Free NYC Summer 2026

Free admission for New York State residents. Tickets must be reserved in advance and are subject to availability. Proof of NY State residency required.

Free admission Friday evenings and second Sundays. All visitors 25 and under are free every day. Advance tickets required for Friday nights and second Sundays. The gallery on Floor 1 is always free.

Pay-what-you-wish admission. Suggested contribution $10; minimum $1. Advance reservations strongly recommended; limited walk-in availability.

Pay-what-you-wish admission. Advance online reservations strongly encouraged; limited walk-in tickets available with no guaranteed availability.

Pay-what-you-wish admission during the final hour of the day.

Children 12 and under are free. Free or discounted admission for front-line workers, active military, veterans, people with disabilities, and EBT/SNAP cardholders — inquire at admissions desk.

Free Friday admission for all. Advanced time tickets suggested but not required.

Free Studio Sundays programming for visitors of all ages, including families.

Pay-what-you-wish for New York State residents with ID for general admission (does not include special exhibitions). No advance reservation required; timed tickets recommended during peak hours.

Pay-as-you-wish admission. Timed entry tickets recommended; walk-in tickets available.

Entrance is free. Visitors are encouraged to reserve tickets in advance online.

Reservations for timed entry strongly recommended.

Pay what you wish. Timed entry reservations strongly recommended; walk-ins admitted first-come, first-served.

Reservations recommended, walk-ins welcome. Note: Museum typically closes several weeks in June and/or August for exhibition changeovers. Check website before visiting.

Four miles of free waterfront recreation: basketball courts (Canal St., Harrison St., Chelsea Waterside), tennis & pickleball courts (no permit required), beach volleyball at Pier 25, athletic fields at Pier 40 and Gansevoort Peninsula, skateparks at Pier 25 & Pier 62, running/biking path from Battery Place to W. 59th St. Note: Athletic fields are heavily used by permitted leagues — check field schedule online.

No experience or reservation required. Must know how to swim.

Open to ages 7 and up.

Free lessons at outdoor pools for children aged 1½ to 17, adults, and seniors 62+. Register at nycgovparks.org.

Free drop-in sports program for kids ages 8–14. NYC Parks staff lead basketball, soccer, flag football, pickleball, volleyball, track & field, and more at playgrounds across all five boroughs.

Free sports programming for NYC kids ages 6–17 and seniors 60+ in neighborhood parks. All equipment provided. Includes tennis, soccer, golf, track & field, multi-sport sessions, Girls Forward (Nike-partnered, ages 13–16), and Family Adventure Races.

Free drop-in fitness classes for adults at parks, libraries, and community centers across all five boroughs. Zumba, yoga, cardio, bootcamp, and more.

Free to browse. SNAP/EBT accepted. Locations: Union Square (Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 8am–6pm) · Dag Hammarskjold Plaza (Wed 8am–3pm) · Tucker Square (Thurs & Sat 8am–3pm) · 79th St (Sun 9am–4pm) · 57th St (Sat 8am–3pm) · 82nd St (Sat 9am–2:30pm) · Stuyvesant Town (Sun 9:30am–4pm) · Ruppert Park (Sun 9am–3pm) · Tompkins Square (Sun 9am–1pm)

Free outdoor concerts all summer long.

Hundreds of free and pay-what-you-wish events: live music, dance, workshops, silent discos, and kids programming.

Full lineup: Jun 10 EW Harris · Jun 17 Terry Waldo & the Gotham City Band · Jun 24 Kyle Lacy Band · Jul 1 Triad Brass · Jul 8 Terry Waldo · Jul 15 Triad Brass · Jul 22 Terry Waldo · Jul 29 Chris Q. Murphy and the Automat · Aug 5 Terry Waldo · Aug 12 Triad Brass · Aug 19 Terry Waldo · Aug 26 TBD

Games: Chess daily 11am–7pm · Juggling Mon–Fri 12–1pm, Tue 5:30–7:30pm, Sat 11am–2pm · Knitting Wed 1:30–3:30pm · BINGO! Wed 7–8:30pm (June 3–24 only)
Fitness: Boot Camp Mon–Fri 7–7:30am · Yoga Tue (morning) & Wed (evening) · Martial Arts Thu 6–7pm
Arts & Kids: Art Cart daily 11am–7pm · Kids Creative Corner daily 10am–5pm · Garden Explorers Thu 10–11am · Le Carrousel Extravaganza Mon/Wed/Fri 10–11am
Reading Room: Reel Talks Mon 12:30pm · Poetry Tue 6pm · Author Wed 12:30pm · Nonfiction Wed 7pm

Free outdoor movie nights on the Bryant Park lawn. Full lineup to be announced.

Temporary soccer pitch in Central Park. Open to the public for free youth clinics, community tournaments, and open play throughout the tournament.

FIFA watch parties in the theater · Community celebration June 13 · "For the Win" championship objects exhibition · All-ages interactive Goal Zone soccer play space · Global Sports Pavilion · Neighborhood block party July 11 (timed with Manhattanhenge sunset)

Family-friendly tailgate for USA vs. Paraguay on June 12, then all knockout stage matches.

Live match broadcasts, interactive fan experiences, and free "Legacies of Champions" FIFA Museum exhibit showcasing items from every tournament since 1930.