Reviews of American Folk Art Museum (Museum)

Karen Freemon

Donations only and a neat little place.

Jam Yoo

It’s free which is great and it’s a small museum with 3 exhibitions spaces. One story but packs a good show inside. It was pretty good. Really cool bones of dinosaurs and old creatures from the science illustration exhibition. Siri said the weather is clear and it was. You can put your stuff away in a cubby which is free. It is never crowded but never empty. The gift shop is fun and a decent size. If you’re ever in the area it’s great because it’s free so you can just walk in Barbara D Greg D and Benjamin D and Debora D which is Barbara Ds family. Son brother and sister respectively. They all really enjoyed it. Always interesting

Jessica Christmas

This museum is off the beaten tourist track but definitely worth a visit. They pack a lot of fascinating art into two rooms, so it's easy to take in one visit. We saw the exhibition Memory Palaces, and there were so many beautiful pieces by self taught artists from around the Americas and Europe. I look forward to returning, hopefully soon, and also visiting their satellite gallery in Queens

Brian Ferraro

Drove and walked all day to get there ,Checked out the gift shop .Just to be told they are closed until 8/6 no signs on door and no notice on Website ..Total Bummer! Disenchanted!

Michael Lindquist

Well-curated little museum with free admission.

Alysha Beckford

It’s free with awesome and kind staff but I would say it’s a good place for kids it’s boring for them

Sheila WC

Unfortunately, the exhibit was closed that day because a worker told us they were changing exhibits. The gift shop, however, was still open and that was a miniature exhibit of creative items in itself! I've visited this museum before and it's always great.

Michael L. Smith

Small but impressive collection with exceptionally nice museum staff.

Jeanne Cuff

Really interesting exhibits, gorgeous goods in the museum store.

Kel V

Small museum that has some amazing artwork. Very unique and important art!

Jenni

It's a cute museum, current exhibit is about dead children though which is a little unnerving

Angela Rondinella

Free admission and very interesting

Mariana Enriquez

Don’t know if I’m allowed to post photos but I won’t so if anyone does decide to go they can see everything for themselves :) it’s a small but cute, quaint place. The art there was so beautiful and something about it was just so mesmerizing! The workers there were super nice! Would recommend.

Colin Reid

Very small but interesting. They had live jazz the afternoon that I went which was very well attended. Entry by donation.

Kai Vermehr

Super small just 2 rooms and a shop.

Juan Bustillos

Interesting reads and history. Just up the street from Trump International

Greg Soper

Extremely fulfilling experience. The small size was perfect to showcase some truly interesting artists.

Cathy Konas

Always free admission but worthy of your time... don't forget to browse the gift shop!

A. Cook

Free. So that was cool, but not a lot to see.

benya chivpat

Never been in. Great. Will recommend.

Laís Granemann

It's a small and nice museum with interesting exhibitions. Admission is free and they have a really nice shop, with cute notebooks and nice toys for kids. Great to buy special gifts! I went there with a friend and it was quiet and clean. We were allowed to use the lockers to leave our backpacks. Be careful because you are not allowed to touch anything in the exhibition. They also host some events there!

Mary Phillips Blackshear

Wonderful display of Hickock and wife. He was a teacher of prehistoric fossils. The hand drawn pictures as well as the hand written books, fossils and drawing was captivating. There is an entire wall with drawings as well. This is a free display worth seeing. It's on the same side as WABC channel 7.

Oksana Sushchenko

I like it, very small but very cute museum

Dawn Kersula

Free admission, sweet museum, classy gift store.

Rosemarie Amelia

Interesting collection, definitely has cool exhibitions which can influence when you go.

Mim Kazi

Coming from an artist, I love places that showcase new art. It's a good way to promote creativity and imagination and also for small time 'makers' to be recognized. It's a great place for inspiration and just to see what great things other people have created. Definitely recommend going here just to see what great things they have for the public to see!

David Walter

Great service!

Michael Corey

Great museum and a fine gift shop

Dick Snow

Free but limited space so not a lot to look at. Nice store.

S.I. Noebels

Fabulous, friendly free museum. A long time favorite.

J LS

Great exhibit Great gift shop!

Gordon Nash

I go for the tremendous Free Music Fridays series. They book great acts in a unique setting.

Brian Clements

More a small exhibit than a museum.

Terry Ow-Wing

More commercial than museum

Marcel Ulrich

I expected more folk art

Drew Elovitz

Fun, interesting, and informative. Great exhibits - worth a visit.

