FREE THINGS TO DO OR PAY-AS-YOU-WISH
PAY-AS-YOU-WISH MUSEUMS
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Cloisters
The Museum of Natural History
The Museum of Modern Art
Brooklyn Museum
ALWAYS FREE MUSEUMS, MONUMENTS & HISTORIC BUILDINGS
African Burial Ground Memorial Site
BRIC House
The Bronx Museum of the Arts
Federal Hall National Memorial
The Federal Reserve Bank
General Grant National Memorial
Hamilton Grange
The Harbor Defense Museum
The Hispanic Society of America
Irish Hunger Memorial
Leslie–Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art
Museum of Biblical Art
The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
National Museum of the American Indian
New York Transit Museum Annex & Store
Queens County Farm Museum
Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden (grounds and botanical garden only)
Socrates Sculpture Park
Soldiers and Sailors Monument
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace
PAY-AS-YOU-WISH TOURS
Free Tours by Foot
FREE THINGS TO DO
The Charging Bull
Fort Amsterdam and Castle Clinton
Federal Hall
Wall Street and New York Stock Exchange
Trinity Church
St. Paul's Chapel
Woolworth Building
TV Shows Live Studio Audience Memorial Plaza (National September 11th Museum is not free but reflecting pools are)
Central Park Tours by the Central Park Conservatory Guides
Governor's Island Ferry
Staten Island Ferry
Roosevelt Island (tram is under $3)
The High Line
Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights Promenade, Brooklyn Bridge Park & Neighborhoods
Brooklyn Brewery Tours
Coney Island
Grand Central Terminal
Chelsea Galleries
Bushwick Graffiti and Street Art
South Street Seaport
Hudson River Park
Governor's Island (Free Ferry) and Water Taxi Beach
Washington Square Park
Prospect Park
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Fort Tyron Park
St. Nicholas Park
Zucatti Park
Union Square
Bryant Park
City Hall
The New York Public Library Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
The Great Hall, Cooper Union
The Mosaic Trail
Orcha
Streit's Matzoh Factory Tour
Times Square
Rockefeller Center Public Art
Federal Reserve of New York (pre-arranged)
United Nations
St. Patrick's Cathedral
Green-Wood Cemetary
Fifth Avenue Window Shopping
Macy's
Lord & Taylor
Siegel-Cooper Building - Bed, Bath & Beyond, TJ Maxx and Filene's Basement
Manhattan Mall - former Gimbels Department Store site
Woodbury Common Premium Outlets
Thrift Shops
Williamsburg Smorgasborg, East River State Park
Brooklyn Bridge Park Smorgasborg
Flea Markets
South Street Seaport
Chelsea Market
Thrift Shops
Century 21
MoMA Design Store Soho
Kayaking
Attend a TV taping: You’ll get a behind the scenes peek at how Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and the other NYC-based TV stars work their magic. And you won’t pay a cent more than you have to see the show on TV in your own home.
Take a tour with a Big Apple Greeter: Volunteers who love their hometown and love showing it to outsiders even more lead these unique tours. You’ll need to sign up well in advance, but when you do you’ll be assigned a local with similar interests to yours who can show you the neighborhood of your choice. Possibly the best tours in the city and absolutely free.
Kayak the Hudson River: From May through October, the Downtown Boathouse organization (www.downtownboathouse.org) offers both lessons and boats, gratis, to anyone who’s interested. It’s a thrilling, remarkably easy-to-learn activity, and a great way to get a bit of exercise.
Gallery Hop in Chelsea: Go in the early evening hours, and you may score free wine and nibbles at a gallery opening. But even if you don’t, wandering through these galleries—the biggest concentration in the world—is an intriguing, intellectually rich experience, as you’ll see what the current zeitgeist of the art world is, as expressed by hundreds of would-be Picassos.
Walk. Everywhere: New York City is one of the world’s greatest walking cities. Since most of it is planned on the grid system, it’s hard to get lost (except below 4th street, where getting lost is part of the fun). Avenues go north and south, streets go east and west. You can actually walk the entire length of Manhattan—a walk that, done briskly, takes upwards of 6 hours. That’s a 13 and 1/2-mile hike, by the way!
Marie's Crisis Cafe - Gay Bar: Marie's Crisis Cafe offers visitors to Greenwich village a unique experience- small basement bar (no cover but expected to buy minimum one drink at the bar per person) containing man with a piano belting out show tunes surrounded by a crowd of mainly New Yorkers all singing their hearts out. Sounds weird but it's infectious, and after a drink or two you'll be up there with them. Yes, it's very gay but a group of heteros are not made to feel out of place.
Pete's Candy Store: An open mike at Pete’s Candy store—after a leisurely brunch, it’s great to end a lazy day with good music, no cover and cheap food and beer. Aspiring troubadours have the opportunity to entertain erstwhile brunchers on Pete’s famously cramped stage every Sunday from 5 to 8 pm. No covers are allowed, so don’t even think about yelling for “Free Bird.”
Sunny's Red Hook Bar: It's incredibly cool without even trying. Affordable drinks and live music. The crowd is very eclectic so you will not feel out of place no matter your age, who you are, or what your style is. There's even a back patio for the butt smokers. If you randomly find yourself in Red Hook one night, check it out. You will be transported to another decade and never want to leave. Fans raised $100,000 after Superstorm Sandy to revive this tchotchke-filled waterfront bar for a reason: There’s nothing else like it in town. A casual, hip (but not hipster) crowd taps their toes to bluegrass jamborees every Saturday at 10pm (bring an instrument and join in!), and other nights feature everything from sultry jazz singers to accordion players. But the biggest draw is its Old World vibe, with a hodgepodge of folk art, dim lighting and a perfect location just off New York Harbor.
