New York Know
Museum of the Moving Image works best as the anchor of an Astoria half-day, not as a quick stop squeezed between Manhattan sights. Its interactive film-and-television galleries can fill two to three hours before you add a screening, meal or neighborhood walk.
The museum is at 36-01 35 Avenue, at 37 Street, in Astoria, Queens. Regular hours are Thursday 2–6 p.m., Friday 2–8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; it is normally closed Monday through Wednesday. Check the official visit page for holiday changes before setting out.
Pick the day around what you want to do
- Thursday is the budget choice. General admission is free from 2–6 p.m., with no reservation required.
- Friday gives you the longest regular opening. It is the easiest choice for galleries followed by a scheduled evening film.
- Saturday or Sunday gives you the broadest daytime window. Choose a weekend if you want the core galleries, the Jim Henson collection and a changing exhibition without watching the clock.
General gallery admission currently costs $20 for adults, $12 for seniors and students, and $10 for ages 3–17; children under 3 enter free. Online orders carry a $1.50 fee, but advance booking is optional and walk-ups are welcome. The museum’s ticket page also explains the useful film-and-gallery combination: buy a screening ticket and add same-day gallery admission for $2.50. Alternatively, general admission may include a first-come, first-served ticket to a regularly priced same-day screening, but availability is not guaranteed.
If one particular film is the reason for your trip, reserve that screening first rather than relying on the general-admission allocation.
A practical first-visit route
1. Start with Behind the Screen
Allow about 75–90 minutes for the museum’s core exhibition. It covers how moving images are produced, promoted and shown, using roughly 1,400 objects as well as playable games and activities involving stop-motion, dubbing, sound effects and music. The exhibition occupies 15,000 square feet across the second and third floors, so it deserves more than a pass-through. See the museum’s full Behind the Screen description.
2. Continue to The Jim Henson Exhibition
Allow another 45–60 minutes if Muppets, puppetry or television production is a priority. The ongoing exhibition contains nearly 300 objects, including 47 puppets, plus sketches, scripts, costumes, clips and hands-on puppet-design and performance experiences. The official exhibition page lists characters including Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Big Bird and Elmo.
3. Choose one changing exhibition
Do not try to inspect every temporary show before a timed film. As of September 21, 2026, current options include Overexposed: Art, Technology, and the Body through January 3, 2027; Terms of Agreement through October 25; Anime’s Ascendant Decade through October 12; and Reframing the Slasher through November 8. Confirm the list on the museum’s current exhibitions page because closing dates differ.
For visits on September 24–27, 2026, the museum has also scheduled four days of screenings, workshops, guests, live music and other activities for Jim Henson’s 90th birthday. The current screening listings include The Muppet Show: The Very Best Episodes on September 24 and 25, Dead Ringers on September 25, and 60 Years of Jim Henson’s Time Piece on September 26. Check individual availability and prices through the screenings calendar rather than assuming gallery admission secures a seat.
Subway choice: use the route that avoids a needless transfer
The closest stations are 36 Av on the N/W and Steinway St on the R/M. From 36 Av, the museum directs visitors east along 36th Avenue to 36th Street, then one block north to 35th Avenue. From Steinway Street, walk south and turn west on 35th Avenue. The museum advises checking MTA service changes, particularly on weekends; its Astoria directions page has the turn-by-turn walks.
For a first visit, choose the line that already serves your starting area instead of transferring merely to save a small amount of walking. Review the train’s direction and current service before entering; our guide to reading NYC subway signs explains what to check.
Keep the rest of the day in Astoria
The museum stands next to Kaufman Astoria Studios, which began as Paramount’s East Coast hub in 1920. That studio connection makes this more than a museum placed randomly in Queens; the surrounding blocks are part of Astoria’s filmmaking history. Continue with the nearby streets and a meal rather than immediately returning to Manhattan. For more context before the visit, see movies filmed in Astoria.
A compact sequence is:
- Arrive at the museum when it opens.
- Follow the three-part gallery route above.
- Eat nearby or walk toward Broadway after the galleries.
- Return for a prebooked evening screening if the schedule warrants it.
This plan avoids turning the day into a borough-hopping checklist. If no film appeals, use the saved time for Astoria itself rather than adding an unrelated attraction across the city.
Accessibility and family details
The museum says the building is fully wheelchair accessible and lends one wheelchair free on a first-come, first-served basis. Sensory kits are available at the front desk, and the events calendar can be filtered for programs with audio description or captioning. Visitors with disabilities can receive $3 admission, with free admission for one accompanying care partner; check the accessibility page before visiting because that section is being updated.
Strollers are allowed in the lobby, café and Education Center but not in the galleries; they may be checked free at admission. Flash photography and tripods are not permitted, according to the museum’s visitor FAQ.