I built NomadSwipe (Android), a trip planner, and I wrote this post. Every number comes from my own read-only queries on the app's stored place data, read on 8 November 2026. The hours are a stored snapshot, not live opening times: check the museum's own site before you go.
Short answer: Monday. Across 369 museums and galleries in 17 city decks, 46% show Monday as closed, 37% Sunday and 24% Tuesday. Thursday and Friday are lowest, at 7% each.
| Weekday | Museums and galleries (n = 369) | Other sights (n = 555) |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 171 (46%) | 101 (18%) |
| Tuesday | 89 (24%) | 79 (14%) |
| Wednesday | 50 (14%) | 53 (10%) |
| Thursday | 25 (7%) | 33 (6%) |
| Friday | 26 (7%) | 11 (2%) |
| Saturday | 32 (9%) | 59 (11%) |
| Sunday | 136 (37%) | 116 (21%) |
Museums and galleries are closed more often than other sights on every weekday except Saturday. The gap is widest on Monday.
It depends on the city
In 12 of the 14 ranked cities at least 36% of stored museums and galleries are closed on Monday, and in Tallahassee, Mobile and New York City it is two thirds or more. Las Vegas (15%) and Sedona (16%) are the exceptions. Tuesday is its own pattern: as bad as Monday in Brugge (44% each), while Sofia stores no Tuesday closures among its 23 museums.
What I do with it
- Put museums and galleries on the strongest days: Thursday and Friday.
- Park parks, viewpoints and walks on Monday.
- Check the city's own pattern before fixing a day.
The full table by city and the limits of the data are in the guide: https://nomadswipe.com/alternatives/which-day-are-museums-closed.html?utm_source=devto&utm_medium=post
If you want to try the app that holds this data: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gchertkov.SwipeNomad&utm_source=devto&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=museum-closed-days-devto&referrer=utm_source%3Dhashnode%26utm_medium%3Dpost%26utm_campaign%3Dmuseum-closed-days
