This 25-acre green space is like Manhattan’s delicate fingernail, neatly plotted with monuments, memorials, gardens, sculptures and a farm-to-table café, plus killer waterfront views from the promenade. Though the area was named for the battery cannons it once housed, the fortified walls of Castle Clinton now protect little more than summer music concerts. If you prefer a quieter nook, seek out the stone labyrinth traced in the park’s lawns; it’s not actually a maze meant to confuse, but a prescribed stroll for meditation.
Visiting New York, but only have so much dough to spend? Go to the best free attractions and NYC landmarks—including some of the best NYC parks and museums in New York—and you’ll still have plenty of money leftover to treat yourself to a wonderful meal at one of the city’s best restaurants. Even the most seasoned Gothamite should revisit these essential New York attractions. And while you're at it, discover the 101 very best things to do in NYC.
RECOMMENDED: See all free things to do in NYC