At New York's Met Museum, Friday and Saturday Date Nights Bring Drinks and Music

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, at 1000 Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side, runs Date Night on Friday and Saturday evenings. The program is open from 5 to 9 pm and pairs drinks with music, giving the museum a different feel from its daytime rhythm.

Evening hours are a natural fit for the Met. The galleries tend to feel calmer after the daytime rush, and a drink in hand and live atmosphere make it easy to wander without a fixed plan, stopping wherever something catches your eye.

As the name suggests, the evening is aimed at couples, but it works just as well for friends or for showing visiting family a side of the museum they might not expect. The 5 pm start also makes it easy to slot in after work, or to bracket with dinner nearby.

For anyone in New York looking for a weekend night out that is a little more considered than the usual bar or restaurant plan, Date Night at the Met is a straightforward option: Fridays and Saturdays, 5 to 9 pm, on Fifth Avenue.