GUIDE · UPDATED NOV 2, 2026
100 Free Things to Do in NYC
New York is expensive, but a surprising amount of it costs nothing. This guide collects 100 free places you can visit any week of the year across all five boroughs: 86 parks, gardens, beaches and trails, 2 museums and museum free days, plus free ferries, historic sites and hidden public spaces.
Every entry below comes from a listing already verified on Free Stuff NYC. Each one links to the official page (the park, museum or agency itself), and shows the date we last checked it. Hours and free days change, so open the official link before you go. Places marked Pay what you wish or Free on set days are free only on those terms.
Jump to a borough: Manhattan (39) · Brooklyn (20) · Queens (16) · The Bronx (17) · Staten Island (8). Looking for dated events instead? See free things to do this month or this weekend.
Free things to do in Manhattan
Bennett Park
Small, quiet Hudson Heights park on land bought by newspaper publisher James Gordon Bennett in 1871 and opened as a park in 1929, with a playground and public restrooms.
Bryant Park
Midtown's lawn and reading room behind the library, with free programs most of the year.
Central Park
843 acres of lawns, lakes, bridges and paths. Bethesda Terrace, Bow Bridge and the Ramble are free anytime.
Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park
Multi-level 28-acre park built 69 feet above the Hudson, with a river promenade, playgrounds, a running track, courts and picnic areas. Pool, skating and the carousel charge small fees. No pets.
Fort Tryon Park
Heather Garden, cliffside views of the Hudson and free year-round programs from the park conservancy.
Fort Washington Park
A 160-acre ribbon of cliffs, meadows and woods on the Hudson, with the Little Red Lighthouse under the George Washington Bridge and views of the Palisades.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park
A quiet granite memorial at the tip of Roosevelt Island with a head-on view of the UN.
Governors Island
172 car-free acres with hammocks, hills and skyline views. The island is free; check the ferry page for fares.
Hudson River Park
Four miles of piers, bike paths and sunset views along the Hudson from Battery Park City to 59th St.
Isham Park
Hillside Inwood park on ground that played a part in the Revolutionary War battle of Fort Washington, with an outcrop of Inwood marble and a large ginkgo tree. Urban Park Rangers lead restoration work here with local students.
Little Island
A park on tulip-shaped pillars over the Hudson, with lookout points and an amphitheater.
Marcus Garvey Park
A Harlem park with the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater for summer plays and concerts, playgrounds built for all kids, a pool and great old trees.
Randall's Island Park
An island park between Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens, with sports fields, Icahn Stadium and public programs.
Riverside Park
A long waterfront park from W 72nd to W 153rd St, good for walks and sunsets.
Sakura Park
Small, peaceful park between Riverside Church and International House, named for the Japanese cherry trees gifted to the city in 1912.
Sara D. Roosevelt Park
Long, narrow green strip running from Houston Street down to Canal on the Lower East Side, the neighborhood's biggest open space, with playgrounds, a turf soccer field, a running track, ball courts and a roller-skating rink.
Seward Park
One of the largest parks on the Lower East Side, named for the New York statesman behind the 1867 Alaska purchase. It holds the first permanent city-built playground in the country, plus basketball and volleyball courts.
Sherman Creek Park
Five small street-end parks on the Harlem River from W 202nd to W 206th St, with waterfront seating, picnic tables, fishing access and a kayak launch.
St. Catherine's Park
Busy Upper East Side block park on First Avenue with a playground, running track, basketball and handball courts and a tennis wall. Its layout copies a church in Rome, down to elephant-shaped sprinklers.
St. Nicholas Park
A long, sloping park between Harlem and Hamilton Heights, running from W 128th to W 141st St, with playgrounds, courts and barbecue areas.
Stuyvesant Square
Historic square named for New-York Historical Society co-founder Peter Gerard Stuyvesant, shaded by large old trees, with a statue of composer Antonín Dvořák and a garden spot for monarch butterflies. It has a dog-friendly area and free Wi-Fi.
The Battery
Gardens, an urban farm and harbor views at Manhattan's tip, next to the ferry terminals.
The High Line
An elevated park on old rail tracks, 1.45 miles from Gansevoort St to 34th St, with gardens and public art.
