Our Favorite 10 Free Things to Do in New York City

There are so many amazing things for families to do when they visit New York City. Whether it’s your first visit or your 50th visit, you are sure to discover new places, foods, and activities every time. Let’s be honest, a trip to New York City isn’t going to be your most budget-friendly destination but by balancing some paid admissions with some free activities you’re family is sure to find the perfect balance of expense, experiences, and cost.

For first-time visitors, I recommend getting a CityPass that includes the major attractions like the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Art Museums, Museum of Natural History, Top of the Rock Observatory, and the 9/11 Museum. There is a one time fee and then everything is covered. It makes it easy to budget for the activities because there is just one price. Plus I think having the pass encourages people to get out and see more since it’s included on the pass.

The great news is that even with costs associated with some activities, there are still plenty of really fantastic & totally free things to do in the city. Our family has been able to visit NYC several times over the past decade and I’ve drawn up a list of our favorite free things to do in NYC. We have done all of these things at least once but many we have repeated on different visits to the city because they are so enjoyable. Here’s a look at our free favorites.

Visit the Vessel. This is a newer attraction in NYC and the perfect place to stop for taking memorable photos plus you get in a little exercise while climbing a bunch of stairs. If stairs aren’t your thing, they do have an elevator available too. It’s 184 flights of interlocking stairs with 80 different platforms and 2,500 individual steps. I’ve never seen anything like it and it’s definitely worth a visit.
Tickets are available for free! You do have to reserve the day and time for the ticket which can be a bit tricky if you are not sure of your specific plans. Tickets can be reserved up to two weeks in advance. We actually decided to take a chance and not book ahead when we went. We just walked up, scanned a QR code at the entrance to the vessel and then reserved tickets that were 10 minutes later. It was not busy on the day we went but if you are there during high tourist seasons, then you probably don’t want to take a chance and should book ahead of time.
I’d plan to spend 45 minutes here. That would give you plenty of time to climb several of the staircases and snap some pictures. The Vessel is at the entrance to Hudson Yards which is a high-end mall. If you are into shopping, you could stop by the shops while you are there but that probably won’r be free!.

2. Walk Through Central Park. There really is so much to see and enjoy while strolling through the park. There are several playgrounds so if you are traveling with younger kids, I’d plan to stop and play for a while. We have spent hours at the playgrounds in Central Park and it’s always a highlight of the day for the kids. Oftentimes there are street performers playing music or gathering a group around them for a dance or acrobatic show. On one visit several years ago, Hannah was pulled into a show and still remembers having a bunch of guys jump over her. She loved it!

Find a bench or sit in the grass and just have fun people watching and enjoy the break your feet get while you rest.

You can also seek out the John Lennon Strawberry Fields Memorial, Alice in Wonderland Statue, and watch a softball game at Heckscher Ballfields.

3. New York City Public Library. There are many branches of the library in NYC but the one you want to visit is the Mid-Manhattan Library at 42nd Street. Libraries are not usually where I stop on vacation but this library should definitely be on your must-see list. The architecture is stunning and it feels like you are entering a beautiful museum. Be sure to visit the children’s area where you can see the original Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal that was owned by the author of the Winnie the Pooh stories, AA Milne. You can also see Eeyore, Tigger, Kanga, and Roo.

We also love the map room which is filled with, you guessed it!, maps. Our favorite maps are the globes. We also love the reading room because of the high ceilings and detailed architecture.

Be sure to stop as you enter or leave the library for a picture with Patience and Fortitude, the two lion statues who stand watch along the stairs leading up to the museum.

4. Walk the Highline. This was a disused elevated train track that was saved and turned into an elevated park. The park is about 1.5 miles long and you can walk it in about 30 minutes. There are places to stop and relax along the way. Many of the chairs are made from old railroad ties (the wood on a train track) and I love how they have repurposed those materials. We have seen musicians playing and also once saw a magician working for tips. It’s a fun place to enjoy with the kids especially when the weather is nice.

5. Ride the Staten Island Ferry. This is something that would be great to do if going out to Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty is not on your itinerary. This ferry runs every hour (check the schedule here) and is totally free. You get great views of the Statue of Liberty. Once you get over to Staten Island, you can just catch the next ferry back over to Manhattan. We did have to wait about an hour on Staten Island when we did this so be sure to factor the wait time into your plans. It’s nice to be out on the water, see Manhattan from a distance, plus see the Statue of Liberty from the water.

6. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This is something you can only do one day a year, on Thanksgiving, and our family recommends doing this at least once in your lifetime. We went to the parade last year and loved every minute of it. I’m planning on sharing an entire article with all of the details on this and will link here when it’s ready. My main tips are: arrive early, dress in lots of layers, bring a blanket, and try to stand somewhere need food and a bathroom. It will be worth it!

7. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge. Ever since I did a report on this bridge in 4th grade, it’s been so interesting to me. It’s an iconic bridge which is a fun place to walk and get some nice city views. We have walked this in several different seasons and sometimes it has been packed with people and other times it wasn’t crowded at all. The walkway is divided by a line and pedestrians need to stay on one side and bikers need to stay on the other side. Be sure to keep your kids on the pedestrian side with you because the bikers come through moving quickly.

This is a great place to snap some family pictures. You could just walk part of the bridge from Manhattan and then turn around or you can walk all the way across the bridge into Brooklyn. We’ve walked the full-bridge a few times and reward ourselves with pizza at Grimaldi’s over in Brooklyn.

8. Explore Grand Central Station. It feels like you are stepping back in time when you enter the train terminal or at least like you are stepping onto a movie set. The grand building will not disappoint. You won’t need a lot of time to look around but we think it’s worth a stop. We arrived early in the morning on one visit and enjoyed some breakfast in the food court before heading out to enjoy the city.

If you visit during the holidays be sure to check out their electric train display.

9. Visit Trinity Church. We are big Hamilton fans at our house so we had to stop at Trinity Church to visit the graves of Eliza and Alexander Hamilton. The cemetery surrounds the church and is open to the public. If you want to visit the Hamilton’s Harlem home, Hamilton Grange, it is a National Memorial where the admission is free and you get a guided tour of their home. This is still on my list to do someday.

While you are at Trinity Church, take a small extra walk and head to Wall Street. Be sure to stop and pose for a picture with the Fearless Girl Statue.

10. 9/11 Memorial. This is a special place that should not be missed when visiting NYC. It is a reverent location where we can honor those who lost their lives in 2001, reflect on our memories of that day, and gives us an opportunity to talk about hard things with our kids.

The memorial is outdoors and includes two large structures that are fountains that drop below ground level. Each person who lost their life has their name in etched into the memorial. This would be enough for smaller children but older children would also be able to learn and understand more with a visit to the 9/11 Museum (there is an entrance fee) that is right next to the memorial.

There you have it, our top ten free things to do in New York City. There are so many ways to spend money in NYC so it’s nice to be able to balance things out with some really great free stops along the way.

What free things do you love to do in New York City? Drop it in the comments! I’d love to learn even more that we can do on our family’s next visit to the Big Apple.