Jean Mumper

This small museum is perfect to visit in an afternoon. The exhibits and the gift shop are wonderful. As the name implies, the works are handmade. Free music on Wednesday and Friday afternoons.

Janik Zikovsky

Small and free, worth a quick visit if you're in the area. I found the art remarkably good on my visit!

James Barry

Great

Jill Frawley

Wonderful exhibits....

Roger Blanchard

Enjoyed seeing other works of artists I had seen before and seeing artists I haven't seen before.

Gabrielle Cassard

I got there and no exhibitions were open, only the gift shop. It would be good if they said so on their website...

Sheyda Sharareh

Interesting place to go, but only one floor

edna perkins

Koos Van Den Akker Couture Atelier House Model Edna L Perkins his final appearance , Such a wonderful Fashion Artist, Wearable Art, Collage with fabric he left me is Brand and assisted me to Launch my T.I.E. Upcycled Designs

Eric Bigman

Good 5 minute stop in, especially for free.

Maria Daniela Donoso

Very interesting to learn a little about American popular culture. The Museum is not big, therefore, is not necessary to allow a full day for this visit. The gift shop has beautiful USA crafts and museum staffs are very polite.

Kari Auerbach

My favorite NYC museum because I am enthralled with outsider art and artists. Great exhibits, friendly staff, fun gift shop and free music on Fridays! Love this little gem.

Osama Abbasi

This museum is currently closed and moving to some other location.

Rutland Walker

Honestly I was expecting a lot more.

Amanda McManus

This is a nice, free museum. I haven't heard of it, but I noticed while on a walk, and popped in. The staff was very friendly. They have a charming gift shop at the front with great, unique gifts. Their collection was really interesting, but it wasn't really.... folk art? It was a collection of botanical prints and fossils from the Hitchcock family. It was very dim in there, so I don't know if there were other floors that I was missing filled with folk art; I stayed on the first floor. I think it's worth the trip to go back and see, though!

Jonathan Furukawa

My wife and I really enjoyed the exhibit on quilts made during war, very interesting!

Woodworth Winmill

Very nice bathroom!! Also cool art

Olevia james

Interesting museum

Lisa Kim

Great place to wonder in a hot day like today. Admission is free and the have great gift shop. Saturday is 10% off day. I really like to visit here time to time. Not lots of collection but tasteful.

Kimberly Hawkey

Free museum. Well-curated. Thoughtful. One of my favorites in the city. Located near Lincoln Plaza and Central Park, so there is lots to do nearby.

Katie Kalin

Great place. Always free, always something different there that you won’t see anywhere else. Quilts, sculpture, folk art from around the world and outsider art. Shop is fun and unique. Always a great place to find a gift for my mom or a friend or me! Lovely and helpful staff. Shout out to Ken & Ben (the guards) and Sula & Sue in the shop. They are the ppl to go to.

Paul Miller

Gotta like thid stuff..which i do. Got them with a bad exhibit.

Drew Donnelly

Love seeing a different side of art! Great exhibit on Epics. Cute gift shop too.

Vee Eh En

Well, the joke's on me. I walked half the length of Manhattan to discover that Billie Tsien's building was torn down in 2014 and that the museum is now a small gift shop with a small display in the back. Totally boring space. Sorta interesting exhibit. Free! Anyway, it was not worth the walk, but walking in Manhattan is always its own reward.

Alex Ronan

Great exhibits, takes about 40 mins to see everything, and it's free with an optional donation if you have money to donate. Well worth the stop, just don't walk into the Mormon Church next door, they'll try and convert you...

David Marcus

Exhibitions are well-curated and introduce lesser known artists whose work is worth spending time with

John Strider

Great timeless exhibits

G Aquino

Small ground-level museum with interesting art exhibits. There are no admission fees. Taking pictures is prohibited. There is a small gift shop with books of the current exhibitions.

Jeremy Odden

It's interesting, amd worth a peek if you're there, but I wouldn't make a trip just for it.

Tami Baublitz

Was informative and educational. Some of the art provoked a sadness.

Stephen Walsh

Just one of the best places on earth

Jermaine Faith G.

