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free things to do in New York City
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!
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!
26 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Sunday, October 18, 2026
All events are free unless otherwise noted.Editor's Picks
Festival | Explore Behind-the-Scenes Spaces of New York City
Discover the spaces of New York City that you've never had access to before--across all five boroughs! This weekend-long festival unlocks over300 destinations across the city for special tours and activities. Enjoy visits to major new projects, explore neighborhoods in a new way, and discover why the city looks and works the way it does. Take a look at new buildings transforming the skyline, step inside infrastructure facilities keeping the city running, explore parks offering respite, discover state-of-the-art performance spaces, visit manufacturing workshops, browse private collections, and much more. Many museums, monuments, arts spaces, historical societies, architectural projects, and more are open for visitors. Many festival experiences are Drop-In--no tickets needed. Some require tickets for space or security reasons. Ticketing opens on October 3 at 12 pm.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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10:00 am
free for drop-in...
free for drop-in...
Tour | Hop-On Hop-Off Bus: Brooklyn Bridge, Financial District, 9/11 Memorial
This complimentary shuttle loops through more than 30 locations across Lower Manhattan, covering major sites from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Financial District and the World Trade Center area. Busses arrive about every 15 minutes throughout the day. Riders can board or exit at any marked stop, with unlimited trips at no cost. Daily service.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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10:00 am
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Museums | Sunday at Pop Culture/Art Museum
Through temporary exhibitions, a growing permanent collection, and educational events, this museum explores the enormous impact of posters on society and culture, and how they have been adapted to contemporary use. As the first poster museum in the United States, it provides a space for inquiry for all those interested in design, advertising, and public interventions, with the aim of improving design literacy among the general public. Works explore:
mass communication and persuasion
the intersection of art and commerce
control of the public domain
Manhattan, New York, NY
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10:00 am
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Park Walk | Walk along the East River: Learn about History, Architecture, & Ecology
Experienced park docents lead a walking tour to explore the history of the Brooklyn waterfront, the area's sustainable design and ecology, and how the park came to life!
Brooklyn, New York, NY
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10:30 am
free, registration required
free, registration required
Tour | Explore a Unique Pocket of NYC: A Look at History, Design, & Environment
A historical walking tour of the area's highlights. Look into the past of this unique area of NYC and learn about its exciting transformation and future. In this walking tour led by official guides, you'll examine how historic preservation, innovative design, and environmental stewardship make the area what it is today.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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10:45 am
free, RSVP required
free, RSVP required
Museums | Family Art-Making and Gallery Activities
Spend your Sunday at a museum with free talks, art-making workshops, storytimes, and family gallery tours. Designed for visitors of all ages, these Sunday sessions offer a welcoming space to explore art and creativity together.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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11:00 am
free, reservation required...
free, reservation required...
Tour | Historical House of The Distinguished American President of the Early 20th Century
Tour duration: 45 minutes. This tour takes place at 11 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm. This historic site honors the early life of a renowned American figure. The restored brownstone reflects late 19th-century architecture and offers insights into the family's daily life. Learn about various exhibits and artifacts that showcase the cultural and historical context of the era, providing a glimpse into the formative years of this visionary leader-to-be. This guided tour is first-come, first-served. It may reach capacity before your desired tour time, so please be sure to arrive early.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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11:00 am
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Museums | Tiffany Glass and Other Exhibitions
The museum is dedicated to showcasing the history, art, and culture of its area with a permanent collection of 10,000 items. One of the exhibitions includes famous Tiffany's leaded glass objects and a valuable insight into the development of the inuctry in the US at the turn of the 20th century.
