🗽 NYC List

101 Free Things to Do in NYC

The original CheapInTheCity list, rebuilt and updated for 2026. Every item is free. No catch, no credit card, no "suggested donation" pressure.

101 verified items
Updated April 2026
All 5 boroughs
← Back to All Lists
Last verified: April 2026. Hours and free schedules change. Always confirm on the venue's website before visiting.
This list started in 2008 as a scrappy blog post for broke New Yorkers. It's been rebuilt from scratch for 2026. Dead links removed, hours updated, and a dozen new additions that didn't exist a decade ago. Every item on this list is free. "Pay what you wish" items are included. You can pay nothing and walk right in. Seasonal items are marked so you know when to go. New additions since the original list are marked too.
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Museums & Galleries
1
Year-round
The Met – Metropolitan Museum of Art
The posted price is "suggested." NYC residents and NY/NJ/CT students pay whatever they want, including nothing. One of the greatest museums on earth, free if you want it to be. Admission now requires timed tickets booked online.
2
Year-round
American Museum of Natural History
Same deal as the Met: suggested donation. NYC residents pay what they can. Dinosaurs, space, ocean life, the whole thing. Book timed entry online.
3
Year-round
The Cloisters
Medieval European art and architecture in a stunning hilltop setting in Fort Tryon Park. Suggested donation, same as the Met, to which it belongs. If you visit the Met same day and keep your pin, you can skip the line here.
4
Free Fri nights
MoMA – Museum of Modern Art
Free for all New York State residents every Friday from 5:30–8:30pm, courtesy of UNIQLO. Drop-in drawing classes, live music, a pop-up bar. Reserve tickets the week before. They go fast.
5
Free Fri nights
Whitney Museum of American Art
Free every Friday evening 5–10pm, plus the second Sunday of every month. Under 25? Free every single day. The 8th floor bar has stunning Hudson River views. Advance tickets required even for free nights.
6
Free Saturdays
Brooklyn Museum First Saturdays
The first Saturday of each month (Feb–Jun, Aug, Oct), the Brooklyn Museum runs free evening programming from 5–11pm with performances, hands-on art, music, and food. One of the best free nights out.
7
Always free
The Bronx Museum of the Arts
Contemporary and modern art with a focus on the Bronx and the broader Americas. Admission is always free, no strings attached. One of the most underrated museums in the city.
8
Always free
National Museum of the American Indian
A Smithsonian museum in a stunning Beaux-Arts building in lower Manhattan. Free always. Rotating exhibitions covering the history and culture of Indigenous peoples of the Americas.
9
Always free
Queens Museum
An arts museum and education center in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. Admission is always free. The Panorama of the City of New York (a 9,335 sq ft scale model of every building in all five boroughs) is worth the trip alone.
10
New since 2026
MoMA PS1 (Long Island City)
As of January 1, 2026, MoMA PS1 is free for everyone. The edgier, more experimental sibling of MoMA with a rotating program of contemporary art and the legendary Warm Up summer concerts.
11
Free Mon/Fri
Museum at Eldridge Street
Free admission on Mondays and Fridays. A beautifully restored 1887 synagogue on the Lower East Side with stunning stained glass and a window by artist Kiki Smith.
12
Free 1st Fridays
Frick Collection
Free admission 5:30–9pm on the first Friday of each month (excluding January and September). One of the finest private art collections in the world, now in its stunning restored mansion on the Upper East Side.
13
Always free
Chelsea Galleries
Over 200 galleries packed between 10th and 11th Avenues from about 18th to 28th Street. Free to enter all of them, any day. Meet artists at openings, see the cutting edge of contemporary art, drink free wine if you time it right.
14
Always free
Gallery Crawl on the Lower East Side
Independent artist-run galleries throughout the LES. The last Sunday of each month brings organized open gallery walks starting at 1pm. A completely different scene from Chelsea. Rawer, younger, more experimental.
15
June only
Museum Mile Festival
One evening every June, nine museums along Fifth Avenue throw open their doors for free. The Met, the Guggenheim, the Cooper Hewitt, and more. All free, all at once. Streets close to traffic. Live bands. Crowds. Total NYC chaos in the best possible way.
16
New addition
The Shed (Hudson Yards)
The Shed regularly offers free public programming including performances, art installations, and events. The building itself is an architectural marvel: a retractable shell that rolls out over the street. Check their calendar for free events.
