Christmas at NYC Museums & Gardens 2026

When it’s cold, New York’s museums offer some of the city’s most beautiful holiday sights. Here’s what’s on in 2026.

Museums

• The Met’s Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Crèche — a 20-foot spruce with 18th-century angels.
• AMNH Origami Holiday Tree — from Nov 23, 2026.
• Gingerbread NYC at the Museum of the City of New York — Nov 6, 2026 – Jan 18, 2027.
• The Morgan Library — traditionally displays Charles Dickens’s original manuscript of A Christmas Carol during the holidays.

Gardens

• NYBG Holiday Train Show.
• Lightscape at Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
• Snug Harbor’s Winter Lantern Festival.

Historic Houses

• Historic Richmond Town candlelight tours (Staten Island).
• Westbury House and other Gold Coast mansions (Long Island).
• Old Bethpage Village (Long Island).

Plan Your Museum Visits

• Book timed tickets for popular museums in December, when school holidays bring crowds.
• Many museums are closed on Christmas Day and Thanksgiving; check holiday hours.
• The Met offers pay-what-you-wish admission for New York State residents and NY/NJ/CT students.
• Friday and Saturday evenings are often the calmest times at the Met.

Museum Shops for Gifts

Museum stores are among the best places in New York for unique gifts: art books, prints, jewelry inspired by the collections and kids’ science kits. See our New York gift ideas.

More Indoor Ideas

On cold or rainy days, combine a museum with the Grand Central Holiday Fair, the Grand Central train show or Holiday Under the Stars.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which NYC museums have Christmas trees?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History both display famous holiday trees.