Washington Square Park
As the sun starts to set, head to this carnival of a park, where street musicians are always performing and crowds of Villagers and NYU students gather. Spend some time relaxing here before heading somewhere in the vicinity for a terrific dinner (the restaurants downtown are the best in the city). Choose from one of the restaurants listed on this website as being in either the Village, Soho, Nolita, Union Park/Flatiron District, the Lower East Side of the East Village.
One World Trade Center a.k.a. the Freedom Tower
As of 2014, it is the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere and the fourth tallest in the world. It’s 1,776 feet tall (541 meters). It’s no coincidence that its height is 1776 feet, for that number serves great significance in American History, it is the year America declared its independence from Great Britain. One World Trade Center’s top floor is 104. Floors 1-19 are the base of the building with a 65-foot-high (20 meter) public lobby. Rented office space begins on the 20th Floor and continues to the 64th Floor. On Floor 65 is a sky lobby and then office floors resume on Floor 65 to Floor 90. Floors 91–99 and 103–104 are mechanical floors. The much anticipated Observation Deck is expected to open in Spring 2015 with an admission fee of $32 per person. For information visit One World Observatory.
2 World Trade Center is slated to be 88 stories and 1,349-feet-tall, which will make it the second tallest of the World Trade Center buildings. As of 2014, the building is still being built. Construction of 3 World Trade Center is at a stand-still but when completed, hopefully by 2018, it will be the third-tallest building on the World Trade Center site at 80 stories tall. The completed and opened 4 World Trade Center is a light, ephemeral vision, facing directly onto the World Trade Center Memorial Plaza. Rising 977 feet, by Maki and Associates, the 72-story tower is intended to assume a quiet but dignified presence at the site. 7 World Trade Center was completed in 2006 and was the first tower rebuilt after the attacks. Standing 741 feet and 52-stories tall it sits on the same site as the original 7 World Trade Center. It was fully leased as of 2011.
Memorial Plaza
The designers of the plaza created a public space and memorial worthy of those who lost their lives on 9/11. The plaza is large and airy and even during its busiest hours there are places where one can find a quiet spot to contemplate. The memorial consists of two enormous reflecting pools with cascading water set within the footprints of the twin towers. The pools are bordered by 76 bronze panels attached to the parapet walls that form the edges of the pools. The panels are inscribed with the names of 2,983 people. This includes the names of 2,977 victims who were killed in the 11 attacks in New York City, Arlington, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, as well as the names of six victims who were killed in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing
Unlike other memorials, the names are not listed alphabetically, but rather grouped by affiliation- employees of companies listed together, rescue workers by fire station or precinct and so on. This atypical design leaves one feeling the sense of family and community shared among those who died together that day.
The victim’s names are carved through the bronze panels to create a negative space, emphasizing that these people are no longer with us. The names are back-lit at night, creating an impressive memorial. Visitors looking for specific names can access kiosks in the gardens or download an app from the www.911Memorial.org website. Directions with a map provide instructions for finding the names of those who perished.
Placed inside the Museum, but visible from the Memorial Plaza are two 70-foot high, 50 ton steel beams that were part of the base of the North Tower. These beams, salvaged from the wreckage of the fallen towers are known as “tridents” because of their three-pronged tops. From the Tridents, visit the North Tower fountain and if you are not visiting the museum, the nearest exit is at the northwest corner of the plaza which will place you ate the corner of Fulton Street and West Street. If you are visiting the museum, further down in this post is all the information you need. If you are not visiting the museum, we recommend that you end your visit at St. Paul’s Chapel.
The “Survivor Tree” is a pear tree that survived the devastation and was preserved and re-planted. It is marked with a plaque, and you can locate it by the map included in the official memorial handout available when you enter the plaza. The plaza is open to the public from 7:30am-9:00pm daily.
Currently, there are 3 locations where you could enter the memorial. The entry point that most visitors use is at the intersection of Liberty St. and Greenwich St. This is the closest entry point to City Hall and St. Paul’s Chapel. Proceed down the sidewalk on Church Street behind St. Paul’s Chapel. Blue 911 Memorial signs are posted along Church Street, directing you to the entry. Proceed approximately four blocks on Church Street and make the right on Cedar Street one block onto Greenwich Street. These access routes change as construction closes or opens other streets, so take these as guidelines. On Greenwich Street, make a left and you will see the entry at Albany and Greenwich.
The other two locations (black circles) are West St and Liberty St. and another at West St. and Fulton St. These are entrances your taxi driver might drop you off at if you are coming from uptown or downtown to the memorial. Once you are at the entrance, you will join a line for going though security. Be prepared to step through a metal detector, such as at the airports. No knives, even pocket knives, no guns or explosives are permitted inside the 911 Memorial Gardens. Again, these lines move quickly.