My friend suggested this place to me during a conversation in which we talked about artist blocks, namely the expectations that artists put on themselves when trying to create a work of art. (Seriously, why do we do this? It feels so paralyzing sometimes.) And what better place to get back that inspiration than a (free!) museum that celebrates folk artists—people who often had no formal training but who still managed to create pieces that resonated with others and that sometimes spoke about larger societal issues? This museum is small, I’ll grant you that. However, they use what little space they have well. There are revolving exhibits; my friend and I were there to see John Dunkley’s “Neither Day nor Night” and Paa Joe’s “Gates of No Return.” I agree with previous reviewers that I wouldn’t make this place the main focus of a day trip. It’s a bit too small for that. However, if you pair it with lunch or dinner at nearby eateries, it makes for a nice, relaxing trip. If you’re an artist or art appreciator, I’m sure you will find a few things within the exhibits to make it worthwhile. =) What really enchanted me were the cabinets near the entrance, where you could temporarily store your belongings or coat. The images of art on each cabinet correspond to an image attached to a key so that when you return, there is no confusion as to where you stored your stuff. I loved this small touch; if only they printed the name of the artist and piece on the back of each card!

Michael Yao

Smaller than anticipated, but a great museum regardless

Chelsea Williams

A pleasant surprise. The curators really love their topic and really made the whole visit for me.

steefieo

Nice and quaint art gallery with a funny little gift store, it was very nice unwinding here after a busy day in NYC.

isaac nkaada

The pics here are juat extra ordinary

Dalice Bastian

Free so worth a visit - small but the art is fun to look at

Lauren Smith

Small but interesting collection of art. Great little place to kill some time or get a unique little souvenir at the shop.

Naomi Pattirane

Great free music events on select Fridays with unique exhibits. Check out Jazz Wednesdays with Bill Wurtzel.

Fred Alluso

This place is an Americana time machine. Visit and peruse the nearly 5000 objects that have been carefully curated to represent three centuries of American folk art.

Gary Brazel

The art is worth a half hour to see. Fridays from 5:30 to 7:30 there is good folk music presented. It is free and recommended.

Nicholas LK

The best place

Anthony Muljadi

It's free so can't really complain, but not really a super interesting museum

Una Butler

Interesting museum. Great for gifts

Ashley Polikoff

Amazing exhibits and the best museum gift shop in town

Mihail Dvoeglazov Mihart

Great museum! There are very beautiful works by American artists.

Sergio Moreno

Small little exhibition in upper Manhattan always free to get inside and has some great things to buy at the gift shop

bob sanders

The American folk art museum is a good museum I learned a lot when I went there sadly the museum is very small

Joy Blazak

Casual, small, very enjoyable, great gift shop!

Andrea Baden

I expected a much larger venue but the people were very nice and the artwork was very interesting

Jesse Thomas

⭐️ The best museum shopping experience ever.

David Crunelle

Hidden gem in NYC. Always great exhibits. Go there and donate. And become a better human.

Daniel Kassell

See amazing hand work exhibits and free Wednesday afternoon Swing-Jazz with Bill Wurtzel-guitar!

Andreas Liopiris

Very nice experience!

Nyaisha Lee

This is a small museum, but was worth the visit. The staff is very professional and courteous. You can spend about 35-45 minutes looking at the art displayed in the entire museum.

Elizabeth Self

Very nice, small museum

Angella Alexander

No allowed to take pictures, overly priced gift shop

Mint Iannucci

Nice place when they have a good exhibit (at the time of writing this they have an amazing one on military quilts- 5 stars!). Can't beat free admission. Nice storage lockers. Wonderful gift shop. I only wish it were more family (young kids) friendly.

Bruce Qua

Unique, quiet Museum featuring well-curated and displayed folk art exhibits, changing several times yearly. No admission, but donation requested and recommended. Across the street from Lincoln Center, beneath the Mormon Temple. Easy access from the Lincoln Center 66th subway station, or numerous MTA buses. B

rokon jaman

Folk are not so rich American

Theo van Wegberg

Incredible exhibition of quilts by soldiers in 18th century wars and battles.

jessie mayfield

So inspiring but very tiny, holds a shop and media assisted viewing they have u take off ur backpack...?

Trevor Smith

This is a museum? Seemed to not match the theme. They were a bit rude and aloof. Condescending. I can do with out attitude and being stalked through out exhibt.

Juan Castillo

I Really Enjoying The World Of The Arts I Went To The Same Place At My Old Day Hab

Trung Tieu

Folk art isn't one of my favorite genres, but this was surprisingly accessible! In part the size of the museum (is not that big), but also the curators don't overwhelm you. Unless you're really into Folk Art and recognize the artists for the rotating exhibits, you probably only need to stop in once every 18 months.

Christian Fisher

The American Folk Art Museum is not very big but the art is interesting and eclectic. It is usually not crowded, something I find to be a good thing.

