21 Free Things to do in NYC — 22 and Wandering
By: Samantha Gaudio
Tags: Tourism, New York, Travel, Free Activities, NYC

21 Free Things to do in NYC — 22 and Wandering

Central park offers some of the prettiest spots in the city. You could easily spend a whole day enjoying the park and find lots of awesome things to do. You can even look up famous movie and tv shows that have filmed in Central Park and go check the location out in person!

2. Catch a movie in Bryant park

The Bryant Park Summer Film Festival has some great options for sunset movies. All you have to do is arrive early enough to get a seat on the lawn and enjoy the film.

3. Stroll through the High Line

The High Line is a really cool elevated park transformed from an old railway trail. The trail runs for 1.45 miles and is filled with awesome art, green spaces, and plenty of places to just relax.

4. Find the Grand Central whisper gallery

In Grand Central Station there’s a section of four corners where you can whisper into one corner and can be heard across the way. This is because of the design that carries the echo so the other person can hear you across the room.

5. Cross the Brooklyn Bridge

The iconic Brooklyn Bridge is a huge tourist attraction but makes for a great picture. To avoid crowds, go earlier in the morning to get a great picture.

6. Head to Moma for free Friday afternoon

The Museum of Modern Art in midtown is a popular art museum. On Friday afternoons they offer free admission.

7. Visit Belvedere Castle

Belvedere Castle is in Central Park overlooking the great lawn. You can get to it through the Shakespeare Garden. The view from the lower level is gorgeous and you can see the whole castle.

8. Visit the ‘Friends’ building

If you’re a fan of the tv show friends then you can go see the iconic building that they friends lived in. This building corner was always shown on the show and it’s easily recognizable. The address is 90 Bedford Street in Greenwich Village.

9. View the Arch in Washington Square Park

Washington Square Park and the famous arch are also popular attractions in NYC. The park is small and always filled with people. Take a seat and relax on the bench and get a picture with the famous arch.

10. Wander through Chelsea Market

Chelsea Market is right at the end of the High Line and has some really cute shops and restaurants. I always go in just to look around without buying anything because I love to see what’s new in all the shops.

11. Ride the Staten Island Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry is completely free and you can actually get great views. It drives right past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

12. Sit on the red steps in Times Square

Times Square is crazy busy and exciting and a lot of fun to check out at night when all the billboards are lit up. The red steps are in the heart of Times Square and one of the best places to sit and people watch and enjoy the sights.

13. Brooklyn Botanical Garden

The Brooklyn Botanical garden offers free admission Fridays before noon and winter weekdays from December-February.

14. Watch the model boats in Central Park

At the conservatory in Central Park, people can rent small model boats and sail them across the water. There are benches and seating all around the pond that make for a great view of the water and the boats.

15. Brooklyn Bridge Park

Another gorgeous park to take a stroll through. The views of the Brooklyn Bridge are some of the best you can get in the city. In the summer you can also catch free movies at dark.

16. Window shop on Fifth Avenue

Fifth Avenue midtown is known for its attraction to shoppers because of its high end shops. The windows are always put together really nicely and it’s a lot of fun to take a stroll down the street and see the different window displays.

17. Visit public beaches

There are plenty of free beaches in NYC including Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk and Manhattan Beach Park. These are great in the summer especially to soak up some sun and enjoy the water views.

18. Tour the New York Public Library

The New York Public Library is right in Bryant Park and is really a beautiful building. If you love reading definitely check out the inside of this gorgeous building.

19. Take advantage of free museum days

A lot of the major museums offer free admission days and as long as you plan in advance, you can take advantage of these offers. There are tons of options for great museums and galleries to visit.

20. Chelsea Galleries

Check out more art touring the Chelsea galleries in Chelsea. There are a bunch of them right near each other that you can check out for free.

21. Walk to the top of the Vessel

Hudson Yards is a new neighborhood at Midtown West and the biggest attraction is the Vessel, a large structure with different levels and staircases to climb. You can go to the top of the vessel for free, you just have to get a ticket when you arrive for an available time slot and arrive during that time slot.