These Are the Best Free Things to Do in New York City

There’s no shortage of cool things to do in New York City, from visiting historic sites to sampling some of the world’s best food to filling your camera with breathtaking photos of the city’s magnificent skyline.

Unfortunately, many of the best things to do in New York are also extremely expensive. Going to the top of the Empire State Building, for example, will provide breathtaking views of the city, but it will also set you back quite a bit. Meanwhile, while seeing a Broadway show in Times Square is on most visitors’ bucket lists, tickets for the most popular plays aren’t exactly cheap.

Don’t worry, there are plenty of free things to do in New York City that take advantage of the city’s history and culture. These are the best free activities in New York City.

Visit the 9/11 Memorial to pay your respects

The 9/11 Memorial consists of two reflecting pools, each of which marks the footprints of the Twin Towers. It remembers those who died in the terrorist attacks on the site in 1993 and 2001. The names of everyone who died in those attacks are inscribed on the memorial pools’ edges. The memorial is always free to visit, and the museum is free from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays.

At the city’s public beaches, you can relax in the sand

You don’t have to travel all the way to the Hamptons to find a nice beach close to the city. Visit Coney Island to combine a trip to the beach with an amusement park (the Coney Island Cyclone has been around since 1927). Alternatively, head down to Brighton Beach, where you’ll find some excellent Russian restaurants. Take the ferry for the price of a MetroCard ticket to Rockaway Beach, where you can combine a day of sand and surf with good food (like fish tacos from the Rockaway Beach Surf Club).

Visit the New York Public Library

The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building of the New York Public Library in Manhattan has a storied history that includes some of the most pivotal moments in world history. Allied military intelligence used the library’s Map Division for research during WWII, and despite objections, the library collected materials “from the left and the right” during the McCarthyism era. Fans of “Sex and the City” may recall it as the location where Carrie desired to marry Big. A free one-hour tour of the iconic institution is now available.

Travel on the Staten Island Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry is a great way to get close to the Statue of Liberty without having to pay a high ticket price, making it one of the best free things to do in New York. As the boat departs from Battery Park, find a good vantage point and enjoy the view of the city from the water. Visit the Empire Outlets on Staten Island, one of the city’s most popular shopping destinations.

Watch Shakespeare in the Park

A great theater performance does not have to cost a lot of money. Every year, the Public Theater hosts free Shakespeare in the Park, a summer series at Central Park’s open-air Delacorte Theater. The series attracts celebrity names and offers free tickets to each day’s performance via in-person distribution, an in-person standby line in Central Park, and both digital and in-person lotteries.

Visit Central Park to observe birds

According to the Central Park Conservancy, there are approximately 210 different bird species found in Central Park, with many stopping in the Big Apple to rest and feed during their spring and fall migrations along the Atlantic Flyway. In the conservancy’s Birding Guide, beginners can find tips and a map of the best viewing areas throughout the park.

Cross the Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge is one of New York City’s most iconic landmarks, and walking across it is one of the best ways to take it all in. When it was completed in 1883, it was the world’s longest suspension bridge. The National Park Service has now designated the Brooklyn Bridge as a National Historic Landmark, and it is one of the best places to view the downtown skyline. Pro tip: Arrive early because the bridge can get very crowded during the day.

Kayak at Brooklyn Bridge Park

Any Wednesday, Thursday, or Saturday during the summer, get out on the water and try your hand at kayaking from Brooklyn Bridge Park. Even inexperienced kayakers can join in the fun; the Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse will teach you everything you need to know before venturing out on the water. You can paddle for 20 minutes around its protected embayment. It should be noted, however, that reservations are required.

Visit the Queens County Farm Museum to interact with farm animals

The Queens County Farm Museum, which dates back to 1697 and is the state’s longest continuously farmed site, houses cows, sheep, pigs, and other animals. The museum, which is spread out over 47 acres, is free to enter (except on certain event days) and allows visitors to learn about what the area was like before a bustling city sprung up around it.

Visit an ice cream museum

You can watch ice cream being made and even make flavor suggestions on the creamery’s “every flavor tells a story” board at Ample Hills’ interactive ice cream museum, located in its 15,000-square-foot Red Hook factory. If you get hungry (and we’d be surprised if you don’t), try The Hook, a factory-exclusive flavor of burnt sugar ice cream mixed with salty fudge bites and Dutch stroopwafels.

Plan your vacation to New York City

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