Visit CMA

Beyond having great value in and of themselves, the arts promote the health and well-being of children, including academic and personal growth, critical thinking and analytical skills, and the motivation to stay in school and excel.
— Center for Arts Education

Children’s Museum of the Arts is a non-profit art museum that aims to introduce the transformative power of the arts to all children and their families. Our staff of professional artists guide and mentor young artists ages 10 months to 15 years through fun and advanced art projects in professionally equipped studios, across a variety of techniques and mediums including printing, drawing, painting, weaving, sewing, photography, animation, filmmaking, editing, songwriting, sculpting, graphic novel, and more!

Through general admission, fee-based classes, individual, foundation, and corporate giving, we are able to provide free Community Programs for underserved and at-risk communities. You can help support our mission by giving today.

Public hours

Sunday, August 9 Closed for General Admission

  1. Mondays

    Closed for General Admission Closed for Under 5s Drop-In Class

  2. Tuesdays

    Closed for General Admission Closed for Under 5s Drop-In Class

  3. Wednesdays

    Closed for General Admission Closed for Under 5s Drop-In Class

  4. Thursdays

    Closed for General Admission Closed for Under 5s Drop-In Class

  5. Fridays

    Closed for General Admission Closed for Under 5s Drop-In Class

  6. Saturdays

    Closed for General Admission

  7. Sundays

    Closed for General Admission

CMA is temporarily closed to the public to ensure the health and safety of our community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please Note: 1 adult is required per every 3 children that enter the museum. To best accommodate all our visitors, we do not offer reentry on busy days.

  • stART Studio opens at 10:45 AM on select Saturdays to accommodate our Inclusive Saturdays program.
  • All studio workshops close 15 minutes prior to museum closing.

*stART Studio Drop-In Classes (For Ages 5 and Under)

Music time! Story time! Art time! Join CMA’s stART Teaching Artists for an art-filled drop-in session when the museum is closed for general hours. Parent and/or caregivers are required to join and we encourage family collaboration throughout the class. Learn more about CMA’s stART Studio.

— Monday through Friday 10:45 AM—12 PM
— $30 per family of 5 (CMA Members receive $15 off)
— Purchase tickets at front desk upon arrival or online in advance
— Want to stay longer? General admission is only $6 per family for participating drop-in families

Pay-As-You-Wish Hours are supported by Affirmation Arts/William Talbott Hillman Foundation.

Admissions

  1. Ages 1 – 65
    $13
  2. Seniors 65+
    Pay As You Wish
  3. Under 1
    Free
  4. CMA Members
    Free
  5. Under 5s Drop In Class
    $30 Per Family (Up to 5 people)

Pay-As-You-Wish: Thursdays from 3 to 6 PM

Purchase online tickets in advance to guarantee your admission on busy days!

Looking for the perfect gift? Purchase a gift card.

Special Admissions

Cool Culture Family Pass Holders: Free Admission except on restricted dates listed below. On these dates, Cool Culture Family Pass holders will be offered reduced admission of $2 per person for a family of 5.

  • Martin Luther King Day
  • Mid-Winter Recess
  • Spring Break

Free Arts NYC: 2 for 1 admission (with your Free Arts membership card). Free Arts passes are also restricted on the days listed above.

Culture Pass: CMA participates in the NYC Culture Pass program hosted by the three library systems: New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library. Families are able to check out a day pass to CMA through their library’s online system. Please take note of the expiration date on your pass!

Hudson Square Connection: $1 off (with your Hudson Square Connection card)

Home School Families: $10 per person

Educators, Military Personnel and their Families: $9 per person with valid ID

Holidays & Closings

CMA is Closed On:

Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Black Friday
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
New Year's Eve
New Years Day

A Day at CMA

From animating videos, to singing along in music time, to painting a landscape, CMA has a lot to offer each day.

Use the interactive map below to check out the museum — click on the room to get more information.

This program is supported by the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation, the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, the Jennifer & Jonathan Soros Foundation, The Robert Lehman Foundation, the Louis Legacy Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts with support of Governor Andrew Cuomo, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, with special thanks to Councilmembers Corey Johnson, Carlina Rivera and Steven Levin.

  1. 1 Lobby
  2. 2 Lounge
  3. 3 stART Studio
  4. 4 Gallery
  5. 5 Fine Arts Studio
  6. 6 Art Lab 1
  7. 7 Art Lab 2
  8. 8 Quiet Room
  9. 9 ARTogether Room
  10. 10 Media Lab
  11. 11 Clay Bar
  12. 12 Sound Booth
  13. 13 Swirl Studio
  14. 14 The Bridge
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

To be written by CMA: Short description of space and activities in it, generic, not date spectific

Learn more

All spaces except 13 & 14 are accessible to wheelchairs

Directions

103 Charlton Street
Between Hudson & Greenwich Streets
New York, NY 10014
Tel: (212) 274-0986
Get directions
1 to Houston Street
A C to Spring Street
A C E B D F M to West 4th Street

Accessibility

Children’s Museum of the Arts is dedicated to making the arts accessible for all children through its Art for All initiative. Any child with a disability and their caregiver is granted free admission to the museum’s general public hours. CMA is wheelchair accessible, and workshops are designed to be universally accessible, incorporating many different learning styles. Learn more about our free weekend inclusive classes here.

Download CMA Social Story for In-Person Visits

Download CMA’s Social Story for Online Classes

Group Visits

CMA’s School and Group Visits are supported by art professionals who use inquiry-based learning to explore artistic practices. Using CMA’s pedagogy Look Make Share, groups investigate works of art, which are in turn used to inspire creation of their own pieces. Visits culminated with an opportunity for students to share what they have made with their peers.

All of CMA’s group programming supports the Common Core State Standards, NYC DOE’s Blueprint Standards for Teaching and Learning in the Visual Arts and the Moving Image, Framework for 21st Century Learning, and Universal Design for Learning. CMA Teaching Artists are practicing artists and educators who provide multi-sensory layers in learning supporting creative problem-solving skills. Teaching Artists facilitate open-ended conversations and art-making, encouraging students to apply critical thinking to investigating and creating art.

Click Here to Learn More

Membership

Become a valued CMA member and be a champion of arts education!

By joining CMA as a member, you gain exclusive access to the Museum at a great price. Different levels guarantee exciting benefits, such as members-only events and special discounts. Or, become a Contributing Member of CMA and provide ongoing support to the Museum that helps to provide free arts education to all children and families.

Join Today

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