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 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

Friday, November 22 General Admission (All Ages): 12PM - 5PM Under 5s Drop-In Class: 10:45AM - 12PM Due to construction on Charlton Street, please use caution when entering or exiting the museum.

  1. Mondays

    General Admission (All Ages) 12PM - 5PM Under 5s Drop-In Class 10:45AM - 12PM Due to construction on Charlton Street, please use caution when entering or exiting the museum.

  2. Tuesdays

    Closed for General Admission Under 5s Drop-In Class 10:45AM - 12PM Due to construction on Charlton Street, please use caution when entering or exiting the museum.

  3. Wednesdays

    Closed for General Admission Under 5s Drop-In Class 10:45AM - 12PM Due to construction on Charlton Street, please use caution when entering or exiting the museum.

  4. Thursdays

    General Admission (All Ages) 12PM - 6PM Under 5s Drop-In Class 10:45AM - 12PM Pay-As-You-Wish 4PM - 6PM Due to construction on Charlton Street, please use caution when entering or exiting the museum.

  5. Fridays

    General Admission (All Ages) 12PM - 5PM Under 5s Drop-In Class 10:45AM - 12PM Due to construction on Charlton Street, please use caution when entering or exiting the museum.

  6. Saturdays

    General Admission (All Ages) 10AM - 5PM Due to construction on Charlton Street, please exercise caution when entering and exiting the museum.

  7. Sundays

    General Admission (All Ages) 10AM - 5PM Due to construction on Charlton Street, please use caution when entering or exiting the museum.

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 is closed on Monday from 3:30-5:00 PM for registered classes.
  • 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 4 to 6 PM

Purchase Tickets

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

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.

  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 inclusive classes for children on the Autism spectrum and children living with disabilities here.

Download Social Story PDF

Group Visits

CMA’s School and Group Visits are supported by art professionals who use project-based learning to explore artistic practices.

Groups benefits from our partnership with the NYC Department of Education (DOE). All of our 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’s Teaching Artists are practicing artists and educators who provide multi-sensory layers in learning supporting creative problem-solving skills. Teaching Artists lead inquiry-based dialogue encouraging students to apply critical thinking to investigating and creating art. Learn more here.

Membership

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

By joining CMA as a member, you help to provide free arts programming to disadvantaged children and families across NYC. Join at different levels to guarantee express access for your family all year long, as well as early entry on select school holidays, priority seating at the Clay Bar at weekends, and exclusive member-only events and discounts.

Join Today!

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