free things to do in New York City

Free Events, Free Things to Do in New York City! Read More

32 free events take place in New York City on Monday, July 15, 2013.

Join the Club!
The quality and quantity of
free events,
free things to do
that happen in New York City
every day of the year
is truly amazing.

So don't miss the opportunities
that only New York provides:
stop wondering what to do;
start taking advantage of
free events to go to,
free things to do in NYC
today!

32 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Monday, July 15, 2013

All events are free unless otherwise noted.

Show all events Show online events Show in-person events

Workshop | Spring Into Yoga

Teachers trained in different styles will be giving classes throughout the afternoon, with the scenic park lake in the background. Please bring your own mat, as there will be none provided.

Join the Club!

9:30 am
$10 suggested donation...

Workshop | Catch & Release Fishing

Grab a pole and relax on the Harlem Meer while you wait for a bite from one of the many species of fish that live in its diverse aquatic ecosystem! Poles available to borrow; must release fish after catching them. Free for families and individuals; groups larger than 5 must reserve at least 2 weeks in advance. Adult with photo I.D. must accompany all children.

Join the Club!

10:00 am
free, no reservation required

Tour | Lower Manhattan Tour

It is here, as much as anywhere, where American history started. It's where the first US Congress assembled and produced the Bill of Rights and where President George Washington took his first oath of office. It's here where the world's most important stock exchange and one of the most famous bridges stand. And it is here where an unspeakable tragedy took place and where a rebirth is underway.

Join the Club!

10:00 am
Free...

City Walk | SoHo, Little Italy & Chinatown Tour

You've seen the iconic skyscrapers, attended a Broadway show, visited Lady Liberty and relaxed in Central Park. Looking for a little more of the Big Apple? Maybe it's time to visit some of Manhattan's oldest and most enchanting historic districts. Take a relaxing stroll through SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown.

Join the Club!

10:00 am
Free...

Tour | Cathedral Tour

Explore the Cathedral's newly cleaned and restored Nave. Learn about the art, architecture and history of this great sacred space from 1892 to the present.

Join the Club!

11:00 am
$6

Workshop | Park Pétanque

Learn to play pétanque, the popular European game anchored in precision, patience, and camaraderie from members of La Boule New Yorkaise, NYC’s championship-winning club.

Join the Club!

11:00 am
free, no reservation required

Tour | Federal Reserve Bank Tour

Learn about central banking functions that Federal Reserve System performs and see Bank's vault of international monetary gold on bedrock of Manhattan Island, five stories below street level. Learn why Federal Reserve has "Federal" in its name, while it's a private bank, not Federal at all. Congressman Ron Paul considers the Federal Reserve "both corrupt and unconstitutional" Tour times: 11:15 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 12:45 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m., and 3:00 p.m.

Join the Club!

11:15 am
Free...

Workshop | Beginner Japanese Language Class

Instruction by inlingua. Learn a new language or brush up on your skills in these standalone classes.

Join the Club!

11:45 am
Free

Workshop | Learn Juggling in the Park

Test your coordination and dexterity with free juggling lessons in the park. All skill levels are welcome to join in the fun. Equipment is provided. Lessons are weather permitting. You'll be surprised that Alex and Jordan can often be found outside tossing pins in the snow!

Join the Club!

12:00 pm
free, no reservation required

Concert | Isaac ben Ayala, Performing and Film Recording Pianist

Isaac ben Ayala has performed and recorded with many notable bands and greats - from Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Louis Bellson, Leon Thomas, Frank Foster, David Murray, James Spaulding, Roy Hargrove, and Wynton Marsalis, to The New York City Ballet, The Sultans of Swing, The Donald Byrd Dance Company and Joe Piscipo. He has scored numerous films and can be heard on the piano in Dave Chappelle's Block Party (2006), The Mark Twain Prize Honors Billy Crystal (2007), and Denzel Washington's The Great Debaters (2008).

Join the Club!

12:30 pm
free, no reservation required

**Film | Rebecca Cammisa's Oscar-Nominated Which Way Home (2009): Child Migrants**

A feature documentary film that follows unaccompanied child migrants, on their journey through Mexico, as they try to reach the United States. 90 min. Followed by a discussion.

Join the Club!

1:00 pm
$5 suggested contribution

Tour | US Customs House Building Tour

A Museum Ambassador provides a 45-minute in-depth look at the unique architecture and design of the Alexander Hamilton Customs House.