Queens, New York, NY
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11:00 am
Pay-what-you-wish, reservation required
Pay-what-you-wish, reservation required
Museums | Sunday at a Unique Art Museum
Candid, genuine, and unexpected, this is New York City's only museum dedicated to folk & self-taught artists. The Museum celebrates the creativity of individuals whose singular talents have been refined largely through personal experience rather than formal artistic training. The museum's collection includes more than seven thousand works of art from four centuries and nearly every continent--from compelling portraits and dazzling quilts to powerful works by living artists in a variety of mediums. From critically acclaimed exhibitions and publications to inspiring educational programs and robust community outreach, the museum's mission is to be the leading forum shaping the understanding and appreciation of folk and self-taught art across time and place.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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11:30 am
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Workshop | An Afternoon of Rowing in New York Harbor
At this rowing session, after a brief orientation, participants will be assigned to a crew with an experienced coxswain to steer the boat and a mixture of experienced and new rowers. The boats, Whitehall gigs, are stable, traditional working boats for four rowers and a coxswain. No experience is necessary and rowers of all ability levels are welcome! The rowing sessions last several hours and are designed to be excursions: groups row against the tide to a destination, take a break onshore or in a protected cove, then return home with the tide. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. Please complete the waiver before you arrive.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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12:00 pm
free, registration required
free, registration required
Screening | Thematic Movement Film Festival Focusing on the "Role of the Immigrant Body"
Moving Body – Moving Image (MBMI) is a biennial event celebrating the melding of cinema and dance in a hybrid form known as "Screendance." Founded and directed by the award-winning choreographer, filmmaker, and culture influencer Gabri Christa, MBMI curatorial interests span experimental, documentary, and narrative films. This year's edition of MBMI considers the role of the immigrant body, both on camera and behind the scenes. Highlights include The Long Goodbye by Carrie Mae Weems (USA) and Air de Temps by Alesandra Seutin (Senegal, École de Sables). A full list of participating creative teams and titles will be announced shortly. There are two ways to access this event: 1. General Admission, first-come first-served. Just show up! 2. Fast Track opening the Monday before the event at noon.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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12:00 pm
free, fast-track available
free, fast-track available
Park Walk | Women's Walk in the Park
This group brings together women from all walks of life to bond, exercise, and embrace the beauty of their surroundings. Hundreds of women of all different ages and backgrounds meet to simply go for a walk in Central Park. About 80% of the women show up alone, so feel free to give it a try! You are welcome to bring your leashed dog.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Tour | Explore a Unique Pocket of NYC: A Look at History, Design, & Environment
A historical walking tour of the area's highlights. Look into the past of this unique area of NYC and learn about its exciting transformation and future. In this walking tour led by official guides, you'll examine how historic preservation, innovative design, and environmental stewardship make the area what it is today.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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12:45 pm
free, RSVP required
free, RSVP required
Festival | Harvest Fest for the Whole Family + Dog Costume Event: Pumpkin Patch, Music, Crafts, & More
Plenty of exciting fall activities for the whole family. Visit the pumpkin patch. Pick your own pumpkin and decorate it. While supplies last. Enjoy arts and crafts, tattoos, and take a stroll through the Spooky Trail. Don't miss a family concert in the playground with Patrick and the Rock-a-Silly Band. On the other side of the park, the HOWL Conservancy will be hosting its annual dog costume event. Over 200 creatively costumed pups strut their stuff before a blue-chip fashion industry coven of judges!
Manhattan, New York, NY
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1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Festival | Live Music in the Garden
Celebrate 45 years of this garden! Enjoy an afternoon of live music and community amid the beauty of the garden.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Play | The Crucible: Arthur Miller's Historical Drama
A Salem resident attempts to frame her ex-lover's wife for being a witch in the middle of the 1692 witchcraft trials. Playwright: Arthur Miller Director: Harry George Brook Cast: Teddy Fischer, Maya Mays, Lena Moore, Jamisen Dowdy, Elena Falkow, Greg Hofmann, Jalexis James
Manhattan, New York, NY
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2:00 pm
free, tickets required
free, tickets required
Jazz | Afternoon Jam Sesh (Play Music or Just Listen)
This jam session is open to all musicians. Come and play or just listen to some jazzy tunes.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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2:00 pm
free, 1 drink...
free, 1 drink...
