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 Saturdays
Free museum hours in New York change with the day of the week. This is the list for Saturday: 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 Saturdays in particular3
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
Governors Island, free weekend morning ferry
New York HarborFree on certain daysGood with kids
A car-free former military island eight minutes from Manhattan, with old forts, hammocks, artificial hills and a close view of the Statue of Liberty.
- Free when
- Free · Saturdays and Sundays on ferries before 11 am. At other times the round trip is $5. The island is open every day, all year.
- Free for whom
- Everyone before 11 am on weekends. At any time: adults 65 and over, children 12 and under, IDNYC holders, NYCHA residents and military.
- Reservation
- Not needed. Pick up a free ticket at the terminal for a morning sailing. The return trip is included.
- Time needed
- 3h
- How to get there
- Ferry from the Battery Maritime Building, 10 South Street, next to the Staten Island Ferry. Subway 1 to South Ferry or R/W to Whitehall St.
Worth it? Yes.The cheapest escape from the city. Bring food, because what is sold on the island is pricey, and walk to the top of Outlook Hill for the statue. The cutoff used to be noon and is now 11 am.
Source: Trust for Governors Island · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
The Jewish Museum
Upper East Side, Fifth Avenue at 92nd StreetFree on certain daysIndoorGood with kids
Art and ceremonial objects spanning 4,000 years of Jewish culture in a French Gothic mansion, plus strong temporary shows of modern art.
- Free when
- Free · every Saturday 11 am to 6 pm, and on select holidays. Closed Tue and Wed, and on some Jewish holidays in September and October.
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Time needed
- 1.5h
- How to get there
- Subway 6 to 96 St or Q to 96 St, then walk west to Fifth Avenue. Bus M1, M2, M3 or M4.
Worth it? Yes.A whole free day rather than a squeezed evening, and no line. Regular admission is $24. Check the calendar in early fall, when holiday closures can land on a Saturday.
Source: The Jewish Museum · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Free every day, Saturday 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.
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