New York has a reputation for emptying your wallet, and it’s mostly deserved. But some of the best things in the city cost nothing: a harbor crossing past the Statue of Liberty, a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, two of the city’s best museums and a 19th-century cemetery that doubles as a park.
This list is limited to things that are genuinely free for everyone, or free at set times. Where a free option needs a reservation or only applies on certain days, we say so. Details were checked in September 2026, but free programs change, so confirm on the official website before you plan a day around one.
Quick picks
- Best first-timer combo: Staten Island Ferry, then the 9/11 Memorial and a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge.
- Best free museum: MoMA PS1 in Queens, free for everyone since January 2026.
- Best free night out: the Whitney on a Friday, free from 5 to 10pm.
- Best on a rainy day: the National Museum of the American Indian or the main library on Fifth Avenue.
- Best with kids: Governors Island on a weekend morning.
1. Ride the Staten Island Ferry
The ferry between Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan and St. George on Staten Island is free, runs 24 hours a day and takes about 25 minutes. It passes close to the Statue of Liberty and gives you the classic view of the Lower Manhattan skyline on the way back. Sit on the right-hand side of the boat on the way out.
Most people get off, walk around the terminal and take the next boat back. That’s fine. If you have time, our Staten Island guide has ideas for staying longer.
Best for: first-time visitors, the Statue of Liberty without a ticket.
2. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
The pedestrian walkway runs above the traffic from City Hall to DUMBO. It takes 30 to 40 minutes at a relaxed pace. Go early in the morning or around sunset. By late morning the walkway is packed and bikes share tight space with people stopping for photos. Start on the Manhattan side so the skyline is behind you when you turn around.
Best for: skyline views, first-time visitors.
3. Spend a day in Central Park
Central Park is big enough to fill a day. For a first visit, enter at the southeast corner, walk up the Mall to Bethesda Terrace, then circle the Lake and get lost in the Ramble. Most visitors never make it to the Conservatory Garden at Fifth Avenue and 105th Street, a formal garden that is much quieter than the rest of the park.
Best for: a slow day outdoors, fall foliage from late October.
4. Walk the High Line and Little Island
The High Line is a park built on an old elevated freight rail line on the West Side, running from Gansevoort Street up to 34th Street. It’s planted with grasses and wildflowers and has public art along the way. From the southern end, walk a few minutes west to Little Island, the park that sits on concrete “tulips” in the Hudson River. Both are free.
Weekday mornings are the calm time. On sunny weekend afternoons, the High Line can move at a shuffle.
Best for: a walk with views, combining with Chelsea galleries.
5. Take the free morning ferry to Governors Island
Governors Island is a car-free island in the harbor with lawns, hammocks, bike paths and some of the best views of the Statue of Liberty in the city. The ferry from the Battery Maritime Building, next to the Staten Island Ferry terminal, normally costs $5 round trip. But every ferry before 11am on Saturdays and Sundays is free for everyone, and children 12 and under, seniors 65 and older and IDNYC holders ride free at any time.
Best for: families, a weekend morning, cycling.
6. See the Rose Main Reading Room
The New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street is free to enter. Walk past the stone lions, go up to the third floor and stand at the back of the Rose Main Reading Room for a few minutes. It’s one of the most beautiful rooms in the city. Bryant Park is right behind the library.
Best for: rainy days, architecture.
7. Look up in Grand Central Terminal
The main concourse, with its green ceiling painted with constellations, is free to walk through whenever the station is open. On the lower level, the tiled arches outside the Oyster Bar form a whispering gallery. Stand in diagonally opposite corners, face the wall and whisper. The other person will hear you clearly.
Best for: a short stop in Midtown.
8. Visit the 9/11 Memorial
The two memorial pools sit in the footprints of the Twin Towers, with the names of the nearly 3,000 people killed engraved around their edges. The memorial plaza is outdoors and free to visit.
The museum underneath is normally ticketed, but admission is free on Mondays from 5:30 to 7pm. Free tickets go online at 7am each Monday and are first come, first served. On the first Sunday of each month, admission is also free from 4 to 7pm for people who live, work or study in the New York area.
Best for: Lower Manhattan, reflection.
9. Go to the National Museum of the American Indian
This Smithsonian museum is inside the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House at Bowling Green, near the southern tip of Manhattan. Admission is always free. The building’s rotunda is worth seeing on its own, and the collections cover Native cultures across the Americas. It’s a five-minute walk from the Staten Island Ferry terminal, so it fits neatly into a morning downtown.
Best for: rainy days, combining with the ferry.
