What to Expect: Crowds and lines. Because this is the one night of the year the prestigious museums of the Upper East Side open their doors for free, thousands of people will flock to Museum Mile NY to enjoy the works of art they have longed to see.

• Good, Old-Fashioned Fun: Unlike many other NY festivals, the Museum Mile Festival is both lively and family-friendly. Spectators will be entertained by a diverse mix of live bands, dancers, and magicians; museum-goers will be stimulated by some of the world's finest works of art.
• Diverse Crowd: While in recent years the Museum Mile Festival has gained popularity among tourists, it is still predominantly attended by New Yorkers; on this small stretch of Fifth Avenue you'll find people from places as disparate as the barrios of East Harlem and the townhouses of the Upper East Side - a diverse mix, to be sure, but one united by civic pride.

Inside Knowledge: In the 1970s, amid a fiscal crisis, Museum Mile NYC was formed as a consortium by the museums of Fifth Avenue. To stimulate interest in the museums, the consortium decided to hold a festival in June of 1978. The Museum Mile Festival was a massive success, and the tradition of throwing a festival every second Sunday in June has continued ever since.

Event Hints:

• Arrive Early: Because the nine museums of Museum Mile NY allow free admission on this one day of the year, the crowds are always large and the lines are always long. Arrive early to ensure that you are able to see all the museums you'd like, before the long lines make this impossible.
• Bring the Kids: While adults will enjoy touring the nine museums on Museum Mile NYC, kids will enjoy the live music, dancing, chalk-writing, magic shows, and arts and crafts on Fifth Avenue. This is a great (and potentially educational!) event for the whole family.
• Bring a Date: An excellent place to bring a date, the Museum Mile Festival NYC offers charming, old-fashioned entertainment and a limitless number of stimulating works to discuss.