West Harlem Piers
Landscaped Hudson River waterfront on the old Manhattanville shoreline, with fishing piers, a kayak and canoe launch and free Wi-Fi.
Big Apple Greeter
A free volunteer "greeter" shows you a neighborhood like a local. Request online in advance.
Staten Island Ferry
A free 25-minute harbor ride past the Statue of Liberty and the downtown skyline. Ride over and back.
African Burial Ground National Monument
A memorial and visitor center honoring the free and enslaved Africans buried here in the 1600s–1700s.
Castle Clinton National Monument
An 1811 fort in The Battery. Walk in free; it is also where Statue of Liberty ferry tickets are sold.
Federal Hall National Memorial
Where George Washington took the oath of office. A National Park Service site with free entry.
General Grant National Memorial
The largest mausoleum in North America, overlooking Riverside Park.
Grand Central Terminal
Free to walk in: the celestial ceiling, the Whispering Gallery and holiday displays. Guided tours cost extra.
Hamilton Grange National Memorial
Alexander Hamilton's only home, in St. Nicholas Park.
Harlem River Park
Riverside greenway strip along the Harlem River in East Harlem, with a bike and walking path, natural areas, a playground and a soccer field.
Highbridge Park
Cliffside woods along the Harlem River, home to the High Bridge (the city's oldest standing bridge) and its water tower, plus the city's first mountain-bike course and a skate park.
Inwood Hill Park
Manhattan's last natural forest and salt marsh, with hilly trails at the island's northern tip.
Brookfield Place Winter Garden
A glass atrium with 16 palm trees overlooking the Hudson marina. Free to enter.
Conservatory Garden (Central Park)
Central Park's only formal garden: Italian, French and English gardens behind a gilded gate.
David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center
A free indoor public atrium with seats and Wi-Fi, plus free performances on many nights.
Downtown Boathouse: free kayaking
Free sit-on-top kayaks in a protected Hudson River bay, with free lockers and changing areas. Expect to get wet below the waist.
Free things to do in Brooklyn
American Veterans Memorial Pier
Bay Ridge fishing pier just south of Owl's Head Park that juts into the Upper Bay, with views of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline.
Bensonhurst Park
One of the bigger parks on the Brooklyn waterfront, with a round central lawn, busy handball courts, ballfields, eight tennis courts near the water and a playground. It's also a starting point for biking the Shore Parkway Greenway.
Brooklyn Bridge Park
85 waterfront acres of piers and lawns with the best Manhattan skyline views.
Brower Park
Crown Heights park that is home to the Brooklyn Children's Museum, with a grassy picnic lawn, play areas, a skate park and two full basketball courts, plus a dog-friendly area.
Bush Terminal Piers Park
Quiet waterfront park on a former port complex, with an esplanade past tide pools and restored wetlands, a nature preserve, ballfields and views of the Bay Ridge Channel. Enter at 43rd St.
Bushwick Inlet Park
A waterfront park on the East River with a big multipurpose field, a green-roofed building, a viewing platform and Manhattan skyline views.
Calvert Vaux Park
A Gravesend Bay park built from soil dug out for the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, with a restored waterfront, water views, birds, trails and sports fields.
Canarsie Park
A large park between Paerdegat and Fresh Creek basins, with natural areas and trails, cricket and soccer fields, a skate park and barbecue areas.
Coffey Park
Shady neighborhood park in the middle of Red Hook, named for 19th-century local political leader Michael J. Coffey, with a playground, basketball and handball courts, barbecue areas, spray showers and a dog-friendly area.
Domino Park
A waterfront park beside the old sugar refinery, with a long elevated walkway and skyline views.
Floyd Bennett Field
NYC's first municipal airport, now 1,300+ acres of grassland, salt marsh and old runways for biking, bird watching and fishing, plus a kayak launch.
Fort Greene Park
A historic hilltop park shaped by Olmsted and Vaux, with sloping hills, majestic trees, a visitor center and the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument.
Grand Ferry Park
Small waterfront park on the site of the old Grand Street ferry landing, with East River and Manhattan views and a quiet spot to sit by the water.