Join the Club!

1:00 pm
free, no reservation required

Tour | Cathedral Tour

Explore the Cathedral's newly cleaned and restored Nave. Learn about the art, architecture and history of this great sacred space from 1892 to the present.

Join the Club!

2:00 pm
$6

City Walk | Greenwich Village Tour

Greenwich Village is among Manhattan's most desirable and expensive residential neighborhoods. It's history, however, betrays it's monied status. The Village, with it's quiet, shaded streets, lined with lovely brick and brownstone townhouses, was once the incubating ground of artistic, social and political movements that have helped shape US history. From the Beats to the Folk Movement, from workers rights to gay rights, the Village has often been the center of it all.

Join the Club!

2:00 pm
Free...

City Walk | Harlem Tour

Although world famous, Harlem may be New York's best kept secret with some of the city's best architecture, food, music and people. Harlem's history is also one of the city's most dramatic, having gone through many ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic changes over the past roughly 400 years, which have resulted in a diverse array of places of worship, theaters, homes and eating establishments.

Join the Club!

2:00 pm
Free...

Workshop | Wii Fit for Adults

Calling all Adults who want to lose or maintain current weight: Join Wii Fit for Adults and benefit from burning calories, socializing, maintaining current weight and/or tracking your BMI. Use the various workouts including yoga, strength training, boxing, stepping, hula hooping, running, and regaining balance through using the balance exercises. The Wii tracks your weight and BMI as well as your progress and allows you to compete with others. It is a fun way to keep a record of your progress while exercising.

Join the Club!

2:00 pm
free, no reservation required

**Gallery Talk | Infinity of Nations Guided Tour**

A Museum Ambassador gives a 45-minute free guided tour through the permanent exhibition.

Join the Club!

3:00 pm
free, no reservation required

Park Walk | Central Park Sunset Tour

Join Free Tours by Foot as they stroll through the park and tell the epic story of New York's green oasis. Once described as the lungs of the city, Central Park brings a breath of fresh air to New York's crowded urban terrain. What started out as the rocky and desolate northern fringes of a rapidly expanding city is today amongst the world's most famous and beloved public parks. Originally intended to bring people of all walks of life together -- a people's park -- Central Park lives up to it's original designs. With over 843 acres of meadows, hills, ball fields and bodies of water, it's impossible not to find something to enjoy in Central Park.

Join the Club!

6:00 pm
Free...

Workshop | Mah Jongg Clinic

Learn the American version of this social, strategy game hailing from China twice a month with free clinics in the park.

Join the Club!

6:00 pm
free, no reservation required

City Walk | The High Line Sunset Tour

The area around the High Line Park was a vital business district of New York City, supplying fresh fruits, French Cheeses and Russian caviar as well as fresh meats to City markets. The hustle and bustle of the streets induced the City to elevate the railroad trains delivering goods to the commercial buildings. When interstate truck traffic made the railway outdated, it fell into ruin, only to be regenerated as a park. Reservations Required RESERVE NOW

Join the Club!

6:00 pm
Free...

Slide Lecture | Deborah R. Prinz discusses her book On the Chocolate Trail: A Delicious Adventure Connecting Jews, Religions, History, Travel, Rituals and Recipes to the Magic of Cacao

Drawing from the author's world travels and research on the trail of chocolate, this illustrated lecture unwraps the stories of the trade, retail and manufacture of chocolate since it was first introduced to Europeans. With this gastronomic adventure, the audience can activate their inner “choco-dar” on this delectable journey through the history of chocolate and explore the surprising religious connections to chocolate.

Join the Club!

6:30 pm
free, no reservation required

Concert | David Hershey-Webb & Friends

Bringing his eclectic blend of country rock, R&B and Latin-influenced folk music. Rain date: July 16.

Join the Club!

6:45 pm
free, no reservation required

Jazz | Cynthia Scott, Jazz Vocalist

For three decades, the vocal artistry of the multi-talented Arkansas-born vocalist Cynthia Scott has encompassed the swing of jazz, the soul of R&B, and the sacred stirrings of gospel music. She is loved by audiences from New York to Africa, Europe and Asia; by musicians from Wynton Marsalis to Ray Charles – who discovered her – and by jazz critics like the Chicago Tribune’s Howard Reich, who called her “a mesmerizing vocalist.”

Join the Club!