Museum of the Moving Image: Tickets & Family Guide

Astoria, Queens · Film, television and creative play

CenterNYC editorial guide · Hours and admission checked October 12, 2026

A movie usually works hardest to make you forget how it was made. The Museum of the Moving Image invites you to notice. A sound effect changes a scene, a puppet acquires a personality, and a sequence of still pictures suddenly decides to move. You can come for the familiar faces and leave looking at the screen a little differently.

MoMI is a film and television museum in Astoria, Queens, with hands-on exhibits and a permanent Jim Henson exhibition. We suggest two to three hours for the galleries, plus the running time of any film you book. Thursday afternoon is the useful budget option; Sunday gives a Shabbat-observant family more of the day.

The pleasure of seeing how the illusion works

A 2½-hour gallery visit: start and finish at the museum entrance on 35th Avenue. Spend time in Behind the Screen and the Jim Henson exhibition, with room for a favorite interactive activity. A film screening and a meal are separate additions to this plan.

The museum’s Behind the Screen exhibition mixes filmmaking objects with activities. The family guide describes stop-motion animation, adding sound to movie scenes and creating a personalized flipbook. Rather than racing to try everything, choose an activity and compare two versions. What happens if the soundtrack feels wrong? When does a tiny movement become a believable action?

That is what makes this outing different from simply watching a film. You are paying attention to the decisions normally hidden inside it. For a child who likes making things, the result can be more satisfying than another room of objects to look at. For an adult, it can be a reminder of how much work sits behind a moment that looks effortless.

Jim Henson: familiar characters, unfamiliar craft

The Jim Henson exhibition follows the people and ideas behind Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock and Henson’s films. Puppets, sketches, scripts and costumes connect the characters to the practical business of making them convincing. The museum lists nearly 300 objects, including 47 puppets, alongside filmed material and interactive experiences.

Seeing a recognizable character is one kind of pleasure. Understanding how a performer gives that character timing and expression is another. Try watching the screen and the object as two parts of the same trick. The exhibition also reaches beyond childhood favorites to Henson’s experimental work; adults do not need to borrow a child to have a reason to visit.

Our suggested approach is to choose one character you know well and one you do not. Compare what makes each memorable. A family can have a good conversation here without turning the visit into a quiz about television history.

A glimpse of the Henson exhibition

This short film from the museum’s own channel gives a feel for the puppets and visitors’ reactions. The exhibition runs year-round; the holiday event mentioned in the video description was in 2025.

Watch the museum’s Jim Henson exhibition video on YouTube.

What visitors enjoy—and what to plan around

The Henson collection is a recurring highlight in the reviews we read. Tripadvisor reviewer metalheavylady, visiting in July 2026, particularly enjoyed the puppets and the chance to style one. BlondeBackpacker’s July review praised the behind-the-scenes focus but warned that free Thursdays can be crowded. On Google, Eddy G described the interactive displays as a fun date outing. Together, these accounts suggest a museum that works for curious adults as well as families; a free afternoon is a saving, not necessarily the quietest visit.

Tickets, free hours and the family bill

Address	36-01 35 Avenue, Astoria, NY 11106.
Gallery admission	Adults 18+ $20; seniors 65+ and students 18+ $12; ages 3–17 $10; under 3 free.
Online fee	$1.50 per ticket.
Regular hours	Thursday 2–6pm; Friday 2–8pm; Saturday and Sunday 11am–6pm. Normally closed Monday–Wednesday; holiday openings are listed separately.
Free gallery hours	Thursday 2–6pm.

Official admission and holiday hours · Buy museum tickets · Google Maps directions.

Two adults and two children aged 3–17 pay $60 for standard gallery admission, or $66 with four online ticket fees. Thursday’s free gallery hours make a different kind of afternoon possible: spend the admission budget elsewhere and give yourself permission to make a shorter visit. Meals, travel and separately ticketed activities are additional.

A screening is a plan of its own

Do not choose a movie only because you are already in the building. Look at its subject, language and length, and decide whether it suits the group. A small child delighted by a puppet gallery may not be equally delighted by a long feature afterward.

The admission policy allows a same-day screening or event ticket with museum admission when its value is below the admission fee, subject to availability; request it on arrival. A particular screening still requires a ticket. If the film is the reason you are coming, book that performance rather than relying on a spare seat.

Children, strollers and sensory comfort

Bring a light day bag. Strollers, backpacks and large bags cannot enter the galleries; stroller parking is in the lobby. Children under 14 need an accompanying adult aged at least 18. Coming with ten or more people? Arrange a group reservation before arriving. The family page and admission policy give differing details about coat-check availability, so avoid arriving with luggage.

MoMI’s visual visitor story warns that clips and activities can create overlapping sounds and images, and that some material may feel intense. Preview it with anyone who benefits from knowing what to expect. Taking one gallery at a time is a better plan than treating every interactive station as compulsory.

Kosher food and Shabbat planning

Have your kosher meal before or after the museum. Outside food is not allowed inside or in the courtyard, and this guide does not identify the café as certified kosher. Our kosher dining guides can help with a separate meal stop; account for the journey rather than assuming it is next door.

For Shabbat-observant visitors, choose Thursday or Sunday. Friday’s afternoon opening and evening hours are not a reason to squeeze the museum into Shabbat preparations. A holiday opening is useful only when it also fits your own calendar.

Photographs and the rest of the day

Personal photography is permitted in most galleries unless signs say otherwise. Leave flash, tripods and selfie sticks out of the plan, and do not record screenings. The museum requires written permission for reproducing or distributing its gallery photographs; a holiday picture and a commercial image are different uses.

Make this museum the anchor of an Astoria outing. Our neighborhood guide compares a film-focused afternoon with a separate sculpture-and-waterfront route. If the weather is poor, two good galleries and a film can be enough. If you want another kind of Queens museum on a different day, compare the city model at the Queens Museum or the experiments at NYSCI. They are elsewhere in Queens, not adjacent stops.

The Transit Museum offers another way to explore how things work, this time through trains. Browse our museum guides to choose by interest rather than by how many museums you can fit into the week.

Frequently asked questions

When is MoMI free?

Regular free gallery hours are Thursday, 2–6pm. A film screening can have separate ticket conditions.

Is this just a museum for children?

No. The craft of film and television, Henson’s work and the screening program give adults distinct reasons to come.

Can we bring a stroller into the galleries?

No. Stroller parking is in the lobby, so plan for how your child will move through the galleries.

How much time should we allow?

We suggest two to three hours for the galleries. Add the full film running time and a break if attending a screening.

Researched editorial guide, not an account of a personal visit. Practical details checked October 11, 2026 against the museum’s visitor, admission, family and exhibition pages linked above. Visit lengths and suggested combinations are our recommendations.