Leif Ericson Park
Long neighborhood park running between 66th and 67th Streets, with ballfields, tennis, pickleball and volleyball courts, fitness equipment, playgrounds and a dog-friendly area.
Marsha P. Johnson State Park
Seven-acre East River waterfront park with Manhattan skyline views, native meadows among old rail-yard remnants, a play area and picnic spots. Entry and public programs are free.
Msgr. McGolrick Park
Quiet, tree-shaded Greenpoint park with a historic 1910 central pavilion, World War I and USS Monitor monuments, a gated playground with spray showers and a Sunday farmers market. NYC Parks lists dog-friendly areas.
Prospect Park
Brooklyn's big park: Long Meadow, the lake, the Ravine and the boathouse.
Red Hook Recreation Area
Big Red Hook sports complex with soccer and baseball fields, a running track, handball and basketball courts, barbecue areas, a playground and an Olympic-size outdoor pool in summer, plus an indoor recreation center next door. NYC Parks is doing soil remediation work on some fields, so check its page for closures.
Shirley Chisholm State Park
A 407-acre park on Jamaica Bay with 10 miles of car-free bike and hiking paths, piers and skyline views. Free loaner bikes Thu–Sun in season (Apr 30–Nov 1 in 2026). No pets.
Shore Park and Parkway
A 58-acre waterfront park and promenade in Bay Ridge, known for sunsets over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
Free things to do in Queens
Archie Spigner Park
Southeast Queens neighborhood park (formerly St. Albans Park) with a lawn called Musician's Oval that honors local musicians, paved constellation markers showing when each is best seen, a flagpole that works as a sundial, plus tennis, pickleball and handball courts, a cricket field and playgrounds.
Astoria Park
A big waterfront park under the Hell Gate and RFK bridges, with trails, a track, tennis courts and the city's oldest and largest pool.
Baisley Pond Park
A South Jamaica park around Baisley Pond, with fishing, a running track, cricket fields, shady picnic spots and natural habitat to explore.
Brookville Park
Southeast Queens park with natural areas on the Atlantic Flyway bird migration route, a greenway path, barbecue areas, bocce and tennis courts, ballfields and a playground.
Crocheron Park
A Bayside park on Little Neck Bay with a scenic pond, winding paths, a footbridge to the waterfront and good fall color.
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
The Unisphere and 1964 World's Fair grounds, with lakes and lawns.
Fort Totten Park
Waterfront park on the Long Island Sound side of Bayside, built around a preserved Civil War fortress, with historic buildings to explore, natural areas, a nature center and a summer pool. Winter is a good time to watch migrating waterfowl.
Francis Lewis Park
Whitestone waterfront park on land the British granted in 1765 to Welsh-born merchant Francis Lewis, with a kayak and canoe launch, bocce, basketball and pickleball courts and a playground.
Gantry Plaza State Park
Twelve-acre East River park with big Midtown skyline views, four piers, gardens and the restored railroad gantries, plus a fishing pier, playground and courts.
Hermon A. MacNeil Park
Waterfront park at the tip of College Point with a promenade for walking, running or biking, old shade trees, a kayak and canoe launch onto the East River and Flushing Bay, and low-flying planes heading to and from LaGuardia overhead.
Juniper Valley Park
A busy neighborhood park in Middle Village, with a running track, tennis, bocce and shuffleboard courts and wide lawns.
Kissena Park
A 237-acre Flushing park around Kissena Lake, with weeping willows, trails, and a historic grove of exotic trees that began as a 19th-century nursery.
Ralph Demarco Park
Small East River waterfront park on Shore Boulevard in Astoria, created to open up the river to the neighborhood. NYC Parks lists a dog-friendly area.
Socrates Sculpture Park
An outdoor sculpture park on the East River with rotating large-scale art.
Udalls Park Preserve
Quiet nature preserve on the edge of Little Neck Bay, with hiking trails through protected natural areas and the boulder-strewn North Shore landscape that local legend credits to battling giants.
MoMA PS1
Contemporary art in a former public school. Admission is free for all.
