New York Free Walking Tour
2h30 · rated 9.7/10 in 14,561 reviews
Guided in English
Reserve a spotWhat is free in New York on Fridays
Free museum hours in New York change with the day of the week. This is the list for Friday: first what is free on this day in particular, then what is free on any day.
Free walking tours in New York3
These have no fixed price. You reserve a spot, and at the end you tip the guide what you think the tour was worth.
Chinatown, Little Italy & SoHo Free Tour
2h · rated 9/10 in 2,582 reviews
Guided in English
Reserve a spotTimes Square, Broadway, & Midtown Manhattan Free Tour
2h · rated 9.2/10 in 788 reviews
Guided in English
Reserve a spotSpots are booked through Civitatis.
Free on Fridays in particular5
Whitney Museum of American Art
Meatpacking District, Gansevoort StreetFree on certain daysBooking recommendedIndoorGood with kids
Twentieth-century and contemporary American art, including Edward Hopper, in a Renzo Piano building with outdoor terraces over the Hudson and the High Line.
- Free when
- Free · every Friday 5 to 10 pm, and all day on the second Sunday of each month (10:30 am to 6 pm). The ground-floor gallery is free at all times. Closed Tuesdays.
- Free for whom
- Everyone on Friday nights and second Sundays. Visitors 25 and under are free on any day.
- Reservation
- Reserve a free timed ticket on whitney.org before you go. Walk-ups are possible but you may wait.
- Time needed
- 1.5 to 2h
- How to get there
- Subway A/C/E or L to 14 St/8 Av, then ten minutes on foot. It sits at the south end of the High Line.
Worth it? Yes.The best free museum night open to visitors. Arrive after 7 pm, when the first wave has thinned, and start on the top floor terraces.
Source: Whitney Museum of American Art · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
The Morgan Library & Museum
Murray Hill, Madison Avenue at 36th StreetFree on certain daysBooking requiredIndoor
J. P. Morgan's private library: three tiers of rare books behind brass grilles, a painted ceiling, and rotating shows of manuscripts and drawings.
- Free when
- Free · Fridays 5 to 8 pm
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Reservation required. Free tickets are released on themorgan.org one week in advance.
- Time needed
- 1h
- How to get there
- Subway 6 to 33 St, or a ten-minute walk south from Grand Central
Worth it? Yes.The most beautiful room you can enter for free in New York. Book the moment tickets open the Friday before, and head for Mr. Morgan's Library first, before the line for it builds.
Source: The Morgan Library & Museum · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Upper East Side, Fifth Avenue at 82nd StreetFree on certain daysResidents onlyPay what you wishIndoorGood with kids
Five thousand years of art in one building, from the Egyptian Temple of Dendur to European paintings and the American Wing.
- Free when
- Pay what you wish · Sun, Mon, Tue and Thu 10 am to 5 pm, Fri and Sat 10 am to 9 pm. Closed Wednesdays. Residents and tri-state students only.
- Free for whom
- New York State residents, and students from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, with ID. The minimum is $0.01. All other adults pay $30. Children 12 and under are free.
- Reservation
- Not needed. Buy at the desk with a New York ID, library card or bill. Online pay-what-you-wish needs a New York State billing address.
- Time needed
- 3h
- How to get there
- Subway 4/5/6 to 86 St, then a ten-minute walk west to Fifth Avenue. Bus M1, M2, M3 or M4.
Worth it? Yes.The pay-what-you-wish rule ended for tourists in 2018, and that is still how it works. If you qualify, the same-day ticket also covers The Met Cloisters uptown.
Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
MoMA, UNIQLO Friday Nights
Midtown, West 53rd StreetFree on certain daysResidents onlyBooking requiredIndoorGood with kids
The Museum of Modern Art: Van Gogh's Starry Night, Monet's Water Lilies, Picasso, Warhol and five more floors.
- Free when
- Free · Fridays 5:30 to 8:30 pm, New York State residents only
- Free for whom
- New York State residents with proof of residency. Tourists pay $30. Children 16 and under are free at any time.
- Reservation
- Free tickets must be reserved in advance on moma.org.
- Time needed
- 2h
- How to get there
- Subway E/M to 5 Av/53 St, or B/D/F/M to 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Center
Worth it? Depends.Visitors from out of state cannot use this, despite what older lists say. If you qualify, go to the fifth floor first. If you do not, MoMA PS1 in Queens is free for everyone.
