The annual Museum Mile Festival is a unique occasion to see the world's finest art collections for free during extended evening hours. The party takes place on Fifth Avenue between 82–110th Streets. This 23-block stretch hosts eight participating institutions—The Africa Center, El Museo del Barrio, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, the Jewish Museum, Neue Galerie, and the Museum of the City of New York. The festival will take place on the websites of the participating museums between 9 am-9 pm.
The Museum Mile Festival was started in the 1970s as an initiative to attract new audiences to museums and to accumulate support for the arts. The first festival was held in June of 1978 and has become an instant success. Now, the Museum Mile Festival attracts thousands of tourists from around the country and the world. During its 37 years attendance has surpassed one million visitors. The City of New York even officially designated Fifth Avenue from 82nd to 105th streets as “Museum Mile” reiterating its high cultural significance.
