The Best Free Things to Do in New York City—According to a Local
A longtime New Yorker shares her favorite landmarks, museums, and cultural sites that cost zero dollars
One of the most expensive cities in the world, New York can easily break a traveler’s bank. From lodging and taxis to museums and restaurants, just about everything comes at a premium. But as a New Yorker of 35 years, I can tell you there are plenty of ways to experience the city without paying full price—and sometimes without spending a cent.
From iconic museums to lesser-known landmarks, these free things to do in New York City prove you don’t need to spend big to experience the best of the city.
Top museums with free (or low-cost) days
Several of the city’s most popular museums offer a “pay-what-you-wish” admission on certain days of the week.
- The Whitney Museum of American Art, which focuses on collecting and preserving 20th- and 21st-century American art, offers free admission every Friday evening from 5 to 10 p.m. This includes access to the exhibits, the Studio Bar, and sunset views from the terraces. Even though it's free, you need to reserve tickets in advance, as capacity is limited.
- Designed by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright and hosting exhibits of modern art, the Guggenheim New York can cost just $1 on Mondays and Saturdays from 4 to 5:30 p.m. (The suggested contribution for these “pay-as-you-wish” times is noted online as $1 to $10.) If you can’t make those days, the museum offers AAA members a $3 discount on regular admission.
- Created to remember the September 11th attack and honor those who perished in it, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum offers free admission on Mondays from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Reservations open online each Monday at 7 a.m. and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Bronx Museum of the Arts
The Bronx Museum of the Arts is always free—no special days or discounts required for this admission. In that true New York spirit of cultural unity, it celebrates the rich contributions of artists from all walks of life. Its exhibits and permanent collection span different genres, including abstract painting, graffiti art, and works that spotlight cultural movements born in the Bronx—such as hip-hop and Latin Jazz.
Visiting also offers a refreshing dip into a less-traveled corner of the city and a deeper connection with a vibrant, under-the-radar borough.
The 42nd Street Library, also known as the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Guarded by its iconic stone lions, Patience and Fortitude, this Beaux-Arts style landmark in Midtown Manhattan is the New York Public Library’s flagship location. Inside the 42nd Street Library, you’ll find beautifully painted ceilings, grand marble staircases, and a world-class collection of rare books and manuscripts.
Free and open to the public, the library offers rotating historical exhibitions and quiet spaces for reading and research. One standout is the historic Rose Main Reading Room, a magnificent space that stretches nearly two city blocks. It boasts soaring ceilings that rise 52 feet high, adorned with murals of blue skies and flowing clouds.
The National Museum of the American Indian
This free Smithsonian museum honors the heritage of more than 1,200 indigenous cultures throughout the Americas—from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego.
The National Museum of the American Indian offers a sweeping journey through roughly 12,000 years of history, presenting 825,000 artifacts that include hunting tools, hand-sewn moccasins, embroidered clothing, feather-decorated ceremonial attire, and carved canoes—just to name a few.
African Burial Ground National Monument
Only two blocks north of City Hall, the African Burial Ground National Monument is free and open to the public. Located at 290 Broadway inside the Ted Weiss Federal Building, it marks the footprint of where historians estimate that more than 15,000 free and enslaved African-American New Yorkers were buried during the 17th and 18th centuries. As the largest known colonial-era African burial ground in North America, the site is a vital and moving piece of New York City’s history.
Chelsea Market
Smack in the middle of the meatpacking district, Chelsea Market is one of the city’s beloved and busiest indoor shopping destinations, selling everything from boutique eyewear to farm-sourced burgers. Originally built in the 1890s as the Nabisco (National Biscuit Company) factory, it’s famously the place where the Oreo cookie was invented and produced.
Today, the market is a lively food hall at ground level, surrounded by shops offering prime cuts of meat, artisanal cheeses, fresh produce, Italian and French wines, plus clothes and souvenirs. Wandering through is free, though food tours will happily tantalize your palate.
While you’re there, take a stroll on the High Line, an elevated park built above former railway tracks that run through a section of the Chelsea Market building.
Theodore Roosevelt’s Birthplace
Located in a modest brownstone between Broadway and Park Avenue South, this is the boyhood home of President Theodore Roosevelt, where he lived until age 15. Although the original building was demolished in 1916, the current structure—rebuilt in 1923 by the Woman’s Roosevelt Memorial Association—is a faithful replica.
A designated National Historic Site, the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace is free to visit, including taking its guided tours of the historic upstairs rooms. It tells a heartwarming and inspiring story of a boy who overcame health challenges to become America’s 26th president.
Grand Central Terminal
America’s largest commuter train station is famed for its “starry sky” ceiling and the iconic Tiffany clock that doubles as a popular meeting point. An architectural gem of Grand Central Terminal is the Whispering Gallery, where you can whisper from one corner of its tiled, herringbone-arched structure and be clearly heard diagonally across.
Admiring the storied terminal is completely free. But if you’d like to dive deeper into its history and hidden corners, consider one of these options:
- The NYC Grand Central Terminal Self-Guided Walking Tour ($14) is an audio walking tour that allows you to explore at your own pace.
- The Official Grand Central Terminal Tour (starts at $39) is a 90-minute guided walking tour.
Take it from me, a longtime New Yorker: These free things to do in New York City show that the greatest adventures often come without a price tag.