cards and a valid photo ID. Children under 12 are always free at The Met. Both my husband and I have BoA cards, which made our recent family trip to the Met completely free!
2. Local Library Museum Pass (The Local’s Favorite)
If you missed the first weekend of the month or don’t have a BofA card, don’t worry! Most local libraries in New Jersey and New York offer a “Museum Pass” program for their residents.
- How it works: You can reserve a pass through your town’s library website and pick it up (or download it) to get free entry for the whole family.
- Why it’s great: Unlike the BofA program, which is limited to specific weekends, library passes can often be used on weekdays, allowing you to avoid the heavy weekend crowds.
- Mom’s Advice: These passes are popular, especially during school breaks, so be sure to book yours at least 2-3 weeks in advance! For the Fort Lee Public Library, please note that you must pick up a physical pass in person and return it to the library by the due date.
Educational Highlights: Exploring The Met with Kids
With over 2 million square feet, you can’t see everything. To keep the kids engaged, I focused on the 19th-century European Paintings, where they can encounter world-famous masterpieces.
1. The Egyptian Wing & The Temple of Dendur
This is always a hit. Seeing a real Roman-era Egyptian temple inside a museum is breathtaking for kids.
- Teaching Moment: We talked about “Ancient Engineering.” I asked the kids, “How do you think they moved these massive stones all the way from Egypt to New York?” It’s a great way to introduce basic physics and history.
2. Meeting the Masters: Van Gogh, Monet, and Degas
Instead of just “looking” at pictures, we treated this gallery like a treasure hunt for famous artists.
- Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portraits: Kids are often fascinated by Van Gogh’s thick, swirling brushstrokes. We looked closely at his “Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat” and talked about how he expressed his feelings through colors.
- Claude Monet’s Water Lilies: Standing in front of Monet’s large-scale landscapes, we discussed how the light changes the colors of the water and flowers. It’s a wonderful lesson in “Impressionism”—capturing a single moment in time.
- Edgar Degas’s Dancers: My kids loved the sculptures and paintings of the young ballerinas. We observed the poses and the sense of movement Degas captured, which is so relatable for active children.
Hidden Gem: 81st Street Studio
If you enter through the 81st Street and Fifth Avenue entrance (to the left of the main steps), you’ll find the 81st Street Studio. This is a free, drop-in science and art play space designed for kids ages 3–11.
- What to do: They have interactive stations where kids can explore materials like wood and metal, and even a digital woodblock printing station. It’s the perfect place for them to “touch and do” after being “hands-off” in the galleries.
Outdoor Extension: Ancient Playground
After about two hours of museum exploration, the kids needed to burn off some energy. We headed right next door (just north of the museum at 85th St) to the Ancient Playground.
- The Connection: This isn’t just any playground. Its design was directly inspired by The Met’s Egyptian collection!
- Activity: Challenge your kids to find the stone pyramids and the obelisk in the playground that look like the artifacts they just saw inside the museum. It’s a brilliant way to reinforce their learning through play.
Practical Tips for NJ & Local Moms
- Stroller Policy: Strollers are welcome in most galleries, but “jogging strollers” and wagons are not allowed. Use the 81st Street step-free entrance for easy access.
- Restrooms: There is a family-friendly, all-gender restroom on the Ground Floor near the education center.
- Parking: If you’re driving from New Jersey, try to arrive early for the museum garage (80th St), or use an app like SpotHero to find nearby deals.
Conclusion
A trip to The Met doesn’t have to be a formal, exhausting affair. By utilizing BofA benefits and pairing the galleries with the Ancient Playground, you can create a high-quality educational day that your kids will actually enjoy. My kids used to dread museums because of the ‘no touching’ and ‘stay quiet’ rules. However, adding a scavenger hunt to our Met visit changed everything! Pairing the art with some fresh air at the Ancient Playground made it a win-win for everyone. They didn’t just ‘endure’ the museum; they actually had a blast!
Have you visited The Met with your little ones lately? What was their favorite gallery? Let me know in the comments!
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