If you’re looking for fun, free family friendly things to do in New York City, this list has you covered from playgrounds to shows to ferry rides! I’ve got another list of not free things to do in NYC if you want to check that one out too.
25 Free things to do in NYC with Kids
This list of 25 mostly free things to do in New York City with kids includes free museum days, trams, ferries, and the best playgrounds in Central Park!
1. Love sculpture
Take a cheesy, sweet picture in front of the love sculpture at 6th Avenue and W. 55th.
2. Cross the Brooklyn Bridge
Walk, skip, or carry a kiddo on your shoulders across the Brooklyn Bridge. Bring a camera and take pictures of the Manhattan skyline… or the bridge!
Pro Tip: On the Brooklyn side of the bridge is a gorgeous park complete with Jane’s Carousel that offers rides for $2. (The best deal in all of NYC!)
3. Staten Island Ferry
Take the free Staten Island ferry for great views of Lady Liberty. Try to avoid the rush hour ferry from 5-6. Enjoy a free ride around the New York Harbor and lots of fun photo ops. You will never have to wait more than 30 minutes for the next ferry!
4. Visit Hello Deli
Visit the Hello Deli from David Letterman take a picture with Rupert. The sandwiches are yummy too. The address is 213 W 53rd St.
5. See a live show
Get free tickets to live taping of a live TV show! We’ve been to David Letterman. Remember, this requires planning ahead.
How to get tickets to live shows:
- Saturday Night Live
- Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon
- Good Morning America
- The View
- Rachel Ray Show
6. Visit Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island is a 139 acre island between Manhattan and Queens. The Roosevelt Island tram from Manhattan to the island is a 4 minute ride and offers spectacular views. It has been praised in the New York Times as “the most exciting view in New York City!” The tram is $2.75 each way, the same price as aa subway ticket.
Pro Tip: Serendipity is a fun restaurant is right around the corner from the tram on the Manhattan side. Have you ever tried frozen hot chocolate? YUM!
7. World Trade Center Memorial
Don’t miss the World Trade Center memorial in downtown Manhattan. The photo below is from my hotel window in 2008. The Oculus is a must see too.
Pro Tip: Century 21 is a fun discount department store is right across the street. Here is a post I recently did on 9/11.
I took this picture in 2008. The WTC site looks drastically different now.
8. Kayak the Hudson
Kayak in the Hudson for free at the Downtown Boathouse.They offer free kayaking from middle of May to the middle of October, and on many weekday evenings, weather permitting. You can launch a free kayak from Pier 40, Pier 96 and 72nd Street. Be prepared to get a little wet!
9. Stroll 5th Avenue
Window shop at all the fancy stores, check out St. Patrick’s Cathedral, see the famous Plaza Hotel, dare to go in the Apple Store glass cube (there is usually a long line), go into the famous FAO Schwarz toy store, admire the fancy uptown apartments as you head north along Central Park.
Did you know the Apple store on 5th Avenue is open 24/7?
The Plaza Hotel is right across the street from the Apple Store. If your kids like Home Alone, this is a must stop!
10. Hudson River Park
Bring a picnic and enjoy the grass, sunshine, and great people watching! Hudson River Park also offers mini golf, kayaking, bike rentals, and multiple playgrounds.
11. Rent bikes
While this is not free, it is one of my favorite things to do in Manhattan. Ride the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway. A 31 mile long bike path around the island of Manhattan. I suggest the Hudson River Greenway because the entire path is separated from traffic and follows the river.
12. Visit Governor’s Island
Governor’s Island is a 172 acre island in the New York harbor and it’s high on my list of cheap things to do with kids in Manhattan! Ferries operate from downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn to Governor’s Island. Tickets are $5 round trip and kids 12 and under are free. Don’t miss slide hill!
13. The High Line Park
The High Line was originally built to ensure safer travels for trains and cars in the early 1930’s. Before 1930, 10th avenue was nicknamed Death Avenue because of all of the train and street traffic accidents. The growth of interstate trucking led to a decline in the use of railroads and the high line. The last train runs on the high line in 1980. The park is renovated and fully opened to the public in June of 2011. Read more history here.
14. Chelsea Market
The Chelsea Market is located below the High Line at 15th Street. This is an always changing venue complete with restaurants, bakeries, markets, artists, and a flea market. Grab the kids lunch and a cupcake, while you browse the cuteness. It is open Monday – Saturday from 7am to 9pm and Sundays from 8am to 7pm.
Free Things to do in Central Park
15. Borrow a Discovery Kit
Check out a Discovery Kit with curated items for kids to explore the best of Central Park. Grab one at the Dana Discovery Center. You can also borrow catch and release fishing poles and lawn games at the Dana Discovery Center!
16. Free Shakespeare in the Park
A fun free, night time summer event activity requires a little patience– stand in line, for tickets to Shakespeare in the Park for free at the Delacorte theatre. The 2022 summer season runs from June 21- September 11, 2022.
17. Explore 21 Playgrounds
Did you know Central Park is home to 21 playgrounds? Many of the playgrounds were built in the1930’s to encourage families to utilize the park! A few of our favorites:
- Heckscher Playground: Oringially built in 1926, and rebuilt in 2016, Heckscher is crowded, but fun! Me and my kids love climbing Umpire Rock!