START YOUR SELF-GUIDED TOUR BY ENTERING THE PLAZA AT THE ENTRANCE AT LIBERTY STREET AND GREENWICH STREET
http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/visit-911-memorial-nyc/
(Please note: For those not visiting the museum, there are no public restrooms at the 911 Memorial Gardens. The most convenient restrooms are in St. Paul’s Chapel before proceeding to the entrance of the memorial. The Chapel is located across the street from the Preview Site and is open to the public (see the green arrow on our map below). Inside the chapel is a tribute to the rescue workers who came to NYC to assist in finding survivors after the attack on September 11, 2001.
9-11 Memorial Museum
There is no admission on FREE Tuesdays between 5pm-8pm. FREE Tuesday tickets are first come, first served, and the online tickets usually book out fast. You can pick up your same day ticket though at the ticket window starting at 4:30pm.
The National Sept. 11 Memorial Museum charges adults a $24 admission fee but the memorial itself is free. Family members of those killed on Sept. 11 believe it should be free so everyone has the opportunity to understand the events of that day. In a study of 418 visitors to the Memorial, 94% said they were willing to pay an admission charge similar to other non-subsidized New York City museums, the museum said. Meanwhile, 89% of those surveyed said they thought the federal government should provide funding for the museum.
Statement of 9/11 Parents & Families of Firefighters and WTC Victims
Admission Fee of $24 dollars at 9/11 Museum is a DISGRACE -
Designed to maintain bloated salaries for Stuffed Suits & Fat Cats at GZ
Joe Daniels, President and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum (9/11MM) has just announced a $24 dollar mandatory admission fee - endorsed by the board, for entrance into the subterranean museum at GZ. The 9/11MM is supposed to be a non -profit organization and a tribute to 9/11 victims. It was created to tell the story of 9/11 to future generations about the worst day in American history. It was never intended to be a revenue-generating tourist attraction with a prohibitive budget and entrance fee. The solution is not for NY Senators to ask for a handout/bailout from the federal government - but rather - to ask the federal government for the National Parks Service to assume full operation and control of the 9/11 MM - at a fraction of the current cost - which should have been done from day one immediately after 9/11/01. Why should anyone oppose the NPS at GZ?
The current executives at the 9/11MM have outrageous six figure salaries, some over $400 thousand dollars per year, They have also announced a $63 million dollar bloated annual budget.This is totally out of control! A mandatory $24 dollar admission fee will just serve the purpose of helping to pay these huge salaries and ensure that the "tale of two cities" will continue, as the rich will visit the museum, but the poor and middle class families won't be able to afford it. Unfortunately, there is no fiscal responsibility or accountability at this site.
9/11 Parents & Families of Firefighters and WTC Victims strongly disagrees with charging a large admission fee, and also disagrees with expecting federal, state and local governments to pay the tab with no fiscal restraints as 9/11MM executives give themselves plush raises every year, along with large expense accounts. In addition, we vehemently oppose the 9/11MM plans to place 9,000 human remains of victims and heroes into the basement of this 9/11 museum which flooded during Hurricane Sandy. Human Remains should never be part of a tourist trap museum at GZ.
Many 9/11 families - as well as the public at large- do not feel the federal government should pay for an enormously expensive memorial and museum in which the federal government – as well as the families of the victims - had virtually no role in the nearly $1 billion design and planning. The idea of the federal government taking responsibility for the 9/11 memorial & museum and annually funding a large portion of its operating costs – with no controls whatsoever - will be a permanent albatross around the neck of the American taxpayer unless the highly respected and experienced stewardship of the National Parks Service (NPS) is mandated.
Instead of expecting the federal government to pay for the huge excesses of the 9/11MM, we call upon Sen. Schumer, Sen Gillibrand, Gov Cuomo, Mayor DeBlasio, and all local politicians to stop this outrageous fee and bring costs under control by supporting and endorsing a plan for the National Parks Service to assume the full management and operation of the 9/11MM as they do with nearly ever other memorial in Washington, D.C and across the USA.If the 9/11 memorial & museum is indeed intended to be a “National Memorial” which deserves federal funding, then it is obligated to operate with fiscal responsibility and honor. It should be given the respect, patriotism, budgetary responsibility and time-honored stewardship of the National Park Service. The lives and deaths of nearly 3,000 people, and the American public who honors them, deserve nothing less.
Press Release 1/24/14
Contact:
Chief Jim Riches, 917-692-1199
Sally Regenhard, 646-266-1987
The 9/11 Tribute Center
The 9/11 Tribute Center at 120 Liberty Street offers visitors a historic timeline and honors the aftermath of rescue and recovery, and shares a personal memorial tribute from 9/11 families. This Center was founded by the September 11th Families Association, and is not part of the 9/11 Memorial or National September 11th Museum. The Center galleries allow for an intimate look at the event through films, artifacts and photos. The 9/11 Tribute Center gift shop offers authorized commemorative WTC collectible items, books and apparel. Entry to The 9/11 Tribute Center costs $15, or free with the New York Pass.
Free Things By Day/Month Etc.
http://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/free-things-to-do-in-nyc
Times Square Subway Station
Underground beneath Times Square
42nd and Broadway
There is music all over, so just walk around and follow the pleasing sounds. If a crowd is gathered, but there's no performance, that means they are about to start. Just wait a few minutes.
Grand Central Terminal, Main Concourse
42nd and Park
Break dancers are usually near the subways. There are also occasionally trios playing string instruments and opera singers as well.
