Guide · On a budget · New York City
Free Things to Do in NYC: What's Free Today and What Only Looks Free
New York has plenty that's free all the time: a ferry past the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park. The museums are trickier, because their free hours move and some only count if you live here. The week below has them by day, with today marked.
Museums change these programs often, and plenty of lists online still show old ones. Many free tickets also need booking, even when they cost nothing, so a free night can fill up before you get there.
Free museums, day by day
MondayToday
- 9/11 MuseumUntil the 5:30pm last entryFreeFree Admission Monday tickets go online at 7am that day, first come, first served.
Tuesday
- Guggenheim4 to 5:30pmPay what you wishPay what you wish. Otherwise $30.
Wednesday
- The Frick1:30 to 5:30pmPay what you wishPay what you wish, $5 minimum online. Lower amounts are sold on site if there's room.
- Museum of Arts and DesignFirst Wednesday, 5 to 8pmPay what you wishPay what you wish, in person only.
Thursday
- New Museum7 to 9pmPay what you wishPay what you wish. Reserve online, because few tickets are held for the door.
Friday
- Whitney5 to 10pmFreeFree Friday Nights, the whole museum.
- The MorganFriday eveningFreeFree with a reservation. Their site has this week's times.
- The FrickFirst Friday, after hoursFreeNot in January or September. Register on their calendar.
- Neue GalerieSelect Fridays, 5 to 8pmFreeFirst come, first served. Check which Fridays first.
Saturday
- Governors Island ferryBefore 11amFreeFree for everyone Saturday and Sunday mornings, from 10 South St. Later it's $5 round trip. The island closes at 6pm until Memorial Day.
Sunday
- Studio Museum in Harlem11am to 6pmFreeFree for everyone on Sundays. You still need a ticket, so reserve one.
- Guggenheim4 to 5:30pmPay what you wishPay what you wish. Otherwise $30.
- WhitneySecond Sunday of the monthFreeFree Second Sundays. Also free every day if you're 25 or under.
- 9/11 MuseumFirst Sunday of the month, 4 to 7pmLocals onlyFor people who live, work or study in the New York area. Bring ID.
- Governors Island ferryBefore 11amFreeFree for everyone Saturday and Sunday mornings, from 10 South St. Later it's $5 round trip. The island closes at 6pm until Memorial Day.
"Pay what you wish" means you pick the price, but you do pay something. Holidays and special exhibitions can change all of this. Checked November 2026.
If you can only pick one night, pick Friday. The Whitney, at 5 to 10pm, is the easiest: it's the whole museum and it's open the longest. Reserve the Morgan if you want something quieter.
Free all the time
| What | When | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Staten Island Ferry | 24 hours | About 25 minutes each way, from Whitehall Terminal. It passes the Statue of Liberty but doesn't stop. |
| Brooklyn Bridge | Always | About 23 minutes on foot. Parts of the walkway can be narrowed for repairs. |
| 9/11 Memorial pools | 8am to 8pm daily | Free audio guide on the Bloomberg Connects app. |
| Central Park | 6am to 1am daily | Bathrooms are free too, apart from the one at the zoo. |
| The High Line | 7am to 10pm, then 8pm from Dec 1 | The W 34th St end is about 14 min from our door. Free docent tours on select days. |
| Little Island | 6am to 9pm in Nov and Dec | Lawns close Mondays and Tuesdays for upkeep. Only shows in the amphitheater are ticketed. |
| Hudson River Park | 6am to 1am | Unless posted otherwise. Pier 84, about 7 min from our door, has a lawn and faces the sunset. |
| Bryant Park rink | 8am to 10pm, to Feb 28 | Free with your own skates, but reserve an entry time. Rentals are $18.72 to $64.48. |
| National Museum of the American Indian | 10am to 5pm daily | No tickets. In the old Custom House at Bowling Green. Closed December 25. |
| Castle Clinton | 7:45am to 5pm daily | In The Battery. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. |
| Federal Hall | Check first | Where George Washington took the oath. The inside isn't always open. |
| Stonewall visitor center | Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm | The monument itself is outdoors and also free. |
| Public Library tours | 11am and 2pm, Monday to Saturday | Tickets are limited, so check NYPL before you go. |
| Grand Central | Until about 2am | Free to walk in. Try the Whispering Gallery. |
| Whitney ground floor | Museum hours | The Floor 1 gallery, lobby and shop are always free. |
| Midnight Moment | 11:57pm to midnight | Art on more than 92 screens in Times Square, 364 nights a year. |
Free if you live here, and not if you don't
This is what trips up visitors. Older lists call these places free, and for most people reading this, they aren't. You'll be asked for proof, such as a New York State license, IDNYC or a utility bill.
