Spend a Night at the Museum.

Have you ever wanted to dance and drink the night away at a NYC public museum, nestled among priceless art and artifacts? Think this is something you'd certainly get arrested for? Think again!

This upcoming Saturday, April 2, and every first Saturday of the month, the Brooklyn Museum welcomes patrons to visit for FREE, from 5pm until 11pm, through the museum's Target First Saturdays series. Not only do the majority of the galleries remain open late, but each Saturday features a different DJ spinning tunes later in the evening (and yes, part of the museum becomes a dance floor and they serve wine and beer!).  Throughout the night, there are a variety of changing programs each month, some with limited access, so get there early!

This particular Saturday seems to have the best lineup in some time at the Brooklyn Museum, and WGINY is looking forward to attending! Get your tickets early to catch "human musician" Kenny Muhammad beat-boxing with orchestra Coroco Strings. Although the show does not start until 6:30pm, a total of 330 free tickets will be distributed at 5pm. Once you grab your beat-boxing ticket, head over to see the Afro-Latin Jazz Alliance and the New York City All-Star Youth Big Band.  from 5pm to 7pm, presented by the Fat Cat Jazz Club (an awesome cheap cover-charge jazz bar in the village with board games). Finally, be sure not to miss the Upright Citizens Brigade's improv comedy troupe, The Brothers Hines, as they poll the audience to create skits between 9 and 10pm. For more information on these and other events at First Saturday, see here. First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum are a personal favorite of mine...

 PHOTO UPDATE:

The Brothers Hines entertain with an improvised skit about kidney replacement...

Another swell monthly program is the American Museum of Natural History's One Step Beyond series. This series brings in hip musicians, often members of well-known bands, to perform or DJ for the evening at the Rose Center for Earth and Space. Although tickets are $25, this includes a free admission to the museum on a later date. During the night, you can dance to your heart's content, walk around the Rose Center and even catch a planetarium show, all included in the admission price. Drink tickets for wine and beer are extra. Past special guests have included Kanye West, Matt & Kim, Passion Pit, Animal Collective and many other noteworthy names. The next One Step Beyond will take place on Friday, April 22 at 9pm.

The Guggenheim used to have something called "First Fridays," which was similar to the Brooklyn Museum's First Saturdays, except that you had to pay admission. I believe it was $25 to get in, and you could roam the galleries, listen to a DJ and purchase alcohol. Although I have not been able to locate any updated information on whether First Fridays still happens, and thus am inclined to say they no longer occur, I did find this flyer for Art After Dark at the Guggenheim, which is a members-only event series that will take place on Fridays during the summer, beginning July 8. Keep your eye on the Guggenheim's calendar year-round, as this museum is no stranger to hosting indie concerts such as Yeasayer and Beirut.

Want to rock out at a museum on weekends other than the first weekend of every month? Try the Rubin Museum of Art's K2 Friday Nights. This lesser-known museum in Chelsea has a fabulous collection of South Asian art, photography and sculpture, much of it from the Himalayan region. Every Friday night, this museum opens its doors for FREE from 6pm to 10pm, and also offers live music, films, and a DJ and lounge. On Friday, April 1, DJ Derek Beres will be performing at the museum's K2 Lounge.

For addresses and mass transit or driving directions to each of these museums:
Brooklyn Museum
American Museum of Natural History
Guggenheim
Rubin Museum