Source: The Museum of Modern Art · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
The New York Historical
Upper West Side, Central Park West at 77th StreetFree on certain daysPay what you wishIndoorGood with kids
The city's oldest museum, telling the story of New York and the country through Tiffany lamps, Audubon's bird watercolors and changing history exhibitions.
- Free when
- Pay what you wish · Fridays 5 to 8 pm
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed. Pay what you like at the admissions desk.
- Time needed
- 1.5h
- How to get there
- Subway B/C to 81 St-Museum of Natural History, or 1 to 79 St
Worth it? Depends.Best for people who like American history; others will get more from the Whitney on the same evening. Go straight to the fourth floor for the room of glowing Tiffany lamps.
Source: The New York Historical · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Free every day, Friday included19
- Staten Island FerryLower ManhattanAlways · 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Boats leave every 15 to 30 minutes for most of the day.
- Central ParkManhattan, 59th to 110th StreetAlways · daily 6 am to 1 am
- Brooklyn Bridge walkLower Manhattan to BrooklynAlways · the promenade is open at all times. Sections can be narrowed during repair work.
- The High LineChelsea / Meatpacking DistrictAlways · daily 7 am to 10 pm from April through November, 7 am to 8 pm from December through March
- Brooklyn Bridge ParkDUMBO / Brooklyn HeightsAlways · daily 6 am to 1 am. Some areas keep shorter hours.
- 9/11 MemorialFinancial DistrictAlways · daily 8 am to 8 pm
- New York Public Library, main branchMidtown, Fifth Avenue at 42nd StreetAlways · Mon and Thu to Sat 10 am to 6 pm, Tue and Wed 10 am to 8 pm, Sun 1 to 5 pm. Last entry to Treasures is 30 minutes before closing.
- Grand Central TerminalMidtown East, 42nd Street at Park AvenueAlways · daily 5:15 am to 2 am. Shops and the food concourse keep their own hours.
- National Museum of the American IndianFinancial District, Bowling GreenAlways · daily 10 am to 5 pm. Closed December 25.
- Bryant ParkMidtown, 42nd Street at Sixth AvenueAlways · daily, 7 am to 10 pm in October. Closing time changes by month.
- MoMA PS1Long Island City, QueensAlways · Mon, Thu, Fri and Sun noon to 6 pm, Sat 10 am to 6 pm. Closed Tue and Wed.
- American Folk Art MuseumUpper West Side, Lincoln SquareAlways · Wed to Sun 11:30 am to 6 pm. Closed Mon and Tue.
- Brooklyn MuseumProspect Heights, BrooklynPay what you wish · Wed to Sun 11 am to 6 pm, general admission only. The suggested price is $20. Closed Mon and Tue. The free First Saturdays evenings have ended for 2026 and the 2027 dates are not announced yet.
- Green-Wood CemeteryGreenwood Heights, BrooklynAlways · the main entrance is open daily 7 am to 7 pm
- Times Square and Midnight MomentMidtown, Broadway from 42nd to 47th StreetAlways · the plazas are open at all hours. Midnight Moment runs nightly from 11:57 pm to midnight.
- Little IslandHudson River Park, Pier 55 at West 13th StreetAlways · opens daily at 6 am. Closes at 11 pm through October 31 and at 9 pm from November 1 to December 31. Performances in the amphitheater can be ticketed.
- The Bronx MuseumThe Bronx, Grand ConcourseAlways · Wed to Sun 11 am to 6 pm. Closed Mon, Tue and federal holidays. Galleries are closed for installation until the fall shows open on October 9, 2026.
- The Museum at FITChelsea, Seventh Avenue at 27th StreetAlways · Wed to Fri noon to 8 pm, Sat and Sun 10 am to 5 pm. Closed Mon, Tue and legal holidays.
- Coney Island Beach and BoardwalkConey Island, BrooklynAlways · the boardwalk is closed only from 1 to 5 am. Swimming is allowed from Memorial Day weekend through the Sunday after Labor Day, 10 am to 6 pm, when lifeguards are on duty.
PAID · ONE PER CITY
If you spend on one thing in New York, make it this.
Top of the Rock at sunset
No free viewpoint puts you above Midtown with Central Park on one side and the Empire State Building on the other. The ferry and the bridges show you the skyline from outside; this is the one place that shows it from the middle. Book a slot about 45 minutes before sunset and stay until the lights come on.
Everything above is free. This is the only paid pick on the page, chosen because no free option replaces it.
See tickets and prices