10. See MoMA PS1 in Queens
MoMA PS1, in a former public school at 22-25 Jackson Avenue in Long Island City, has been free for all visitors since January 1, 2026. The free program is funded for three years. It shows contemporary art, often experimental, and it’s a short ride from Midtown on the 7, E or M train to Court Square. Reserve a free ticket online if you want a guaranteed time.
Best for: contemporary art, a Queens outing.
11. Visit the Whitney on a Friday night
The Whitney Museum of American Art in the Meatpacking District is free for everyone every Friday from 5 to 10pm, and all day on the second Sunday of each month. Visitors 25 and under get in free every day, and the ground floor gallery is always free. Tickets are still required and capacity is limited, so book ahead. The outdoor terraces look over the Hudson.
Best for: a free evening out, pairing with the High Line.
12. Go gallery hopping in Chelsea
The blocks between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues from about West 18th to West 27th Street hold dozens of commercial galleries. Nearly all of them are free and open to walk-ins, with some of the most talked-about exhibitions in the city. Most galleries are open Tuesday to Saturday, and Thursday evenings often bring opening receptions.
Best for: art lovers, a rainy afternoon.
13. Wander Green-Wood Cemetery
Green-Wood in Brooklyn opened in 1838 and is laid out like a park, with hills, ponds, old trees and elaborate monuments. Admission is always free, and the Green-House visitor center by the main gate at Fifth Avenue and 25th Street has free maps and exhibits. Climb Battle Hill for a view of the harbor. The cemetery also runs free walking tours on some Sunday mornings.
Best for: a quiet walk, history.
14. Spend an afternoon in Brooklyn Bridge Park
The park runs along the East River waterfront from DUMBO to Atlantic Avenue, on old shipping piers turned into lawns, playgrounds and sports courts. The view of Lower Manhattan from Pier 1 is one of the best in the city. Combine it with the bridge walk and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Our Brooklyn things-to-do guide has more ideas nearby.
Best for: a free, low-effort afternoon.
15. Visit the Bronx Museum of the Arts
The Bronx Museum on the Grand Concourse is free and focuses on contemporary art, much of it by artists from the Bronx and from communities the bigger museums have often overlooked. Pair it with the Art Deco buildings along the Concourse or, on a game day, a walk past Yankee Stadium. Our Bronx guide covers the rest of the borough.
Best for: getting off the tourist track.
Free museum times by day
| When | Where | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Every day | National Museum of the American Indian, MoMA PS1, Bronx Museum of the Arts | Everyone |
| Every day | The Met and the American Museum of Natural History (pay what you wish) | New York State residents with ID |
| Every day | Whitney Museum | Visitors 25 and under |
| Mondays, 5:30–7pm | 9/11 Memorial Museum | Everyone (tickets released 7am Monday) |
| Fridays, 5–10pm | Whitney Museum | Everyone (tickets required) |
| First Sunday, 4–7pm | 9/11 Memorial Museum | People who live, work or study in the New York area |
| Second Sunday | Whitney Museum | Everyone (tickets required) |
Other museums, including MoMA and the Guggenheim, run free or pay-what-you-wish hours that change from time to time. Check their websites for the current schedule. Our museum guide covers the big ones in more detail.
A few seasonal extras
Some of the best free things in New York only happen at certain times of year. In summer, Shakespeare in the Park performs at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, with free tickets distributed for each show. Smorgasburg’s weekend food markets in Brooklyn are free to walk into from spring through October, though you pay for the food. And every October, Open House New York opens hundreds of normally closed buildings to the public for one weekend. See our October events guide for this year’s dates.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free thing to do in New York City?
For most first-time visitors, it’s the Staten Island Ferry. It’s free, it runs all day and night, and it gives you close-up views of the Statue of Liberty and the Lower Manhattan skyline.
Which New York museums are completely free?
The National Museum of the American Indian, MoMA PS1 and the Bronx Museum of the Arts are free for everyone. The Met and the American Museum of Natural History are pay what you wish for New York State residents, and several others have free evenings each week.
Can you see the Statue of Liberty for free?
Yes, from the water. The Staten Island Ferry passes close enough for a good view and photos. Governors Island and Brooklyn Bridge Park also have clear views across the harbor. Visiting Liberty Island itself requires a paid ferry ticket.
Is Times Square free?
Yes. Times Square is a public space and costs nothing to walk through. Most New Yorkers avoid it, but it’s worth seeing once, ideally after dark.
How can you save money on a trip to New York?
Plan your paid attractions around the free times above, walk as much as you can and take the subway rather than taxis. For more ideas, see our list of 20 things to do in NYC this weekend.