🌳
Parks & Outdoors
17
Always free
Central Park
843 acres. Completely free. The most visited urban park in the United States. Walk, bike, run, fish, watch Shakespeare, see concerts, visit Belvedere Castle, row on the lake. You could spend a month here and not do everything.
18
Always free
The High Line
A 1.45-mile elevated park on a former freight rail line. Art installations, gardens, Hudson River views, free programming year-round. Every Tuesday at 6:30pm, the park offers a free walking tour. The most distinctly New York walk in the city.
19
New addition
Little Island (Pier 55)
Barry Diller's floating park in the Hudson River at 15th Street. Free daily 6am–1am. 2.4 acres of gardens, an amphitheater with free performances all summer, and elevated views of Lower Manhattan. One of the best public spaces the city has built in years.
20
Always free
Walk the Brooklyn Bridge
One of the great New York walks. The pedestrian path is above the cars. Amazing views in both directions. On the Brooklyn side you land in DUMBO, which is worth exploring. Go early on a weekday if you want breathing room.
21
Always free
Take the Staten Island Ferry
Free, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The 25-minute ride gives you unbeatable views of the Statue of Liberty, lower Manhattan, and the harbor. Bring a beer (technically allowed on the boat) and watch the sunset. The best free boat ride anywhere.
22
Summer
Governors Island
Ferry is free on weekends from lower Manhattan (10 South St) and Brooklyn (Pier 6). Once a military base, now 172 acres of car-free park. Mini golf, bike rentals, hammocks, food vendors, art installations, and some of the best views of the Manhattan skyline you'll find anywhere.
23
Summer
Free Kayaking
Manhattan Kayak + SUP at Pier 96, Downtown Boathouse at Pier 40, and Riverside Park South all offer free kayaking during summer months. They provide the kayak, life vest, paddles, and instruction. Just show up.
24
Summer
Free Public Pools
NYC opens dozens of free outdoor pools every summer, typically from late June through Labor Day. Many are massive. Bring your own lock for the locker room. Check nycgovparks.org for the full list and opening dates.
25
Apr–Oct
Go Fishing in Central Park
Free poles and bait provided at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center near 110th Street, April through October. Catch and release only, so no, you can't eat the fish. Still satisfying.
26
Year-round
Fishing in Hudson River Park
Free rods and bait via the Big City Fishing program on summer weekends, 10:30am–5pm. In Battery Park City, free equipment is also available select Saturdays year-round, 10am–2pm. Fish the Hudson if you dare. Catch and release.
27
Always free
New York Botanical Garden (Wednesdays)
Free all day on Wednesdays. 250 acres in the Bronx with 50 gardens, a forest, and a Victorian-era greenhouse. The largest botanical garden in any American city.
28
Summer
Summer Streets
Three consecutive Saturdays in August, Park Avenue from 72nd Street to the Brooklyn Bridge closes to traffic for walkers, runners, cyclists, and rollerbladers. Free activities and pop-ups along the route. One of the few days the city feels like it belongs to people.
29
Always free
Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn
A National Historic Landmark founded in 1838, with 478 acres of rolling hills, ponds, and chapels. Beautiful. Walking from one end to the other takes over an hour. Free to enter. Home to thousands of notable New Yorkers. Leave before sundown. The guards are serious about it.
30
New addition
Little Island and the Meatpacking District
Start at Little Island, walk to the Meatpacking District, head up the High Line, end at the Whitney. It's a free half-day that hits four of the best things the west side has built in the last 20 years.
31
New addition
Domino Park, Williamsburg
A 6-acre waterfront park on the site of the old Domino Sugar refinery on the Williamsburg waterfront. Preserved industrial relics, great views of Manhattan, volleyball, a water feature, and a restored 1884 refinery building. Always free.
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Free Outdoor Movies
32
Summer Mon
Bryant Park Summer Film Series
Every Monday evening June through August. Get there early. Good spots go by 6pm for a 9pm movie. Classic films, huge crowd, great energy. Bring a blanket and snacks.
33
Late August
Central Park Film Festival
Five nights of free movies in the park at the end of August. Films start around 8pm. Great mix of classics and recent releases. Check centralparknyc.org for the lineup each year.
34
Summer Wed/Fri
River Flicks (Hudson River Park)
Free outdoor movies every Wednesday and Friday in summer. Wednesdays are for adults, Fridays are for kids. Everyone gets free popcorn. Screenings at Pier 63 and other Hudson River Park locations.