Roosevelt Island
Thanks to the boxy red tram that glides above the East River, Roosevelt Island may be one of the only spots in New York City that’s a joy to get to via public transportation. The area's attractions include tennis courts, ball fields and Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park, a tribute to our 32nd president, located on the island's southern tip.
40 free things to do in New York City
by Robert Reid· Nov 14 2013
Seeing the bulk of New York City's biggest attractions can mean spending a hefty chunk of a trip's budget on tickets. Empire State Building? $27. The Met? $25. The Guggenheim and the Whitney go for $22 and $20, respectively. Even the Frick is $20.
But there's a lifetime of fun to be had without ever handing over a cent, and not just by taking on park trails, bike paths or window browsing.
(Plus some ticket-admission spots have free times too – see the end of the post.)
Free New York travelers, get busy!
1. African Burial Ground
One of Lower Manhattan's most fascinating, and controversial, stories of recent years circulates around the new African Burial Ground National Monument site. It began when a construction project in 1991 uncovered a burial ground of slaves – more than 400 caskets were found – from an age when New York had more slaves than any American city outside Charleston, South Carolina. Outside you can see part of the site now enveloped by buildings, and the compact visitors center does a masterful job at retelling African-American history in the city. See our 76-Second Travel Show episode on the museum's opening. 290 Broadway between Duane & Elk Sts, Lower Manhattan.
2. Brooklyn Brewery tours
Free tours of Williamsburg's Brooklyn Brewery run on the hour from 1-5pm Saturday, 1-4pm Sunday. 79 N 11th St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
3. Central Park
It doesn't take brilliant travel minds to tell you that a park is free to visit – most parks are. But most parks aren't Central Park, Manhattan's famed claim to thinking ahead (even if it was designed in the 1860s to boost real-estate value uptown). It's filled with free events, statues, people-watching and sites like Strawberry Fields, an 'Imagine' mosaic near the Dakota, where John Lennon was killed in 1980. Another site is 'the Pond,' at the southeastern corner, where Holden Caulfield kept turning to in 'The Catcher in the Rye,' wondering where those ducks go when it's cold. Uptown.
4. Chelsea galleries
New York's most concentrated area for a gallery crawl is in Chelsea, mostly in the 20s Streets between 10th and 11th Avenues. Check westchelseaarts.com or Gallery Guide for listings. All are free, no pressure to buy. And try timing for wine-and-cheese openings on Thursday evenings.
5. City Hall
Home to New York City's government since 1812, City Hall tours take in its cupola-topped marble hall, the governor's room as well as the spot where Abraham Lincoln's coffin lay in state briefly in 1865. Tours must be reserved in advance. City Hall Park, facing the Brooklyn Bridge, Lower Manhattan.
6. Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Museum
It's always Fashion Week in the FIT Museum, which features rotating exhibits by students and a surprisingly interesting and detailed collection of the country's first gallery of fashion, picked from a collection of 50,000 garments dating from the 18th century to present. Seventh Ave & 27th St, Garment District, Midtown West.
7. Federal Hall
Two presidents were inaugurated in New York City, beginning with the first 'Dubya' - George Washington - who took the oath in Federal Hall in 1789, back when New York was the first capital. (Chester A Arthur was the second.) There's a nice statue outside, overlooking the New York Stock Exchange across Wall Street, and a small, recently renovated museum on post-colonial New York inside. 26 Wall St, Lower Manhattan.
8. Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Reserve at least a week ahead to visit the Federal Reserve Bank, most rewarding just to ogle the facility's high-security vault – useful considering more than 10,000 tons of gold reserves reside here, 80ft below ground. There's also exhibits on counterfeit currency as well as a serious coin collection of the American Numismatic Society. A tour (six daily, Monday-Friday excluding bank holidays) is the only way to get in. 33 Liberty St, Lower Manhattan.
9. Forbes Collection
The lobby galleries of Forbes magazine have some various curios from the late Malcolm Forbes' collection, most notably early versions of Monopoly boards. (Or watch our tour of Monopoly sites around the properties' namesakes at Atlantic City, New Jersey.) 62 Fifth Ave at 12th St, Greenwich Village.
10. General Ulysses S Grant National Memorial (aka 'Grant's Tomb')
Also called 'Grant's Tomb', the $600,000 granite structure that holds the remains of the Civil War hero and 18th president (and his wife Julia) is the largest mausoleum in the US, and is patterned after Mausolus' tomb at Halicarnassus, making it a plagiarized version of one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Riverside Dr at 122nd St, Morningside Heights.
11. Governor's Island
The ferry to Governor's Island is free, as is access to the 172-acre island which opened to the public only in 2003. There's a 2.2-mile bike path, mini golf, a picnic area, plus military sites such as Admiral's House and a 'ghost town' of sorts at Nolan Park. Ferries leave from Battery Maritime Bldg, Slip 7, Lower Manhattan.
12. Grand Central Partnership Walking Tours
Two historians lead free 90-minute walking tours at 12:30pm every Friday, hitting places like Grand Central Terminal's 'whispering gallery' and the Chrysler Building. 120 Park Ave, at 42nd St, Midtown East.
