You don't have to spend a lot to enjoy New York City. There are many ways to savor The Big Apple for free: watch concerts, explore the museums or even catch your favorite Broadway play. You can even have true New Yorkers as tour guides through the Big Apple Greeters program, where a volunteer resident who shares your interests gives you a tour of the neighborhood absolutely free of charge.
Walking Tours
New York offers an abundance of free walking tours, where you get the dish on historical landmarks, neighborhood events, celebrities and celebrity homes. Join the 90-minute 8th Street Walking Tour and visit celebrity haunts such as Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady recording studio. Explore the bustling Lower East Side with a three-hour walking tour of historic Orchard Street. Or learn about the birds and the bees from a Battery Park City Parks Conservancy horticulturist, as you join her for a garden stroll or a fall bird walk.
Wellness Activities
Hit the lawn of Bryant Park for some early morning Tai Chi, to get centered and rejuvenated at the start of the day. Tai Chi sessions start at 7:30 by the Fountain Terrace on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Or wake up a little later and join the 10:00 yoga group at the Upper Terrace. If you don't have time for workout in the morning, there's also an evening yoga session at 6 p.m.
Explore Central Park
Bring your family and your bikes, and go cycling together at Central Park. Or download the runner's map from the park's official Web site, and run alone or with friends any time of the day. There are runner's and biker's lanes along the entire stretch of more than 700 acres of greenery. While sweating it out, immerse yourself in the most diverse and vibrant art scene from every corner of the park: see live theatrical performances and sketch artists, or even join disco skaters.
Educational Tours
Admission is free everyday at the National Museum of the American Indian. Study the history, art and lives of Native Americans, just a short walk from the Staten Island Ferry.
See historic as well as contemporary designs at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, which is free to the public every Tuesday from 5 to 9 p.m. Or catch exhibits, performances and lectures and gain more insight into the German life and culture at the Goethe House. Children's museums all over town also offer free entrance on select days.
Eco-Tour
On weekdays before noon, or on Saturdays, walk around the 28-acre gardens and greenhouses of Wave Hill and enjoy views of the Hudson River.
Explore the New York Botanical Garden's sprawling 250 acres of rose varieties, peonies and waterfalls for free on Wednesdays. Or sample fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and baked goods at the Union Square Green Market, an alfresco market which sells locally grown produce.
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