35
Summer
Movies with a View (Brooklyn Bridge Park)
Free summer movies at Brooklyn Bridge Park at sunset. Sitting on a Brooklyn hillside watching a film with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop is a legitimately great NYC experience.
36
Summer Mon
Coney Island Film Festival
Free movies on the beach at Coney Island every Monday at dusk in summer. Classic films, salty air, the sound of the Atlantic. One of the more memorable free nights in the outer boroughs.
37
Summer Wed
Riverside Park South Movies
Free movies every Wednesday around 8pm at Riverside Park South, mid-July through mid-August. Each year has a new theme for the series.
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Free Concerts & Music
38
Summer
SummerStage in Central Park
City Parks Foundation runs dozens of free concerts throughout the summer across all five boroughs. Central Park's Rumsey Playfield is the flagship. Everything from classical to hip-hop to Afrobeats. Check cityparksfoundation.org for the full schedule.
39
Summer
Lincoln Center Out of Doors
Lincoln Center's massive free outdoor festival runs July through August with hundreds of performances. Jazz, dance, world music, hip-hop. The plaza at Lincoln Center becomes one of the great free cultural spaces in the city.
40
Summer Thu–Sat
Prospect Park Bandshell
Free performances most Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays June through August. Bangali Brooklyn, international acts, local legends. The bandshell is beautiful and the park at night in summer is one of the best free experiences in Brooklyn.
41
Summer Thu
Lincoln Center David Rubenstein Atrium
Every Thursday at 7:30pm, Target sponsors a free music or dance performance in the atrium. The indoor space is intimate and the programming is excellent: world music, jazz, contemporary dance.
42
Summer Fri 7am
Good Morning America Summer Concert Series
Every summer Friday morning at 7am, GMA stages a free concert in Central Park. The acts are big. You have to be there early and it's a crowd, but it's a proper concert for free at sunrise.
43
Summer
Met Opera in the Parks
Every summer the Metropolitan Opera performs free in parks across all five boroughs. Six performances over a week in July. Full productions with full orchestras. Bring a blanket, bring wine. Free opera in the park.
44
Year-round
Naumburg Orchestra in Central Park
On select Mondays and Tuesdays, the Naumburg Orchestra performs free classical music just south of 72nd Street in Central Park. Sitting on the lawn listening to live classical music on a Tuesday afternoon is one of the better free hours in the city.
45
Year-round
Washington Square Park Street Performers
Every day, all hours. Pianists, jazz bands, classically trained violinists, guys who jump over people, acrobats, chess hustlers. Sit by the fountain in summer and it's one of the best free shows in the city. No ticket required, no schedule needed.
46
Weekdays
Bach at Noon (Grace Church)
Tuesday through Friday at Grace Church on Broadway and 10th Street. The organ starts at 12:20pm and plays for 30 minutes. Free. No commitment. Sit in a 200-year-old Gothic church and listen to Bach on your lunch break. There is nothing better.
47
New addition
Chelsea Market Live Music
The market at 75 Ninth Avenue frequently hosts live musicians and performances in its main hall. No schedule. It just happens. Stop in with a coffee on a rainy day and you'll often stumble into something worth stopping for.
🎭
Free Theater & Performance
48
Summer
Shakespeare in the Park
The Public Theater's legendary free Shakespeare productions at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This is the real deal: A-list casts, full productions. Tickets are distributed free via digital lottery on the day of the show. One of the best things this city does for free.
49
Summer Thu
Broadway in Bryant Park
Every Thursday from 12:30–1:30pm July through August, performers from current Broadway shows do free performances in Bryant Park. The shows also run contests for full Broadway tickets. Lunch with a free Broadway preview is a solid Thursday.
50
Year-round
Watch a TV Show Taping
Dozens of shows tape in NYC and distribute free tickets through 1iota.com and official show websites. The Daily Show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and many others. Apply early. Popular shows book weeks out.
51
Year-round
Free Comedy in Greenwich Village
The blocks around MacDougal and Bleecker Street in the Village have multiple venues running free comedy shows nightly. Guys on the street will try to hand you flyers. Sometimes the shows are actually great. Walk in, sit down, worst case it's 45 minutes of your life.
52
Year-round
Free Movie Screenings
Pre-screenings of upcoming major releases are regularly offered free through Gofobo.com and local listing sites. You'll see new movies before they open. Sign up, snag passes, show up early for a good seat.
53
Year-round
Free Karaoke in the Village
Greenwich Village has multiple spots running free karaoke. Arlene's Grocery on Stanton Street does live band karaoke which is exactly what it sounds like. Look for the bar with the skull-and-crossbones bike out front on MacDougal. You'll recognize it.