13. Green-Wood Cemetery
Once the nation's most visited tourist attraction outside Niagara Falls, the gorgeous Green-Wood Cemetery was founded in 1838 and is the eternal home to some 600,000 people (or about 530 miles of bodies, head to toe). It's leafy and lovely, features Brooklyn's highest point at Battle Hill, a site from the Revolutionary War, now marked with a seven-foot statue of the Roman goddess of wisdom, Minerva. Watch for the squawking green parakeets at the cemetery's Gothic entry - these are runaways from a JFK mishap in 1980 and have lived here since. 500 25th St, Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
To walk Green-Wood’s 478 acres is to follow the steps of New Yorkers and Americans dating back to 1838. Stroll the grounds on your own, or use our self-guided walking tour books and mobile app. You will discover a peaceful oasis in urban New York, and 175 years of history and beautiful landscape. Admission to Green-Wood is free at all times, and free maps are available at any of our entrances.
14. Hamilton Grange
You know you're important when you get a grange. This one, Hamilton Grange, reopened in 2011 after renovation, is the Federal-style country retreat where Alexander Hamilton spent quieter, pre-death-by-duel New York days. St Nicholas Park at 141st St, Hamilton Heights.
The Grange is located in a park in Harlem. There is free parking at the Grange. And the house is a short walk from the subway. (We took the A train from Times Square to 145th Street - and it was only about 5 stops, maybe 10 minutes.) After spending a lot of money on everything in NYC, it is refreshing to visit something that is free! We enjoyed this lovely house and the history behind it. There is a short movie about Hamilton, then a short movie about the Mansion being moved, a tour by a Guide and a small gift shop. The U.S. Park Service operates the historic site. The park rangers are knowledgable and friendly. We made an after noon of it by visiting the Morris Jumel Mansion beforehand which in the same area of town. (A bus ride away but close enough). Make the visit (by subway) as part of a wider trip to the northern end of Manhattan Island (Grant’s Tomb, Riverside Chapel, The Cloisters). The Mansion is nestled away in the middle of suburbia and only a short walk from the nearest subway station. The entrance fee is small ($6 USD) and the mansion feels as though Washington was there just the other day. Don’t be put off by the suburban surrounds. On Saturday at noon there is a docent to give a guided tour of Morris Jumel Mansion. Our docent was great. She was able to describe what was happening in this house and the country in the 1700s and 1800s through the various owners. A note to New Yorkers: if you've never been to the neighborhood immediately surrounding the Morris Jumel Mansion, you must go -- what a happy surprise! The row houses are stunning -- like nothing I've ever seen in Manhattan, especially that far north on the island. The subway ride was a breeze and we were able to easily connect to a bus to go to the US Grant Monument. Drove to Morris Jumel as part of a self tour of Harlem. You can drive Strivers Row and then head here. Take the C train to 163 and head East up the steps just past C-town grocery or just turn Left at 160th st.
15. High Line
It's a park, so it should be free, but the expanding High Line project has the impact and feel of a real-live attraction, complete with its own opening hours. Created from an abandoned stretch of elevated railroad track, the native-inspired landscaping of this park 30 feet in the air connects the Meatpacking District with Chelsea's galleries (another great free institution), and eventually to the Javits Center on the south side of Hell's Kitchen. There's wonderful Hudson River views, or of pedestrians on the sidewalks below. Watch for public-art installations and events. Gansevoort Street to 30th St (currently), between 9th & 11th Aves, Chelsea.
16. Hispanic Society of America Museum & Library
The largest collection of Spanish art outside Spain fills the ornate Beaux Arts space of the Hispanic Society of America Museum & Library on the serene Audobon Terrace in far north Manhattan. Broadway & 155th St, Washington Heights.
17. Japan Society
The films and lectures usually involve a ticket, but the gallery exhibits at the Japan Society (focusing on Japanese art) are free 6-9pm Fridays. 333 E 47 St, between First & Second Aves, Midtown East.
18. National Museum of the American Indian
This Smithsonian ex-pat, just off the historic Bowling Green and Battery Park, is neighbors to frenetic commuters and tourists heading to the Statue of Liberty but often gets missed. Situated in the spectacular former US Customs House (1907), the National Museum of the American Indian is one of the country's finest collections of Native American art. The focus is on culture, not history, and does so with many of its million-plus items. There's also many programs. 1 Bowling Green, Lower Manhattan.
19. New York Earth Room
Now for something completely different: the Earth Room, Walter De Maria's 1977 art installation, a single room filled with 280,000 pounds of dirt, combines the framework of an ordinary office with the scent of a wet forest. 141 Wooster St, SoHo
20. New York Public Library
Remember the Dewey Decimal System? The New York Public Library, New York's most famous library (aka the Stephen A Schwarzman Building), which turned 100 in 2011, is situated in a grand Beaux-Arts icon east of Times Square. It's fronted by marble lions named 'Patience' and 'Fortitude,' and is just a jaw-dropper to walk through, particularly the reading room fit for 500 patrons reading with the aid of the library's original Carre-and-Hastings lamps. There's exhibits too, including a copy of the original Declaration of Independence, a Gutenburg Bible, plus 431,000 old maps. There are free tours at 11am and 2pm Monday to Saturday, 2pm Sunday (closed Sunday in summer). Fifth Ave at 42nd St, Midtown East.
21. Old Stone House
A Breuckelen legacy from Brooklyn's Dutch origins, and a survivor from the ill-fated Battle of Brooklyn, this Old Stone House features a small exhibit on the battle. Its upstairs is sometimes rented out for the likes of sample sales. Entry is by 'suggested donation' of $3 (so will depend on how open to suggestion you are). Fifth Ave, btwn 3th & 4th Sts, Park Slope, Brooklyn.
