See the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Take the Staten Island Ferry from Whitehall’s Terminal in lower Manhattan. The ride is approximately 30 minutes each way and it is well worth the view. On the ride, the Verrazano Bridge can be seen from the ferry. This is a free experience!

Take the Roosevelt Island Tram for an aerial view of Manhattan.

The tram costs $2.50 and works on the same system as the Metrocard, which is used for the NYC subway system. Once on Roosevelt Island, the Red Bus takes passengers around the island for $0.25.

Kayak on the Hudson River.

At The Downtown Boathouse, kayaking is free as long as you are back within 20 minutes. Never kayaked before? Don’t worry, kayak lessons are free too!

Free museums.

The Museum of Modern Art (4-8pm) and Whitney Museum (7-10pm) have free admission on Friday nights, and teens under 18 can always get into the Whitney Museum for free. The Jewish Museum is also free all day on Saturdays. Alongside these wonderful options, many museums around the city also have “suggested donations” for admission fees.

Outdoor music festivals

CityPark’s Summerstage is a performing arts festival that happens in parks across the city. The festival takes place in May-October for about 100 performances. Go and explore the parks while also enjoying some beautiful and fun live music!