Free things to do in The Bronx
Barretto Point Park
A small East River waterfront park in Hunts Point with fishing piers, a kayak launch, lawns and a volleyball net.
Claremont Park
Hilly neighborhood park in the West Bronx with lawns for picnics, barbecue areas, two playgrounds, a gazebo, ball courts, a dog-friendly area and an outdoor public pool in summer.
Concrete Plant Park
A former concrete plant turned riverside park on the Bronx River, with re-established salt marsh and a kayak and canoe launch.
Crotona Park
A 127-acre Bronx flagship park with a 3.3-acre lake full of turtles and ducks, 28 tree species, a nature center and the borough's largest pool.
Ferry Point Park
A mile and a half of Bronx waterfront with views of the East River, Long Island Sound, the Manhattan skyline and the Whitestone and Throgs Neck Bridges.
Hunts Point Riverside Park
Former dumping ground turned Bronx River waterfront park, with a fishing pier, a kayak and canoe launch, barbecue areas and a link to the Bronx River Greenway.
Macombs Dam Park
Sports park beside Yankee Stadium. Its southern ballfield sits on the footprint of the original stadium, so you can bat where the Yankee greats once did, and the Joseph Yancey Track and Field has a 400-meter track, a turf field and basketball and handball courts.
Pelham Bay Park
NYC's largest park, with Orchard Beach, trails and shoreline.
Roberto Clemente State Park
A 25-acre waterfront park on the Harlem River with a riverside promenade, ball fields, playgrounds and picnic areas. No pets.
Seton Falls Park
Northeast Bronx park with more than 30 acres of protected woods and wetlands. Hiking paths follow a stream from a small man-made waterfall through the forest, where about thirty bird species live, and there's a playground by the entrance.
Soundview Park
The 'Gateway to the Bronx River,' where the Bronx River meets the East River, with waterfront views, fishing, trails, a kayak launch and sports fields.
St. Mary's Park
The largest park in the South Bronx, with picnic lawns, a running track, ballfields, tennis and handball courts, a recreation center with an indoor pool, and a dog-friendly area.
Starlight Park
Rebuilt 13-acre park on the Bronx River Greenway with floating docks and a kayak launch, a picnic area, playgrounds and paths linking to nearby riverside parks.
The Bronx Museum
Contemporary art with a Bronx focus. Admission to the museum and its events is always free.
Bronx Park
Large park along the Bronx River with forest, natural areas, hiking trails, a greenway and a kayak and canoe launch. The river runs through a gorge here, and it is home to plenty of birds and wildlife.
Pelham Bay Park trails
NYC's largest park, with hiking trails, bridle paths and about 13 miles of shoreline.
Pugsley Creek Park
Quiet South Bronx park of wetlands and salt marsh with hiking trails, a kayak and canoe launch, and wildlife in largely untouched natural areas.
Free things to do in Staten Island
Clove Lakes Park
Lakes, waterfalls and woodland paths, a short bus ride from the ferry.
Conference House Park
NYC's southernmost park: 265 acres with four historic buildings, Raritan Bay views, hiking and biking trails and a visitors center.
Lemon Creek Park
A 105-acre South Shore waterfront park with natural areas, trails, fishing, a kayak launch, a marina and birdhouses.
Snug Harbor grounds & gardens
83 acres of historic buildings and gardens. The outdoor grounds are free and need no reservation.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk and Beach
A 2.5-mile Atlantic Ocean boardwalk and beach running from Fort Wadsworth to Miller Field, with fishing, a kayak launch, playgrounds, courts and seasonal bike rentals.
Great Kills Park
A 523-acre national park on the South Shore with a beach, a multi-use path, hiking and biking trails and fishing spots.
Blue Heron Park
A South Shore nature park with a nature center, a meadow boardwalk, woodland trails and great old trees.
Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve
A 265-acre nature preserve of ponds, wetlands, sand barrens and woods, with hiking and bridle trails and a free nature center. No pets.
How this list is made
We don’t copy other lists. Each place was opened on its official site before it was added to Free Stuff NYC, and our link checker re-opens those pages on a schedule. Places whose official page stops working or that close drop off this guide automatically. Spot something wrong? Tell us and we’ll re-check it.