The City Reliquary is a small, not-for-profit museum of New York City ephemera and relics in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This guide covers opening hours, admission, transport, accessibility, and practical tips for planning a visit — part of my wider New York City travel guides.
This guide was last checked in August 2026. Note: because this is a small, volunteer-run museum, its published hours have changed more than once over the years — at one point reduced to Saturdays and Sundays only. Current listings agree on Thursday to Sunday, but given the museum’s history of schedule changes, it’s worth calling ahead to confirm before a visit.
Quick facts
| Opening hours | Thursday to Sunday, 12pm–6pm (call ahead to confirm, given past schedule changes). |
| Ticket prices | Around $10 general admission, with lower rates for NYC residents, students, educators and seniors; free for children 12 and under. |
| Address | 370 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11211 |
| Nearest transport | Subway: G train (Metropolitan Ave), L train (Lorimer St), J/M/Z trains (Marcy Ave). Bus: Q54, Q59. |
| Typical time needed | Around 30 minutes to 1 hour. |
City Reliquary Museum opening hours: when to visit
The museum is currently listed as open Thursday through Sunday, from noon to 6pm, and closed Monday to Wednesday. It’s also closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Given its small size and reliance on volunteers, hours have shifted before — at times to a reduced Saturday and Sunday schedule — so calling ahead is worth it, especially if travelling some distance to visit.
5 great New York City experiences to book
- 🕊️ Make sure you get into the 9/11 Memorial Museum by booking tickets in advance.
- 🗽 Take a boat cruise out to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
- ⛴️ Learn about NYC’s top buildings on an architecture-themed 1920s-style yacht cruise around Manhattan.
- 🌳 Take a pedicab tour around Central Park – and spot the hidden secrets on the way.
- 🍜 Taste the local flavours of New York on a Chinatown and Little Italy food tour.
City Reliquary Museum ticket prices: how much does entry cost?
Admission is generally listed as around $10 for general visitors, with reduced rates for NYC residents, college students, educators and seniors (65+), and free entry for children 12 and under; museum employees also enter free with ID. Some more recent visitor reports mention a lower flat rate, so it’s worth confirming the current price directly, since this small nonprofit museum has changed its admission model more than once.
Opening hours and ticket prices were checked using available information and last updated in August 2026. Check the official site for current details.
There is no formal city sightseeing pass covering the City Reliquary, given its small, independent, donation-supported nature. Group tours are welcome by advance arrangement.
How to get to the City Reliquary Museum: transport guide
The nearest subway stops are the G train at Metropolitan Avenue, the L train at Lorimer Street, and the J, M and Z trains at Marcy Avenue, all within a short walk. The Q54 and Q59 buses also stop nearby.
The museum is located on Metropolitan Avenue, about seven blocks north of the Williamsburg Bridge, on the south side of the street just west of Havemeyer Street.
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Parking at the City Reliquary Museum
The museum does not operate its own parking facility. As with most of Williamsburg, expect metered street parking only, which can be limited, particularly on weekends; public transport is generally the easier option.
How long to spend at the City Reliquary Museum
Most visitors spend around 30 minutes to an hour inside, given the museum’s small, roughly 1,000-square-foot footprint. Visitors who enjoy reading detailed captions, or who visit during a special event, may want to allow longer.
Inside the City Reliquary Museum: what to see
The permanent collection gathers everyday New York ephemera: old subway tokens, paint chips from the L train, terracotta shards from demolished landmark buildings, and a wall of antique Statue of Liberty postcards and souvenirs. A dedicated case honours Jackie Robinson, alongside a preserved vintage newsstand.
Other highlights include a World’s Fair archive, drawing on both the 1939 and 1964–65 New York World’s Fairs, and a set of geological core samples from beneath the city. A rotating Community Collections window showcases changing displays curated by New Yorkers themselves, and the museum’s small back yard is open to visitors in warm weather.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Timing | Visiting soon after the noon opening generally means a quieter, more personal experience with volunteer staff. |
| Crowds | This is a small museum that rarely feels crowded, even on weekends. |
| Layout | The main room and back yard can both be seen in well under an hour, making it easy to fit into a wider Williamsburg day out. |
| Entry process | There’s no advance booking system; simply arrive during opening hours. |
| On-site logistics | Calling ahead confirms both current hours and admission, given the museum’s history of schedule changes. |
Frequently asked questions about the City Reliquary Museum
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is the City Reliquary suitable for children? | Yes, children 12 and under enter free, though the museum is compact rather than hands-on. |
| Do you need to book tickets in advance? | No, the museum operates on a walk-in basis; group tours should be arranged ahead of time. |
| Is the City Reliquary open on Mondays? | No, it’s closed Monday through Wednesday, open Thursday to Sunday. |
| Is parking available at the City Reliquary? | No dedicated parking; metered street parking or public transport are the main options. |
| How big is the City Reliquary Museum? | It’s a small storefront museum, roughly 1,000 square feet, plus a small back yard space. |
Things to do near the City Reliquary Museum
- New York Transit Museum: A museum of NYC subway and transit history, a short subway ride away in Downtown Brooklyn.
- Prospect Park Zoo: A family-friendly zoo within Prospect Park, about a 25 to 30-minute subway ride away.
- Brooklyn Children’s Museum: An interactive museum for younger visitors in Crown Heights, a similar distance away.
- New York Aquarium: A large aquarium at Coney Island, roughly a 45-minute to 1-hour subway ride away.
- McCarren Park: A large Williamsburg park with a running track and pool, a short walk from the museum.
Alternative attractions to visit
- Museum of the City of New York: A much larger museum covering New York’s history, about a 30 to 40-minute subway ride away in Manhattan.
- Fraunces Tavern Museum: A small historic museum in a colonial-era tavern building, roughly a 30-minute subway ride away.
- Skyscraper Museum: A compact, niche museum dedicated to New York’s high-rise architecture, also about a 30-minute subway ride away.
More New York City travel
Other New York City travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- Manhattan Museum guides: American Museum of Natural History, National Museum of Mathematics and Intrepid Museum.
- New York art museum guides: The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Frick Collection.
- New York City’s parks: Roberto Clemente State Park, Riverbank State Park, Fort Tryon Park.
- Upper Manhattan attractions: The General Grant National Memorial and the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum.
- Bronx attraction guides: New York Botanical Gardens, Van Cortlandt House Museum, and Pelham Bay Park – including Orchard Beach and the Bartow-Pell Mansion.
