Free attractions and days out in New York City
Check out our roundup of free attractions and spend an afternoon exploring classic NYC landmarks on the cheap.
Free attractions and days out in New York City: Central Park Photograph: Edward Yourdon
Even the most seasoned New Yorker should revisit those essential NYC landmarks. (Tourists flock to them for a reason.) Discover the free attractions—including the High Line, Brooklyn Bridge and Central Park—in our guide.
RECOMMENDED: Full list of free things to do in NYC
Governors Island
- Critics choice
- Free
A seven-minute ride on a free ferry takes you to this seasonal island sanctuary, a scant 800 yards from lower Manhattan. Thanks to its strategic position in the middle of New York Harbor, Governors Island was a military outpost and off-limits to the public for 200 years. It finally opened to summer visitors in 2006. The verdant, 172-acre isle
- Governors Island
The High Line
- Rated as: 4/5
- Critics choice
- Free
RECOMMENDED: 50 best New York attractions There’s something uniquely New York about this aerie. Built on an abandoned railway track, the space is ingenious in its use of reclaimed industrial detritus, a necessity in footage-starved Manhattan. But what we like best is how the pathway takes you above the city while keeping you rooted in urban life:
- Washington St at Gansevoort St, to Tenth Ave at 30th St
Bryant Park
- Rated as: 4/5
- Critics choice
- Free
Situated behind the New York Public Library is Bryant Park, a well-cultivated retreat that hosts a dizzying schedule of free entertainment during the summer, including the popular Monday night outdoor movies. In the winter, look for an ice skating rink and pop-up shops for the holidays. The park also boasts free wireless access.
- Sixth Ave, between 40th and 42nd Sts
Brooklyn Bridge Park
- Rated as: 4/5
- Critics choice
- Free
RECOMMENDED: 50 best New York attractions Some city parks—Central and Prospect, most obviously—were built to replicate rustic fields and preserve serene woodland. Brooklyn Bridge Park, however, was not—and that’s precisely why it has become so popular in the almost three years since it debuted. The project has transformed a chunk of the Brooklyn
- Main St, at Fulton Ferry Landing, 11201
5 Pointz Aerosol Art Center
- Rated as: 4/5
- Critics choice
- Free
RECOMMENDED: 50 best New York attractions This Long Island City warehouse, treated as a 200,000-square-foot canvas, is one of the world’s best places to see the full spectrum of spray-paint art. Ride a Queens-bound 7 train past the Hunters Point Ave stop for an elevated, panoramic view of the names of NYC’s graffiti forebears—like Iz the
- 45-46 Davis St, at Jackson Ave
Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk
- Free
Encompassing more than 170 acres of sand, this family-friendly beach attracts New Yorkers from all five boroughs. Seven playgrounds keep kids happy while wave riders enjoy the city's only surfing areas. Fishing, skating, volleyball, sunning and, of course, swimming are also favorite activities. Rockaway Beach is also an excellent place to test
- Boardwalk, between Beach 9th and 149th Sts
Central Park
- Rated as: 4/5
- Critics choice
- Free
For your stroll, head to the 38-acre wilderness area on the west side of the park known as the Ramble. The area has a storied history (as a gay cruising spot dating back to the turn of the last century, among other things), and it was even proposed as a recreational area in the mid-'50s. Thankfully, the winding trails, rocks and streams seemingly
- 59th St to 110th St, between Fifth and Eighth Aves
Brighton Beach
- Free
Brighton Beach is largely Russian, as if its nickname, Little Odessa, weren’t a dead giveaway. Located next to Coney Island, the sandy strip is lined with Russian eateries.
- Brighton Beach Ave, between Corbin Pl and Ocean Pkwy
Chrysler Building
- Free
RECOMMENDED: 50 best New York attractions We won’t argue if you want to call this glimmering pinnacle of Art Deco architecture NYC’s most eye-popping skyscraper. Triangle-shaped windows in its crown are lined with lights, creating a beautiful effect come nighttime. Oozing a moneyed sophistication oft identified with old New York, the structure
- 405 Lexington Ave, at 44th St
Central Park, Sheep Meadow
- Free
Central Park’s bucolic Sheep Meadow is a 15-acre field located along the southwestern edge of the park. Its designation as the park’s first Quiet Zone—organized sports and alcohol aren’t allowed, pets are technically prohibited, and audible music is verboten—has helped lure the crowds, making the Meadow one of the park’s most popular spots for
- Enter at Central Park West and 66th St
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