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 Tuesdays
Free museum hours in New York change with the day of the week. This is the list for Tuesday: 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 Tuesdays in particular2
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
Guggenheim Museum
Upper East Side, Fifth Avenue at 88th StreetFree on certain daysPay what you wishBooking recommendedIndoorGood with kids
Frank Lloyd Wright's white spiral, with one long ramp of temporary exhibitions and a side gallery of Impressionist and early modern paintings.
- Free when
- Pay what you wish · Tuesdays and Sundays 4 to 5:30 pm. This replaced the old Monday and Saturday slot. The museum is closed Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
- Free for whom
- Everyone. Children under 12 are free at any time.
- Reservation
- The museum recommends reserving online in advance. Tickets are also sold at the door, and the last ones are issued about 15 minutes before closing.
- Time needed
- 1 to 1.5h
- How to get there
- Subway 4/5/6 or Q to 86 St, then walk to Fifth Avenue. Bus M1, M2, M3 or M4.
Worth it? Depends.Ninety minutes is tight but enough, because the building is the main exhibit. Take the elevator up and walk the ramp down. If the rotunda is closed for installation, skip it and keep your money.
Source: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Free every day, Tuesday included14
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