22. Public boathouse kayaking
Kayak for free from public boathouses such as the Downtown Boathouse and Long Island Community Boathouse in Queens.
23. Rockefeller Center Public Art
Built in the 1930s Great Depression, the 22-acre Rockefeller Center is more than the setting for NBC's Today Shows (lines appear by 6am often) and a giant Christmas tree in December (not to mention to $24 NBC tours or $27 trips to the observatory deck!). But do pop by to see the slew of art commissioned under the theme of 'Man at the Crossroads Looks Uncertainly But Hopefully at the Future.' A bit wordy, but the pieces pack a big punch, such as the statue of Prometheus overlooking the skating rink, or Atlas holding the world at 630 Fifth Ave. Jose Maria Sert's murals in the (main) GE Building used the likes of Abe Lincoln to replace the original 'communist imagery' (eg Vladimir Lenin) by a snubbed, outraged Diego Rivera. Between Fifth & Sixth Aves, around 49th & 50th Sts, Midtown.
24. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Part of the city's library system, the country's largest collection of documents, books, recordings and photographs related to the African-American experience, the Schomburg Center also hosts free exhibits and self-guided tours. Guided tours are also free, but must be booked at least one month in advance. 515 Malcolm X Blvd at 135th St, Harlem.
25. Socrates Sculpture Park
On the East River, overlooking Roosevelt Island and the Upper East Side, the Socrates Sculpture Park, a former dump site, now has interesting art installations, light shows and movies on Wednesdays in summer. Broadway at Vernon Blvd, Astoria, Queens.
26. Staten Island Ferry
Everyone wants to see the Statue of Liberty. Ferry tours there start at $12. But the Staten Island Ferry for commuters, cutting across the New York Harbor, is absolutely free and has long held the distinction as the single greatest free attraction on the Eastern Seaboard. Around since 1905, the ferry carries 19 million across the harbor each year. Technically for transport in between Staten Island and Manhattan, most visitors simply hop back on to get back to New York. It never gets old. East end of Battery Park, Lower Manhattan.
Free attractions at specific times:
27. American Museum of Natural History
Free its last hour (4:45-5:45pm), and admission price is 'suggested' at all other times (so free, if you have the chutzpah to suggest $0). Central Park West & 79th St, Upper West Side.
28. Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Free Tuesday, 10am to noon Saturday and weekdays in winter (Nov-Feb). Eastern Parkway at Washington Ave, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.
29. Brooklyn Museum
Free first Saturday of the month, when there's big wine-sipping, DJ parties that draw half the neighborhood. 200 Eastern Parkway, at Washington Ave, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.
30. Bronx Zoo
Pay what you wish on Wednesday. 2300 Southern Blvd, The Bronx.
31. El Museo del Barrio
Free the third Saturday of the month. 1230 Fifth Ave between 104th & 105th Sts, Spanish Harlem.
32. Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum
Pay what you wish, first Friday of the month. 9-01 33rd Rd, Astoria, Queens.
33. Museum of Modern Art
Entry is free 4-8pm on Friday. Gets busy. 11 W 53rd St, between Fifth & Sixth Aves, Midtown West.
34. Museum of the Moving Image
Free 4-8pm Friday. 35th Ave, at 36th St, Astoria, Queens.
35. Neue Galerie
Free 6-8pm the first Friday of the month. 1048 Fifth Ave at 86th St, Upper East Side.
36. New York Botanical Garden
Free Wednesday, 9-10am Saturday. Bronx River Pkwy & Fordham Rd, The Bronx.
37. New York Historical Society
Pay what you wish, 6-8pm Friday. 2 W 77th St at Central Park West, Upper West Side.
38. New York Aquarium
Pay what you wish from 3pm Fridays (4pm in summer). Surf Ave & W 8th St, Brooklyn.
39. Studio Museum in Harlem
Free on Sunday. 144 W 125th St at Adam Clayton Powell Blvd, Harlem.
40. Wave Hill
Free 9am to noon Tuesday and Saturday. W 249th St at Independence Ave, Riverdale, The Bronx.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/new-york-city/travel-tips-and-articles/76493
NBC Tickets and Tours
http://www.nbc.com/tickets-and-nbc-studio-tour
NBC Studio Tour Temporarily Closed for Renovations
Due to a series of extensive upgrades and renovations at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, that will impact our ability to provide a quality experience, the NBC Studio Tour will suspend operations starting on January 1st, 2014. However we are excited to announce that we plan to use this downtime to redesign the studio tour to a one of a kind experience that can only be found at NBCUniversal's headquarters in New York. We anticipate reopening in mid-2015.
We invite you to keep up with the status of our renovations on our Facebook page, Twitter, and website. If you have any questions please email us at NBCStudio.Tour@nbcuni.com
Late Night with Seth Meyers
FREE Tickets to Late Night With Seth Meyers are available by calling our ticket office at (212) 664-3056. Tickets are booked about 4-6 weeks in advance from the actual taping. Please call Monday-Friday (9am-5p ET) for availability.
You can request up to four tickets at a time. All audience members must be at least 16 years old. All guests must present valid photo ID with date of birth at check-in. The reservation holder must attend the show, as the tickets will only be released to them.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Tickets are available by visiting
http://www.showclix.com/event/thetonightshowstarringjimmyfallon
If you have any questions or need to cancel your reservation, please call The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon hotline Monday - Friday at 212-664-3056 (9AM - 5PM EST).