💪
Free Fitness & Wellness
54
Year-round
Shape-Up NYC Free Fitness Classes
NYC Parks' Shape-Up NYC program offers free certified fitness classes across all five boroughs year-round. Yoga, weight training, Tabata, body conditioning, dance. Classes run in parks and recreation centers. Check nyc.gov/parks for the full schedule.
55
Summer
Yoga in Times Square
Every year on the summer solstice, the Times Square Alliance hosts Mind Over Madness Yoga, a massive all-day yoga event right in the middle of Times Square. All levels. Free. Thousands of people. On the way out you get a goody bag of yoga swag. Only in New York.
56
Year-round
Free Yoga in Parks
Hudson River Park, Bryant Park, and many neighborhood parks run free yoga classes throughout the summer. The High Line also offers free yoga and fitness programming. Check the individual park websites for current schedules.
57
Year-round
Join a Free Running Club
The New York Road Runners offer free group runs throughout the city. The November Project meets at 6:28am on Wednesdays at the Brooklyn Bridge. There are free running clubs in every borough. It's the best way to see the city and meet people at the same time.
58
Summer
Free Bike Rental on Governors Island
Every Friday during summer, you can rent a bike free for up to an hour to ride around the island. The island is entirely car-free with five miles of trail. One of the most peaceful things you can do on a summer Friday in this city.
59
Summer
Free Mini Golf on Governors Island
Starting late April through September, free mini golf on Governors Island. 14 holes, equipment provided, no reservation needed. This is not a drill.
60
Winter
Ice Skating in Bryant Park
The rink itself is free. No admission charge. You only pay if you need to rent skates. Bring your own and skate for nothing all winter. Less crowded than Rockefeller Center, better vibe, same quality ice.
🥨
Free Food & Markets
61
Year-round
Free Samples at Union Square Greenmarket
The biggest greenmarket in the city runs Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday year-round. Most vendors hand out free samples: bread, cheese, juice, honey, jam, wine, hot sauce. On a good lap you can eat a small lunch without spending a dollar.
62
Year-round
Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Samples
The Trader Joe's and Whole Foods around Union Square regularly offer free samples. As a student this was a legitimate lunch strategy. No judgment. Walk the loop, graze freely, leave full.
63
June
Taste of Times Square
Every June, Times Square hosts a free music and food festival. Samples from top NYC restaurants, full dishes at discounts, free live music. One of the better food events in the city and it costs nothing to attend.
64
June
Bastille Day on 60th Street
Every mid-June, the block between Fifth and Lexington Avenues celebrates Bastille Day with French food, wine and cheese tastings, authentic French music, and art. Free to walk around, gorge on samples, and pretend you're in Paris for an afternoon.
65
New addition
Chelsea Market
The market at 75 Ninth Avenue in Chelsea is free to wander anytime. The building, a converted Nabisco factory, is interesting. Grab a coffee, walk the whole thing, browse the vendors. Often live music. Great on a rainy afternoon.
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Free Tours & History
66
Wednesdays
Grand Central Terminal Architecture Tour
The Municipal Art Society has run a free Grand Central tour every Wednesday for over 25 years. You'll learn about the terminal's design, history, and the famous ceiling. One of the best free things you can do in Midtown.
67
Fridays
Grand Central Area Walking Tour
A free AAA-rated walking tour every Friday led by historians Justin Ferate and Peter Laskowich. Covers the area around Grand Central including the Chrysler Building. One of the most knowledgeable free tours in the city.
68
Ongoing
Central Park Conservancy Tours
Hundreds of free tours throughout and around Central Park year-round. History tours, nature tours, pond tours, architecture tours. Most are open enrollment with no reservation needed. Check centralparknyc.org for the current schedule.
69
Weekdays
Federal Reserve Bank of New York Tour
Free guided tours Monday through Friday by reservation. You go through security, then get a guided tour of the gold vault, one of the largest accumulations of gold in the world. Fascinating and completely free. Book well in advance at newyorkfed.org.
70
Year-round
Free Walking Tours (Tips Optional)
Tours by Foot and Free Tours by Foot offer tip-based walking tours of multiple NYC neighborhoods. Licensed guides who actually know what they're talking about. Pay what you think it was worth at the end. A good deal.