- Safari Playground or “Hippo playground”: There is an awesome splash pad and hippos, of course!
- Tarr- Coyne Tots Playground: This is the best Central Park playground for the 4 and under crowd.
Free Museum entry days in Manhattan
18. MoMA
Free admission for all NYC residents on the first Friday of the month from 4 pm to 8 pm. Children 16 and under are always free. Get there early, the line can wrap around the block! This is my favorite museum in NYC. The address is:11 West 53 Street. Call 212-708-9400 for more information.
19. Whitney Museum of American Art
Pay what you wish on Fridays from 7-10pm. Reserving tickets is recommended. Under 18 is always free.
20. Tour the Federal Reserve Bank
Take a free tour of The Federal Reserves Bank of NY. Take the Gold Vault Tour Monday through Friday at 1pm and 2pm. The tour is approximately 60 minutes. To accommodate for security screening, arrive 20 minutes before your tour.
Free Things to do in Brooklyn & Bronx
21. Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
Free admission to children under 12.
22. Prospect Park
Prospect Park is a 585-acre oasis in the heart of Brooklyn! There are soccer fields, picnic tables, 7 play grounds, a splash pad, nature trails, and a carousel!
23. Bronx Zoo
Pay what you want on Wednesdays! This zoo and can definitively be an ALL day event [take the subway: #2 or #5 train to East Tremont Ave/West Farms Square. At street level, walk straight ahead (follow train uptown) on Boston Road 21⁄2 blocks to the Zoo’s Asia gate entrance (Gate A)]
24. Socrates Sculpture garden
Always free admission- Take the subway- Monday through Friday take the N or W train to the Broadway stop in Queens and walk eight blocks west on Broadway (toward the East River) to the intersection of Vernon Boulevard. On Saturday and Sunday, take the N train to the Broadway stop.
25. Grand Central Station
The current look of Grand Central was completed and open to the public in 1913. Grand Central is “constructed of glass and steel, the 100-foot wide by 650-foot long structure rivaled the Eiffel Tower and Crystal Palace for primacy as the most dramatic engineering achievement of the 19th century”. There are lots of shops, but don’t miss Magnolia Bakery for a cupcake.
And there you have it, 24 mostly free things to do in NYC! Have you and your family ever been to NYC? Do you love it? Do you hate it? Would you ever want to live there? What’s your favorite thing to do in in NYC? I’d love to hear.
PS: Did you know NYC loves the military? Your military ID will get you and yoru family in free to many places plus lots more perks.
- MOMA
- The USO often times gives away free Broadway tickets
- The Navy Lodge on Staten Island is great and well under $100/a night for the entire family
Comments & Reviews
I forgot to “Thank You” for this and if you have anything to add for December 1-3…I’m going for the Tree Lighting Ceremony, I’m sure I won’t be back..I have Cancer, so I want to see as much as I can in 3 days. Not much money to work with and your list has given me something else to look forward to. I actually bought the airline tickets 21 years ago and they are still good. Now to find the least costly accomodation for my little “Bucket List” trip….
How can I find all the other cities that you had a post about in this series? Do you have a list of links somewhere?
Thanks
Hi Laura! Here is a link to a list of all of the cities! http://www.creatingreallyawesomefunthings.com/c-r-a-f-t-trips/
I feel so lucky to live just 45 minutes away from this wonderful city! We don't go as often as we should but I am saving this post for our next visit!
Isn't that awesome?! The city is super supportive of the military. We did this and when we went to see the ball drop on New Years Eve we got let into the closed sections so we ended up being right by the side stage where all the Broadway shows performed.
This is super handy- my husband and I are going to NYC in a few weeks, for the first time. Perfect timing for this post, thanks!
I will be linking up a post about things to do in the Black Hills, South Dakota, my hometown. Bet you won't get many posts from there! (there's not too many of us)!
Wow, that is amazing!!! Too bad we didn't know all that when we were in NYC for a day… we've seen almost nothing 🙁
Thanks for sharing!!! I will definitly search this post again, when we're planing to go there again!!!
Rita @ martenssmily
Oh yea! I've been waiting for this since I will be there for 2 months this summer-I haven't done some of those-thanks for the tips!
Thank you for the tips 🙂 Just another wonderful thing about NYC!
This is an awesome list! Never been to NYC before– now I really want to!
If you work for a big corporation check with them too. My hubby worked for Citi when we were there last and we got into a bunch of museums for free too.
I love it! The bag of fun…SO FUN!
You and your BF are SO CUTE!
If you are in uniform, you can ride up to the top of the Empire State Building for free.
We love NYC. FYI NYC loves the military. With a military ID you can get your entire famiy in free to: Museum of Natural History, and the MOMA. The USO often times gives away free broadway tickets. The Navy Lodge on Staten Island is great and well under $100/a night for the entire family.
Our other fav free activitiess: Central Park, ToysRUS@ TImes Square, FAO Schwarz and the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade and watching them blow up the big balloons the afternoon before.
My daughter and I also love, love, love MOOD Fabrics. 3 stories of fabric heaven. They have lots of outfits and other things from Project Runway. I guess it's free to get in, but we sure didn't make it out of there w/out spending $.