The Meredith Vieira Show
For more information about tickets visit http://meredithvieirashow.com/tickets/
If you have any questions or need to cancel your reservation, please call the ticket hotline Monday - Friday at 212-664-3056 (9AM - 5PM EST).
http://www.nbcstudiotour.com/
Free Kayaking, Canoeing and Rowing for Families
New York City has a lot of islands—Manhattan, Staten, even Brooklyn and Queens lead into Long Island. With all this waterfront, it's no wonder there are so many sightseeing cruises and fun ferries.
But sometimes you want to be your own captain. No need to hijack a boat; there are many opportunities for families to get out on the water by themselves, kayaking, rowing and canoeing. We've rounded up great New York City organizations that offer boating sessions on our wonderful waterways—and they're all FREE. Ahoy!
Kayaking
Downtown Boathouse – Manhattan
Various piers on the Hudson River. Visit the website for details.
Mid-May through mid-October
FREE
On weekends, holidays and select weekday evenings, the Downtown Boathouse offers free kayaking on the Hudson River at Pier 26 near North Moore Street (this replaces the old Pier 40 location), Pier 96 at 57th Street and at 72nd Street. (The volunteers are also on Governors Island on Saturdays.) Expect to get a little wet when you kayak. The Boathouse suggests wearing a bathing suit, but we didn't and found that on a hot summer day, we dried off quickly. Children under 16 need to be accompanied by an adult and only one kid is permitted per boat. If you'd like more supervision, the volunteer organization also runs kayaking classes every Wednesday evening.
Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse – Dumbo
Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Saturdays 10:30am-4:30pm and select Thursdays 5:30-7:30pm
FREE
Another popular place for free kayaking is the Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse. The lines can get pretty long so be prepared to wait. Check the calendar for a complete list of dates and times. Afterward, check out all of the things to do in this awesome park including a carousel, a pop-up pool and an incredible water playground.
Kayak Staten Island – Staten Island
South Beach at the end of the boardwalk in parking lot No. 1
FREE
This all-volunteer organization provides kayaks, paddles and life jackets as well as basic launch, land and paddling tips. Experienced kayakers are on the water to observe and assist. No registration is required and rowing times vary so check their calendar for a complete schedule.
Red Hook Boaters – Red Hook
Louis Valentino, Jr. Park and Pier, Coffey and Ferris Streets
Mid-May through mid-October: Sundays 1-5pm, select Thursdays 6-8pm
FREE
Another all-volunteer group that offers public kayaking in an effort to promote awareness of the Brooklyn waterfront. The members hold beach cleanups during every paddling session, so in addition to boating it’s a great way to chip in and help keep the shore clean. Check the calendar for full details.
Read our post for important tips about kayaking with kids in NYC.
Row Boating
Village Community Boathouse – West Village
Pier 40 at Houston Street and the Hudson River
April-November: Sundays starting at noon; Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:30pm
FREE
In addition to rowing sessions in the New York Harbor in a Whitehall gig, this organization hosts lots of outdoor events like races, camping expeditions and more. In the winter months, Village Community Boathouse offers free boat building sessions to the public. Check the calendar for a full list of events.
Floating the Apple
Pier 84 at 44th Street and the Hudson River – Midtown West
July-August: Wednesday-Sunday 2-7pm
FREE
In addition to summer rowing, Floating the Apple offers sessions in the spring and fall, weather permitting. The organization's website seems to be more or less abandoned, however you can find out about current events by calling the info line: 212-564-5412. Pier 84 is also home to one of our favorite water play areas.
Rocking the Boat – the Bronx
Hunts Point Riverside Park, Lafayette Avenue between Edgewater Road and the Bronx River
May-September: Saturdays noon-5pm
FREE
Explore the Bronx River in wooden rowboats crafted by local teens as part of Rocking the Boat’s youth development program. The weekly community rowing sessions let participants boat independently or you can explore the water on guided tours. No registration required. Children must be accompanied by an adult. The nonprofit also runs a catch-and-release fishing program.
East River C.R.E.W. – Upper East Side
FDR Service Road between 95th and 96th Streets
May 8-September 18: Tuesdays; September 22-October 27: Saturdays
FREE
Subtitle Community Recreation and Education on the Water, this nonprofit shines a light on the East River through a host of educational programs, from boat building to harbor literacy and awareness. There are also weekly rowing sessions throughout the summer and early fall so you can learn rowing basics. Children ages 5-10 can also participate in the org's catch-and-release fishing program. Check the website for a complete list of events and programs.
Canoeing
Urban Park Rangers – Citywide
FREE
Urban Park Rangers offer free canoeing programs for children ages 8 and up. Advance registration is required and participants are selected through a lottery system.
If you happen to have your own canoe or kayak and prefer to go it alone, there are several public launch sites throughout the city. Info about launch applications, permit requirements, a map of public launch sites and additional rules, regulations and guidelines are all available on the NYC Parks Department website. If you're going to do it yourself, you'll also want to read the NYC Boating “Rules of the Road” and Clean Boating Guidelines.
For more seasonal fun on the water and off, check out our Summer Fun Guide.
