NEW YORK, NY.- The Whitney Museum of American Art today announced the visitor hours and admission prices for its new home at 99 Gansevoort Street, in New York City’s Meatpacking District. Designed by renowned architect Renzo Piano with spacious, light-filled galleries and panoramic outdoor terraces, the new building enables the Museum to present the most expansive display ever of its unparalleled collection of modern and contemporary American art in tandem with outstanding temporary exhibitions, groundbreaking performances, and a host of public programs.

The new Whitney will feature vastly expanded and more convenient hours—increasing operations from five to six days a week—and for its inaugural exhibition, America Is Hard to See, sponsored by Bank of America, remain open until 10 pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, May 1 through September 27, 2015.

Adam D. Weinberg, the Whitney’s Alice Pratt Brown Director, stated, “Thanks to Renzo Piano’s thoughtful design and our exciting new location in the Meatpacking District at the southern entrance to the High Line, the Whitney is going to be more accessible and inviting than ever before.”

The building opens to the public on Friday, May 1. That evening will feature the launch of weekly Friday night pay-what-you-wish hours from 7 to 10 pm. On Saturday, May 2, in celebration of the opening, the Whitney will offer free admission to the Museum from 10:30 am to 10 pm and a neighborhood block party with artist-run activities on Gansevoort Street, sponsored by Macy’s. Ticketing details for opening weekend follow.

TICKETS AND MEMBERSHIP
General admission will be $22; admission for full-time students and seniors (65 years and over) will be $18, with the family-friendly benefit of free admission for all children and teens under 18.

Visitors are encouraged to purchase advance tickets via whitney.org up to the day before their visit. Advance tickets will be available for purchase beginning Friday, April 3 at 7 am via whitney.org. Online ticket buyers will be able to skip the admissions line when they arrive at the Museum; there are no service fees for online tickets.

Free admission tickets for Saturday, May 2, may be reserved via whitney.org beginning on Monday, April 13.

Whitney members enjoy unlimited express admission to the new building, invitations to members-only events, and discounts at the Museum Shop, the Whitney’s restaurants, and local businesses, among other benefits.

HOURS OF OPERATION
The Museum will be open to the public six days a week: Sundays, Mondays, and Wednesdays from 10:30 am to 6 pm and Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10:30 am until 10 pm (late-night hours will be offered in tandem with the inaugural exhibition, May 1–September 27, 2015; permanent Museum hours will be announced in summer 2015). The popular pay-what-you-wish program will continue on Fridays from 7 to 10 pm. The Museum will be closed to the public on Tuesdays.

The inaugural operating schedule significantly expands access to the Whitney from 36 hours a week to 57 hours, a 58 percent increase.

WHITNEY BLOCK PARTY
On Saturday, May 2, the Whitney will offer free admission to the Museum from 10:30 am to 10 pm and a block party on Gansevoort Street, sponsored by Macy’s. Created in the spirit of a neighborhood festival, the Whitney Block Party will welcome visitors of all ages with free art and performance, including hands-on activities and participatory events.

Throughout the day, booths designed by a diverse group of contemporary artists and community organizations will offer activities for a range of audiences, including karaoke, map making, and performance workshops. Large-scale acts on the main stage will include all-ages performances, including puppetry, dance, music, and poetry. These distinctive projects embody the Museum’s multidisciplinary and inclusive approach to contemporary art.

The festivities will encourage audiences to experience the new location and new architecture as part of the Museum’s active engagement with artists and the city. All the activities and performances are designed by artists and community organizations.

Booths and activities will be offered by Ei Arakawa and Shimon Minamikawa, Trisha Baga, Bed Stuy Love Affair, Friends of the High Line, K8 Hardy and Ryan McNamara, J.T. Jobbagy Inc., the Meatpacking District Improvement Association, Lize Mogel, My Barbarian, Nari Ward, and the Whitney Education Community Advisory Network.

Performances will be presented by Mark Beasley, Camp & Street (Donchristian, Le1f, Rahel, Boody, and special guest), The Door – A Center of Alternatives: the performing arts program, The Eichelburglers (Jennifer Miller, Heather Green, and special guest), The Tracie Morris Band with special guests Mr. Jerome Harris and Jemman, Jacolby Satterwhite and La'fem Ladosha, and A Tribe Called Red.