EW has compiled a quality list of free activities throughout New York City for travelers and locals alike:
Cultural and educational
There are plenty of free museums in the city, including the National Museum of the American Indian and the Museum of American Folk Art. Several other institutions, such as the American Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These institutions expect a contribution based on your ability to pay. Check out this full list of museums to learn more.
Visit Ground Zero and St. Paul’s Chapel for a moving remainder of the events of September 11, 2001.
Two must-visit stops for arrivals to the Big Apple are St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.
Take a self-guided Bob Dylan tour (Greenwich Village) to explore many places connected to the singer-song writer.
South Street Seaport
Walking the city
Walk or bike across the Brooklyn Bridge for a beautiful view of the city. Consider having Grimaldi’s pizza on the Brooklyn side of the bridge. After that, discover more of the best pizza in NYC.
Times Square is filled with animated neon and LED signs advertising a variety of products. No trip to the city is complete without wandering its streets.
Central Park is an oasis in this concrete jungle. It offers visitors a wide variety of walking tours, activities, and attractions.
Entertainment
Numerous popular television shows are filmed in the city. These include The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Late Night with Seth Meyers, and The Daily Show. Tickets to the shows are free for audience members. To secure your free tickets, visit the official show websites.
Club Free Time does an excellent job of listing free happenings in the city. These events range from art classes and concerts to site tours and book readings.
Concerts (mostly in the summer) are held throughout the city. The free shows range from the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera to SummerStage (Central Park) offers several months filled with free performances. Watch for their new schedule about a month before summer starts.
Brooklyn Bridge
Fun with the kids
The Bronx Zoo (Wednesdays) is a perfect place to spend an afternoon. It has a wide range of wildlife, along with plenty of activities for the whole family. Be sure to watch the feeding of the sea lions.
Free kayaking is available at the NYC Downtown Boathouse. You will be supplied with a kayak, life jacket, paddle, and some tips on paddling.
The Greenwich Village Halloween Parade is a fun, free place to show off your costumes.
On the move
The Staten Island Ferry provides free rides between Manhattan and Staten Island. From the deck of the ferry, passengers have a view of The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
Significant updates and edits were made from the original article.
Photos © Gennaro Salamone
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Gennaro Salamone is the founder and editor of Enduring Wanderlust. Please contact him with questions regarding article or photo submissions.