71
Saturdays in summer
Brooklyn Brewery Tour
Free tours of the Brooklyn Brewery on Saturdays and Sundays. About 45 minutes long and ends with beer tasting. In Williamsburg, so easy to combine with a walk around the neighborhood before or after.
72
Saturdays in summer
Union Square Walking Tour
The Union Square Partnership and Big Onion Walking Tours offer the "Crossroads of New York" every Saturday afternoon: a free tour of the area's architecture and history. One of the most interesting corners of the city when you actually know what you're looking at.
73
Year-round
Lower East Side History Tour
A free three-hour walking tour of the Lower East Side that covers the neighborhood's history as the entry point for generations of immigrants. Bring comfortable shoes. This is a serious walk and worth every step.
74
Year-round
Explore Grand Central Terminal Itself
Even without a tour, Grand Central is worth exploring on its own. The Main Concourse, the Whispering Gallery near the Oyster Bar, the hidden Tennis Club, and the lower-level food market are all free to walk around. Most New Yorkers have never been to all of it.
75
New addition
The Oculus (World Trade Center)
Santiago Calatrava's stunning white-ribbed transportation hub at the World Trade Center. Free to enter, 9am–7pm weekdays. Architecturally one of the most dramatic spaces in the city. Even if you have no train to catch, worth seeing.
🗽
Weird, Wonderful & Only in NYC
76
Year-round
The New York Earth Room (SoHo)
A loft in SoHo filled 22 inches deep with 280,000 pounds of dark, fragrant earth. It has been there since 1977. It smells like a forest floor. It is free to visit. It has no practical explanation. It is the most purely New York thing on this list.
77
July 4th
Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
Coney Island, every Fourth of July. The most American spectacle that exists. Thousands of people watching competitive eaters consume an ungodly number of hot dogs in 10 minutes. Free to watch, free to attend, impossible to fully explain to anyone who hasn't seen it.
78
June
Coney Island Mermaid Parade
Every June, thousands of New Yorkers dress as mermaids, sea creatures, and interpretations of King Neptune and parade through Coney Island. Free to watch. Dress up if you want. Costumes are encouraged. The weirdest, most joyful public event in the city.
79
Summer
Renegade Craft Fair (Brooklyn)
Two days every June in Williamsburg. Free to attend. Hundreds of independent makers selling jewelry, ceramics, clothing, and art. Free craft classes. Food from local vendors. One of the better summer weekends in Brooklyn.
80
Summer
City of Water Day
Every July, the City of Water Festival offers free boat tours of the NYC harbor and free rides to Governors Island and Liberty State Park. Live music, activities for all ages, and views of the harbor you can't get any other way for free.
81
New addition
Vessel at Hudson Yards (from outside)
The spiral staircase structure with 154 interconnecting flights is currently closed to climbing, but it remains free to walk around and photograph. The surrounding Hudson Yards plaza and public art are worth the trip on their own.
82
Year-round
Rooftop at the Metropolitan Museum
The Met's rooftop garden is open to the public during warmer months with no gallery admission required. You get 360-degree views of Central Park and the skyline. The bar is open if you want a drink, but the view is free.
83
Year-round
Wander Through Chinatown
One of the best free hours in lower Manhattan. Mott Street, Canal Street, the oldest part of Doyers Street named for the 1791 Doyers Tavern. Sounds, smells, street vendors, fresh produce, live fish tanks. A complete sensory experience for zero dollars.
84
Year-round
Free Dance Workshops (West Village)
The Judson Memorial Church in the West Village has been hosting free and low-cost dance workshops and performances since the 1960s. Drop-in classes, project performances, and experimental festivals throughout the year.
🌉
Brooklyn & Outer Boroughs
85
Summer
Kite Flying on Governors Island
Free kites are provided on Governors Island at the end of July. Open fields, no cars, harbor breeze. Go fly a kite. We mean that literally and with no sarcasm.
86
New addition
Socrates Sculpture Park (Queens)
An outdoor sculpture park on the waterfront in Long Island City with views of Manhattan. Always free. Large-scale works by emerging and established artists rotate throughout the year. Also hosts free concerts and events all summer.
87
Year-round
Queens Botanical Garden
Free on Wednesdays 3–6pm and Mondays 4–6pm year-round. The entire garden is free November through March. 39 acres in Flushing with themed gardens, walking paths, and exhibits. Often overlooked in favor of the Bronx botanical garden but beautiful.
88
Summer
New Museum Block Party (Lower East Side)
Every July the New Museum hosts a free block party in Sarah D. Roosevelt Park with live performances, interactive art exhibits, guided tours, and activities for all ages. One of the most communal free events in downtown Manhattan.