Manuel Ortiz

The museum is small, with 4-5 open rooms of exhibition space. The exhibits seem to rotate frequently, which may allow for repeat visits for locals.

Sharon Turner

One of my favorite museums. Amazing quilt shows, workshops, and excellent resource for supplementing your American history knowledge with what went on behind the scenes, in homes, etc. Loved the soldiers quilts. Nice gift shop with many beautiful books.

Tamara Nieman

It's a small museum with a limited number of exquisite items on display from the collection.

Vanesa Verger

Really good......wonderfull

Arnaldo J López

Free admission at leading museum for self-taught, visionary, and outsider art. Fantastic museum shop with one-of-a-kind articles.

Alyson Brown

While I agree with other reviews that the staff really back off and let you look-this exhibit was a let-down...and creepy. It was just the crayon ramblings of crazy men. I got a massive pedo vibe from the Vivian Girls collection. Ekk. And not what I was expecting at all...i thought it would be more homemade items from the last century. I was wrong. Creepy. I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

J M

Small gallery, but generally interesting art. Usually only a few artists up at a time so easy to learn about them. Also admission is free. Folk/ethnic music concerts on most Fridays is also free.

Susan Wortmann

Eclectic and interesting. Worth a stop

Valerie Lucznikowska

Small but excellent.

Sheryl H

Small but interesting exhibits

hiker ponc

Great museum. The tour guide is very knowledgeable. There are lockers available to guests.

Albertha Baisden

1th time. Very nice and best of all its FREE to get in

Bethany Ullman

Fun and quaint little museum tucked away! Definitely a hidden gem.

Linda Newman

they enjoy visitors and are more than willing to assist in any way they are able to assist. bring the whole family, including the neighbors

James Tierney

Henry Darger and other self taught artists have their work on display

Jeffrey Aspacio

Very accessible via Subway (Red 1), 66th St. Station is the closest. Museum is free!

D

Really good place to take out of town guests, especially if they have kids. Reasons: The museum is small, no one will get tired. The permanent collection is really interesting, you’re guaranteed beautiful, fascinating things to see. Because it’s folk art, your guests need not be concerned that they “don’t understand” art. It’s accessible and no one will be intimidated. It’s right by the park. Finish up here and go right over and have a picnic. You can even take a horse carriage here if you’re feeling extravagant! But if you have no out of town guests, come here by yourself, especially on a rainy midweek morning, and have the place to yourself. It’s one of the best things you can do in midtown.

Ed Oates

Three exhibition halls and a well stocked gift shop.

Jake Freyer

Folk art is odd, and I wasn’t taken by most of what I saw here except for the novelty—a display of quilts made out of decommissioned military uniforms by British soldiers in 19th-century India?—but I think it does a good job of representing the genre.

Will Fancher

Get in for free, which is great and it’s a small museum with 3 exhibitions spaces. One story but packs a good show inside. It was pretty good. Really cool bones of dinosaurs and old creatures from the science illustration exhibition. Siri said the weather is clear and it was. You can put your stuff away in a cubby which is free. It is never crowded but never empty. The gift shop is fun and a decent size. If you’re ever in the area it’s great because it’s free so you can just walk in.

Eileen Brock

This place was awesome!! These magnificent carousel animals brought back lovely memories from my childhood! A must - see!!!

Denise Buist

Enjoyed listening to musicians playing and singing in a place that has a great sound

Michael Ellis

Loved the British military uniform quilts exhibit

M Girkinger

Docent led tour made all the difference - highly recommend the tour as a way to actually understand the museum and art. Tour is daily and free

judi freed

In its latest version this is a teeny-tiny space that always has a lovely small exhibit of some folk artist or craft type. I think the larger version lost its funding. It expands and contracts over the years but I have seen wonderful artists there that I would never otherwise have been exposed to. Nice little gift shop also

Joseph Mrasek

Featuring an old New England portrait painter, Wm. Prior as well as some female self taught artists. Small but interesting stories attached to all the paintings. Free but suggested $5 donation. Docents are quiet and helpful. Gift shop is small and cute. Another nice little stop on a bright, cold morning.

Jonathan Williams

Cool museum, it's just a lot smaller than I expected and only hosts rotating exhibits. Don't expect to spend more than 30 minutes here. It's good to pop in if you are in the neighborhood, but not worth a trip to see just the museum. On the positive side, is free to visit.

T

Great space, free music events, awesome staff. Always free.

