How much does a Met ticket cost?
The Met's plan your visit page lists one price grid for both locations, The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters (checked 19 October 2026):
| Visitor | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | $30 |
| Senior, 65 and over | $22 |
| Visitor with a disability (in person only) | $22, care partner free |
| Student | $17 |
| Child, 12 and under | Free |
| Member or Patron | Free |
Two adults with a 10-year-old pay $60. A couple where one is 65 pays $52. If you are travelling with a teenager of 13 or older, they pay the adult rate unless they qualify as a student.
All tickets include exhibitions, so there is no second charge for the big temporary show. That is worth knowing if you are comparing The Met with museums that sell exhibitions separately.
Who gets pay what you wish, and who does not
This is the rule most visitors get wrong. Pay what you wish at The Met is not open to everyone. The visit page limits it to two groups:
- New York State residents, who can pay any amount from $0.01 per ticket
- Students in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut
If you live outside New York State and are not a student in those three states, you pay the price in the table above. That includes visitors from other US states and from abroad.
The conditions are specific. Buying a pay-what-you-wish ticket online requires a New York State billing address. New Jersey and Connecticut students can only buy pay-what-you-wish tickets in person, with a valid student ID. The Met lists the proof it accepts: a New York driver's licence or state ID, IDNYC, a current bill with a New York address, a student ID, or a New York library card.
One ticket, two museums: The Met Cloisters
Your ticket includes same-day entry to both Met locations "for the date printed on your ticket" (The Met Cloisters page). It is one day, not a multi-day pass, so plan both on the same date if you want both.
The Met Cloisters is at 99 Margaret Corbin Drive, in Fort Tryon Park in upper Manhattan. The Met's directions:
- A train to 190th Street. Leave the station by the elevator, then walk north along Margaret Corbin Drive through the park, about 10 minutes.
- M4 bus. From 190th Street station, ride one stop north to Margaret Corbin Dr/Cloisters. The M4 also runs from Madison Avenue/83rd Street near the main museum, but The Met gives that ride as about 1 hour 25 minutes to the last stop.
The A train plus the short walk avoids that long bus ride. Subway and bus fares are paid by tap; see OMNY with a foreign card before you rely on a card from home.
The Cloisters closes at 5 p.m. every day it is open, so do it first if you want both. Fifth Avenue stays open until 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, which makes a Friday the easiest day to fit both locations onto one ticket.
Opening hours and closed days
From the visit and Cloisters pages (checked 19 October 2026):
| Location | Hours | Closed |
|---|---|---|
| The Met Fifth Avenue | Sun, Mon, Tue, Thu 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Fri, Sat 10 a.m.–9 p.m. | Wednesdays, Thanksgiving, 25 December, 1 January, first Monday in May |
| The Met Cloisters | 10 a.m.–5 p.m., every day except Wednesday | Wednesdays, Thanksgiving, 25 December, 1 January |
Wednesday is the day both are shut. If your only free day in Manhattan is a Wednesday, plan something else; the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, Edge and SUMMIT all open daily, and the 9/11 Museum opens Wednesday to Monday.
The first Monday in May closure applies only to Fifth Avenue.
Buying tickets and getting in
Tickets are sold online and advance booking is not required, according to the visit page. Online buyers can go straight to any gallery entrance. The Met Fifth Avenue is at 1000 Fifth Avenue.
Every visitor goes through a security check, so expect a line at the entrance. The visitor guidelines set the main limits:
- Small backpacks are allowed but must be worn on your front or carried in your hand.
- Large bags, luggage, musical instruments and oversized camera gear are not allowed.
- No food or drink, except water in a secure bottle or for medical reasons.
- No selfie sticks, tripods, monopods or drones without prior approval.
- Strollers and front-facing baby carriers are welcome; jogging strollers, wagons and oversized strollers are not, and some exhibitions do not allow strollers.
- Non-flash photos and video for personal use are allowed in most galleries.
The Fifth Avenue page still describes its coat check as closed while a new one is prepared, with an opening date that has already passed, so do not count on checking a large bag. Arrive without luggage; our guide to luggage storage before hotel check-in covers where to leave it.