89
New addition
Brooklyn Bridge Park
85 acres of waterfront park under the Brooklyn Bridge. Free forever. Pebble Beach, lawns, sports fields, a restored carousel (small fee to ride), and some of the most photographed views of the Manhattan skyline on earth. Also hosts Movies with a View and other free summer programming.
✂️
Free Beauty & Self-Care
90
Year-round
Free Haircuts at Beauty Schools
Aveda Institute, Bumble and bumble University, and several other NYC beauty schools regularly look for hair models for student practice. You get a free cut supervised by a professional. The experience is usually excellent. Students work carefully. Check each school's website for how to sign up.
91
Year-round
Free Mani/Pedis at Beauty Schools
The same beauty schools also look for nail models for manicure and pedicure practice. Same deal: supervised by professionals, usually excellent quality, completely free. Search for cosmetology schools near you and ask about their model programs.
📚
Learn Something Free
92
Year-round
Borrow e-Books from the NYC Library
With a free NYC library card you can borrow thousands of e-books, audiobooks, and digital magazines through the Libby app. Works with your Kindle, phone, or tablet. Free library card available online at nypl.org. This one is wildly underused.
93
Year-round
Free Wi-Fi Throughout the City
LinkNYC kiosks offer free gigabit Wi-Fi at thousands of locations throughout all five boroughs. Free Wi-Fi in most parks through the NYC Parks Wi-Fi program. The public library system also offers free Wi-Fi at every branch.
94
Year-round
Free Daily Workshops
NYC has free workshops happening daily: coding, knitting, self-defense, cooking, investing, photography. Check Eventbrite, Meetup, and local community board listings. There is no skill you cannot begin to learn for free in this city.
95
Year-round
The New York Public Library (NYPL)
The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on Fifth Avenue is free to enter and architecturally stunning. Patience and Fortitude, the famous stone lions out front, have been there since 1911. The Rose Main Reading Room alone is worth the visit. Also check NYPL's calendar of free events, lectures, and exhibitions.
🚶
Just Get Out There
96
Summer
Summer Streets (August)
Three Saturdays in August, Park Avenue from 72nd Street to Brooklyn Bridge closes to cars. Walk, run, bike, rollerblade. Free fitness classes and activations pop up along the route. One of the few days the city actually feels human-sized.
97
Year-round
Hang Out in Washington Square Park
The most reliably entertaining free hour in Manhattan. Any day, any time. Chess games, street performers, NYU students, dogs, tourists, locals, arguments, music, someone definitely selling something. Sit by the arch and watch the city happen.
98
June
Come Out and Play Festival
For several weeks every summer, lower Manhattan becomes the site of a free adult game festival. Giant versions of classic games, social experiments, and creative public play. Exactly as fun as it sounds and exactly as weird as you'd expect from downtown Manhattan.
99
New addition
Explore a New Neighborhood
Jackson Heights for the best cheap food in any borough. Astoria for Greek food and waterfront parks. Sunset Park for the best views of Manhattan. Bay Ridge for the most architecturally intact old Brooklyn. Inwood for the feeling that you've left the city entirely. Pick one and walk it end to end.
100
Summer
Watch the Fireworks
The Fourth of July Macy's fireworks are launched over the Hudson River and visible from waterfront spots throughout Brooklyn, Queens, and Jersey City. Free, spectacular, and surrounded by thousands of New Yorkers doing the exact same thing. The city at its best.
101
Always
Just Walk Around
New York City is the greatest free show on earth and it runs 24 hours a day. No itinerary required. Pick a neighborhood you've never been to, get off the subway one stop early, turn left instead of right. Something will happen. It always does.

How to Make the Most of This List

Seasonal items are only free during specific months. Check each venue's website before making the trip, schedules change year to year.
For museum free nights (MoMA, Whitney, Frick), book your tickets online in advance. They fill up, especially in summer. Walking up without a reservation is a gamble.
The Met and American Museum of Natural History are "pay what you wish" for NYC-area residents. You can legally walk in and pay $1. Please donate more if you can afford it. These institutions depend on it.
Bank of America and Merrill Lynch cardholders get free museum admission the first full weekend of every month through the Museums on Us program. Check bankofamerica.com/museums for the full list of participating institutions.
Outdoor summer events (movies, concerts, Shakespeare) start in late June and end around Labor Day. Most run rain-or-shine unless it's severe weather.