Lecture | Celebrate the Life of the Father of the Dadaist Art/Literature Movement
An event dedicated to the surreal work of Tristan Tzara. This year marks the 130th anniversary of his birth. Tristan Tzara (1896 – 1963) was a Romanian and French avant-garde poet, essayist, and performance artist best known as a founder and chief theorist of the anti-establishment Dada movement. Operating out of the Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich during World War I, Tzara spearheaded a chaotic, nihilistic assault on traditional bourgeois culture and societal standards, which he viewed as complicit in the horrors of the war. Valery Oisteanu will present his view on the historical spiral of DADA through Romania, Paris, America, and globally. Tzara in Paris and his conflicts with Breton. The globalization of Dada and the American contribution have been continuous since 1913 till today.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Jazz | Let the Music Play in the Park: Local Jazz Artists
Berta Indeed presents a community jazz concert featuring an array of local musicians and vocalists. Seating is limited, unreserved, and available on a first-come, first-served basis. If there is heavy rain at the time of the event, the event will be canceled.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
Play | Original, Short Plays by Emerging Writers
Six plays, five writers, four directors, and an afternoon of theatre! Featuring new works by Corey Rogers, Chad Restum, Carey Campbell, Catherine Monnett, and Christopher D. White, produced by Creative Women New York.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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3:00 pm
free, donations welcome,...
free, donations welcome,...
Museums | Art from All Over The World in the Most Amazing Museum
Explore the premier collections of modern and contemporary art in one of the world's most iconic architectural landmarks. Tickets for Pay-What-You-Wish hours are available online only and released at 10 am the morning of the event.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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4:00 pm
$1 min pay-what-you-wish,...
$1 min pay-what-you-wish,...
Screening | Korean Film Festival: The Fin (2025) -- Korean Sci-Fi Thriller
In the dystopian post-war "United Korea," mutated mermen called Omegas are society's outcasts--exploited as cheap labor in an ecologically decimated, water-poor landscape. As one of these pariahs dies of over-exertion, he tasks a colleague (Goh-woo) with finding his daughter Mia (Yeon Yeji) hiding among humans, so she may receive his fin in a rite of passing. Meanwhile, Sujin (Kim Pureum), a young civil servant, begins doubting the state's ideology as she pursues the Omega for her own purposes. Director: Park Sye-young Cast: Yeon Ye-ji, Kim Pureum, Goh-Woo, Jeong Young-do English subtitles available.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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4:00 pm
free, RSVP required
free, RSVP required
Museums | Step Inside a Historic Mansion and Explore Centuries of Design Evolution
The museum showcases the history, influence, and importance of design in everyday life. Housed in a historic mansion, the museum features a diverse collection of design objects, including decorative arts, architecture, graphic design, textiles, and industrial design.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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5:00 pm
pay-what-you-wish from 5pm...
pay-what-you-wish from 5pm...
Film | Filmmakers for the Prosecution (2021): History Documentary
In 1945, two young American soldiers, brothers Budd and Stuart Schulberg, are commissioned to collect filmed and recorded evidence of the horrors committed by the infamous Third Reich in order to prove Nazi war crimes during the Nuremberg trials (1945-46). The story of the making of Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today, a paramount historic documentary, released in 1948. Director: Jean-Christophe Klotz Cast: Sarah-Jane Sauvegrain, Sandra Schulberg, Sylvie Lindeperg, Eli Rosenbaum, Alexander Zöller A conversation will follow.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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6:30 pm
free, tickets required
free, tickets required
Screening | Korean Film Festival: The Glimmering (2025) -- Korean Fantasy Drama Film (+ Filmmaker Q&A)
A man who studies Mongolian history leads a simple but happy life with his wife. However, the day after the president declares martial law, he loses her in a tragic accident and, overcome by shock, loses his voice as well. One day, his wife returns to him as a spirit, and he must regain his voice in order to speak with her. Director: Lee Weon-young Cast: Lee Weon-young, Lim Jung-eun, Son Seung-beom Intro and Q&A with LEE WEONYOUNG. English subtitles available.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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7:30 pm
free, RSVP required
free, RSVP required
Concert | Live Acoustic Evening
Enjoy an evening of live acoustic music with Sophia Stewart.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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8:00 pm
free, no reservation required
free, no reservation required
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Complimentary Tickets
to shows, concerts ... (CFT Deals!)
Classical Music | "Virtuoso" Pianist Performs Works by Liszt & More
Regular Price: $50CFT Member Price: $0.00
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