Free Kayaking
http://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/free-kayaking-in-new-york-where-to-kayak-on-the-nyc-waterways
The New York City Downtown Boathouse
The granddaddy of NYC’s free-kayaking scene, NYCDB offers gratis walk-up outings at three locations on the Hudson: Pier 40, Pier 96 and West 72nd Street. Once you’ve signed a waiver and donned a life jacket, you can take your kayak out in designated areas for 20 minutes at a time—or longer if others aren’t waiting. NYCDB also holds public classes on sundry kayaking topics—such as perfecting your paddling technique and what to do if you capsize—weekly at Pier 96 (Wed 6pm; free). Once you’ve got a handle on oaring, head to Pier 96 on weekends at 8am to join a four-to-five-mile guided trip on the river (if too many people show up, names are entered into a lottery). It’s up to the outing’s leader to decide whether your skills are up to snuff for the trek. • Pier 40, W Houston St at the Hudson River. Thu 5–7pm; Sat, Sun, holidays 9am–6pm. • Pier 96, W 56th St at the Hudson River. Sat, Sun, holidays 9am–6pm; Mon–Fri 5–7pm in July and August. • W 72nd St at Henry Hudson Pkwy. Sat, Sun, holidays 10am–5pm. • downtownboathouse.org • Through Oct 14, 2012.
Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse
Queue up between Piers 1 and 2 to take a kayak out in the majestic shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge. The wait is often long, but it’s worth it: The BBPB folks have a 25-vessel fleet, and you can play skipper on the East River for a full half hour. Brooklyn Bridge Park is small-craft-friendly by design: Two launches already exist, and the BBPB is hoping to have a floating dock up and running later this summer for easily extracting yourself from your kayak. The organization is always looking for volunteers, and pitching in earns you access to volunteer-only outings (for seasoned paddlers only). • Brooklyn Bridge Park, between Piers 1 and 2, Furman St at Old Fulton St, Dumbo, Brooklyn (www.bbpboathouse.org). Thu 5:30–7:30pm, Sat 10:30am–4:30pm. Through Sept 15, 2012.
Long Island City Community Boathouse
The health-conscious folks at Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens have teamed up with the LIC Community Boathouse to bring you free first-come, first-served kayaking out of scenic Hallet’s Cove (weekend dates and times vary; visit website for details). Sessions run 20 minutes, or longer if no one is waiting. If you’re feeling adventurous, visit LICCB’s website to sign up for gratis organized trips to spots such as Hell Gate Bridge or Brooklyn Bridge Park; or join a “Chill Sunset Paddle” that’s optimized for orange-tinted views of the Manhattan and Long Island City skylines. For a better chance of a spot, you can request to join a trip as far as three weeks out. Socrates Sculpture Park, 46-01 5th St between 46th Ave and 46th Rd, Long Island City, Queens (718-228-9214, licboathouse.org). Through Oct 7, 2012.
Red Hook Boaters
RHB’s upstanding coordinators have a double purpose: Get urbanites out on the water and help breathe life back into Brooklyn’s aquatic ecosystem. Like many other organizations, RHB has a free walk-up kayaking program—but there are no idle hands here. While you’re waiting for your turn at Louis J. Valentino Jr. Park and Pier, volunteers have gloves and trash bags available, so you can pitch in with RHB’s ongoing mission to pick up refuse on the beach. Knowing that you’re helping keep the area thriving will make your 20-to-30-minute paddle in RHB’s protected cove all the sweeter. Bonus: See if you can snag one of several Peekaboo boats in the fleet, which have a window in the hull for underwater viewing. Louis J. Valentino Jr. Park and Pier, Coffey St at Ferris St, Red Hook, Brooklyn (917-676-6458, redhookboaters.org). Thu 6–8pm through Aug 23, 2012; Sun 1–5pm through Oct 7, 2012.
Kayak Staten Island
For a decidedly less urban paddling experience that’s still within the five boroughs, hop the ferry to Staten Island, then take the S51 bus to Ocean Avenue. After you’ve sucked in a generous breath of sea air, head down the block to the beach and queue up in the sand for one of KSI’s Sit-on-Top kayaks (similar to traditional ones except you seat yourself in a depression on top of, instead of inside, the hull). From there, you’re free to oar around a delineated embankment area in the bay for 15 minutes at a time, and are welcome to get back in line if you fancy a second voyage. Don’t worry about the waves—experienced rowers are in the water to help if you get tripped up. KSI is also involved in conservation activities, including oyster gardening to build the bay’s bivalve population and water-quality testing; volunteer opportunities abound. South Beach, Father Capodanno Blvd at Drury Ave, Staten Island (kayakstatenisland.org). Times and dates vary; see website for details. Through Sept 1, 2012.
Free Kayaking
http://www.downtownboathouse.org/free-kayaking/
We offer free sit-on-top kayaks for public use in protected Hudson River embayments at each of our locations throughout our season (May-October). We give brief instruction and provide all necessary safety equipment as well as changing rooms, lockers and locks, bike locks, sun block, and first aid equipment.
This is by far our most popular program for adults and children alike. It provides an opportunity to create a personal connection with our waterfront, regardless of age, income or location, and it also serves to educate our communities about how far we have come in cleaning up the Hudson River.
Before You Go Out
· Sign a waiver (good for the year)
· You must know how to swim
· Put on a lifejacket
On the Water
· Stay within the bay (between piers)
· Keep away from sides and wall
· Come back in 20 minutes
· Come back in if called
· No swimming
Under Eighteen
· One child per boat
· Guardian must be present
· Under 16, must go with guardian
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