Cram all sorts of culture down your gullet in one fell swoop tonight at the annual Museum Mile Festival, a giant art-fueled block party along Fifth Avenue. Cars are blocked from 82nd to 105th Sts, and nine museums are opening their doors for free—yes, that's right, free!—from 6 to 9 p.m., plus there's live music and art-in-the-street activities to keep the festivities going, rain or shine.
The event, now in its 33rd year, will kick off at the Neue Galerie at 5:45 p.m., and proceed upwards from there. Plan on crowds, but it's a great way to check out the greatest hits at the biggies (The Met, The Guggenheim) and discover some of the lesser-known museums (Museum for African Art, Goethe-Institut/German Cultural Center). However, allegedly "over 50,000 visitors attend the festival" annually, so you'll likely still be met with big crowds at the Met's Alexander McQueen exhibit.
Groups can also follow street muralist De La Vega as he chalks up the entire stretch throughout the night. A full list of events, performances, and participating museums can be found here.
