Museum Mile Festival.

New York City has designated 5th Ave from 82nd to 105th Streets the Museum Mile. During the event, the streets are closed to vehicular traffic and the doors of the museums along the stretch (The Met, the Guggenheim, Museum for African Art, El Museo del Barrio, etc.) are opened to the public free of charge.

The street gets lively with vendors and musicians among the crowd adding to the ambience. The event takes place from 6 PM to 9 PM regardless of weather, so don’t forget to add this to your list of things to do this summer in New York City.

During the Museum Mile Festival in June, Fifth Avenue closes to car traffic from the Met to the Museum of the City of New York (82nd Street to 105th Street). The area transforms into one large block party full of street musicians, artists, food vendors and live entertainment, it’s great fun for everyone in the family.

The best part? All museums along the stretch open their doors to the public for free. However, the lines wrap typically wrap around the block, with wait times exceeding an hour. If you’re keen to see something in particular, the wait might be worthwhile (considering average museum admission averages $30 per person).