Theotis Callender

What an amazing place. Our group had a tou guide who told us many details about quilting. We had a hands on activity that allowed us to make a single panel. The hanging quilts are beautiful and will be there for three more weeks. The museum is free and has a great gift shop.

Mary DC

Small museum but free. Worth the stop. As of November 2018, one room is of paintings and sculptures mostly from Latin America by Jamaican artist. Second room has wooden sculptures from Ghanaian Paa Joe of castles and forts leading way to slavery.

Tropin

The admission is a suggested 10 dollars but you can get in for 5. The exhibit changes out regularly.

Bonnie Kelm

This Museum is a small gem that always surprises! The Ronald Lockett retrospective, Fever Within, was totally moving! His biography so tragic to have died so young is reflected in some of the work but so is his compassion. You really feel the raw emotion of his work in the subject matter he chose. The companion exhibition that the Folk Art Museum put together using one of Lockett's most compelling works ONCE SOMETHING HAS LIVED IT CAN NEVER REALLY DIE was thought provoking and wonderful and a dramatic way to utilize works from the collection that related to this powerful theme. Additionally they have the best museum shop in New York!

Darlene Womack

Did like it was very disturbing maybe after the holiday Halloween I will go back to see if the pictures have changed

Debbie Rapps

Love the museum gift shop!

shira z

Trying to remember the details, definitely worth your time!

Patrick Hart

Really cool exhibits, friendly staff, and nice layout. I would visit again.

Bishnu Ram Das

Amazing art...

Aly Mello

There's a recommended $10 donation, and if you can afford to do so, I'd really recommend supporting them. There are some really interesting exhibits that are worth at least stopping in for, but you could easily spend a long time here. The gift shop is also wonderful and there are a lot of cute handmade goods. I'd recommend looking at it, even if you don't visit the museum section. My only qualm was that the museum seemed to focus mainly on illustration and less on American craft-work which I would have liked to see.

Ana Cristina Álvarez Davalos

It's an small museum, but its great and free. The exposition was inspected but extraordinary, i learn something new.

Lauren Prescott

really small not much to see but the people were friendly and the gift shop is very tasteful and has a lot of cool NYC items.

Sumiya Akter

Very nice place, and free for everyone!

Jianpu Huang

A small museum and you may finish visiting it in 30 minutes, but it is nice and worth to go.

Mike Coombs

The display and gallery are always changing. The gift shop is unique

Silvie Bonne

A beautiful little museum. Much smaller than I expected, but definitly worth a visit, if you are in the area and have 30 minutes left. The entrence is always free (there is a suggested donation) and there's a nice gift shop.

Keith Kelly

Free admission. Very small exhibit space. Was told the exhibit changes every 4 months, so worth revisiting.

Masaki Fujitani

This is a small museum but great place to explore!!!

Ann Fasano

Every show is a delightful surprise.

Ken Jones

This is a small but excellent museum, with interesting and thoughtfully presented exhibits. No charge for admission (suggested donation, though, which suggestion I was glad to follow). There is also a nice gift shop, although (unlike many similar venues) one is not required to pass through it to exit. I'll be back next chance I get.

Elysia Torro

The Museum is a small gem that always surprises! The Ronald Lockett retrospective, Fever Within, was totally moving! His biography so tragic to have died so young is reflected in some of the work but so is his compassion. You really feel the raw emotion of his work in the subject matter he chose. The companion exhibition that the Folk Art Museum put together using one of Lockett's most compelling works ONCE SOMETHING HAS LIVED IT CAN NEVER REALLY DIE was thought provoking and wonderful and a dramatic way to utilize works from the collection that related to this powerful theme. Additionally they have the best museum shop in New York!

Tom Burkert

Unique and FREE

Jeffrey Smith

Nice small museum focused soley on folk art. Nice 2 hour or less trip depending on exhibition.

Robert Chancer

This is a small gem of a museum. The current exhibits were well thought out . This museum is small and can be viewed in 30 minutes to an hour depending on your level of interest

Lisa Gelman

A nice place to visit. It's a small museum. I don't know much about Folk Art.

Phyllis A Sears

Always remember there is a free museum right across the street from Lincoln Center.

Uğur Güney

It is a small enough museum so that you can explore the whole selection in one or two hours. Which is great. It is not as intimidating as MET or Natural History Museums. Also being seeing original American folk art is great, which makes this museum unique. I'll try to visit this museum whenever they change their exhibition.

Luz Garcia

Amalia place full of treasures. Love it!!

Praful Kapadia

A bit small and not very engaging for me. Staff friendly.