| Place | Who qualifies | Everyone else |
|---|---|---|
| The Met | New York State residents, and students from NY, NJ and CT: pay what you wish | $30 |
| American Museum of Natural History | New York State residents: pay what you wish, general admission only | The price on its site |
| 9/11 Museum | Anyone who lives, works or studies in the New York area: free on the first Sunday of the month, 4 to 7pm, with ID | $36 |
| Museum of Chinese in America | NYC residents: pay what you wish, in person | $15 |
| Intrepid Museum | NYC residents get a discount. US veterans and military are free | $38 |
It looks free, but it isn't
- The Statue of Liberty. The National Park Service charges nothing for its museums, but the only way there is the official ferry, at $26 for an adult. Don't buy from people on the street near The Battery: the Park Service says they overcharge or sell fakes.
- Governors Island. The island is open daily, and the ferry is free for everyone on weekend mornings before 11am. Otherwise it's $5 round trip, though children 12 and under, people 65 and over and IDNYC holders ride free. Reservations are recommended even for the free boats.
- NYC Ferry. It's a commuter boat and a lovely ride, at $5 one way.
- The Roosevelt Island Tram. Runs like a subway ride, and it charges like one.
- The Vessel. It's out in the open at Hudson Yards, but climbing it takes a timed ticket, from $10.
Old tips to ignore
Plenty of "free NYC" lists haven't been touched in years. Here's what we found out of date this month.
- The Rubin Museum. Its galleries on W 17th Street closed on October 6, 2024. It now runs projects around the world instead.
- The Guggenheim's old pay-what-you-wish days. It's Tuesdays and Sundays now, 4 to 5:30pm.
- The Met for everyone. Pay-what-you-wish for all visitors ended in 2018.
- Free Thursdays at MOCA. Its admission page doesn't list them now. Free entry goes to members, and NYC residents can pay what they wish in person.
A free day on the West Side
If you're on our side of town and don't want to spend anything, this one works. Start at the top of the High Line, about 14 min on foot from W 48th Street, and walk south as far as you like. Go back along the river through Hudson River Park. Stop at Pier 97 at W 57th Street, with its sunset deck, or Pier 84 at W 44th. The live board has tonight's sunset, and our Hell's Kitchen guide has the walking times.
What isn't free: us
We're a restaurant, so dinner costs money. Booking doesn't: there's no deposit to hold a table at Cantina Rooftop, and walk-ins are welcome. We're at 605 W 48th Street, a short walk from Pier 84. Tuesday to Thursday 5pm to 11pm (last reservation 10pm), Friday 5pm to 3am, Saturday 12pm to 3am and Sunday 12pm to 9:30pm. Closed Mondays.
If you want a fixed price after a free day, Taco Tuesday is $25 per person for 90 minutes, by reservation, and bottomless brunch is $25 per person for 90 minutes on weekends, and the whole table takes part.
Free NYC questions
Is the Staten Island Ferry really free?
Yes. It runs 24 hours and you don't need a ticket at all. The city warns that anyone trying to sell you one is running a scam. It takes about 25 minutes each way and passes the Statue of Liberty without stopping.
Which NYC museums are free on Fridays?
The Whitney from 5 to 10pm, and the Morgan in the evening with a reservation. The Frick is free after hours on the first Friday of most months, and the Neue Galerie is free from 5 to 8pm on select Fridays.
Is the Met free?
Only if you live here. New York State residents and students from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut pay what they wish, and they need proof. Everyone else pays $30. The American Museum of Natural History works the same way for New York State residents.
Is the 9/11 Memorial free?
The memorial pools are free, every day from 8am to 8pm. The museum beside them costs $36 for an adult. Free Monday tickets go online at 7am that day, first come, with last entry at 5:30pm. People who live, work or study in the New York area also get in free on the first Sunday of the month, from 4 to 7pm.
Is the High Line free?
Yes. It's open from 7am to 10pm through November 30 and from 7am to 8pm from December 1 to March 31, and it offers free docent tours on select days.
Where can you ice skate for free in NYC?
At Bryant Park, from October 28 to February 28. Admission to the rink is free, but reserve an entry time. You pay only for rental skates, from $18.72, or nothing if you bring your own.
What's free to do at night in NYC?
The Whitney until 10pm on Fridays, if you want a roof over you. After that it's the ferry, which runs all night, and the Brooklyn Bridge promenade, which never closes. Midnight Moment plays in Times Square at 11:57pm.
What free things can you do in NYC in winter?
Stay indoors at the National Museum of the American Indian, which is free every day, the public library's free tours and Grand Central. Skate at Bryant Park with your own skates. See the Rockefeller Center tree from December 2. How cold it really gets.
