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 Wednesdays
Free museum hours in New York change with the day of the week. This is the list for Wednesday: 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 Wednesdays in particular3
Bronx Zoo, free Wednesdays
The Bronx, Bronx ParkFree on certain daysBooking requiredGood with kids
One of the largest city zoos in the country, 265 acres of woods with tigers, bison, sea lions and giraffes in big outdoor habitats.
- Free when
- Free · Wednesdays all year, 10 am to 5 pm through October 31 and 10 am to 4:30 pm from November 1. The free ticket is Limited Admission only.
- Free for whom
- Everyone
- Reservation
- Advance ticket required. The Wednesday ticket store opens online the Monday before at 5 pm and closes Wednesday at 2 pm or when the day sells out. Maximum 4 tickets per order. Do not show up without one.
- Time needed
- 4 to 5h
- How to get there
- Subway 2 or 5 to West Farms Sq-E Tremont Av, then a five-minute walk to the Asia Gate
Worth it? Yes.A full free day, as long as you book on Monday at 5 pm sharp. Congo Gorilla Forest, JungleWorld and the other star attractions are not included and cost $7 each, so decide which one you want and skip the rest.
Source: Bronx Zoo (Wildlife Conservation Society) · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
The Frick Collection
Upper East Side, East 70th Street at Fifth AvenueFree on certain daysPay what you wishBooking recommendedIndoor
Old Master paintings hung in the rooms of a Gilded Age mansion: Vermeer, Rembrandt, Holbein and Fragonard, reopened in 2025 after a long renovation.
- Free when
- Pay what you wish · Wednesdays 1:30 to 5:30 pm
- Free for whom
- Everyone aged 10 and up. Children under 10 are not admitted.
- Reservation
- Online reservations need a minimum of $5 per ticket and guarantee entry. To pay less than $5, ask at the museum on Wednesday afternoon; those tickets are limited and not guaranteed.
- Time needed
- 1.5h
- How to get there
- Subway 6 to 68 St-Hunter College, then a ten-minute walk west
Worth it? Yes.Regular admission is $30, so the $5 online ticket is the smart move: sure entry for the price of a coffee. Walking up for a free ticket is a gamble on a busy afternoon.
Source: The Frick Collection · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
New York Botanical Garden, Wednesday grounds
The Bronx, Bronx ParkFree on certain daysGood with kids
250 acres of gardens, a rose garden, a rock garden and a stretch of old-growth forest along the Bronx River.
- Free when
- Free · Wednesdays, grounds only. NYC residents get in free all day. Everyone else is free only if they enter between 10 and 11 am. The garden is open Tue to Sun 10 am to 6 pm.
- Free for whom
- NYC residents with proof of address, all day. All other visitors who arrive between 10 and 11 am.
- Reservation
- Not needed. Ask for the free grounds pass at the gate. It does not include the Haupt Conservatory, special exhibitions or the tram.
- Time needed
- 2 to 3h
- How to get there
- Subway B, D or 4 to Bedford Park Blvd, then the Bx26 bus or a 20-minute walk east to the Mosholu Entrance
Worth it? Depends.Good in spring and in late October for fall color, thin in winter. Tourists must be through the gate by 11 am, so leave Midtown by 9:30. The zoo is free the same day, but doing both is too much.
Source: New York Botanical Garden · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Free every day, Wednesday included18
- 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.
- 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
