Where can you find artists, museum directors, and other art lovers gathered around renowned collections of paintings and jewelry? The answer is not a museum. It’s an auction house.

While auction houses may be dealing with million-dollar works of art, many are open to the public so you can view those high-ticket items for free.

Outside of their private art sales, Phillips De Pury auctions are open to all.

Visitors can stop by its New York showroom to view the items for sale, like jewels and contemporary works of art.

The British auction house Bonham’s hosts events that are open to the public, including the unusual Space History sale in New York, which includes actual equipment from space launches.

Christie’s will display items in the days leading up to an auction, which are always free and open to the public.

They’ve got viewings in London, New York and Amsterdam.

If the idea of attending an auction is intimidating, Christie’s has its own YouTube page, which is a great way to get accustomed to auction house procedures.

With so many cost-free ways in place, forget your preconceived notions of elitist auction houses and immerse yourself in the art world.

For more fun travel ideas, check out the Cultural Travel section.

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