Things to do in Manhattan, borough by neighborhood

The ferry has been free since 1997 and runs around the clock — every 15 to 20 minutes at weekday rush hours and every half hour otherwise. It passes close to the Statue of Liberty and gives you the classic view of the downtown skyline on the way back. Stand on the right-hand side going out for the statue. You have to get off at St. George and walk back round to board the return boat.

The island is open daily all year. The round-trip ferry is $5 for adults, and it is free for everyone on Saturday and Sunday mornings before 11am, as well as for children 12 and under, seniors 65 and over, IDNYC holders and NYCHA residents. There are no cars, the views of the harbor are better than from any rooftop bar, and the hammock grove is exactly what it sounds like.

The two reflecting pools sit in the footprints of the towers and are free to visit. The museum underneath is separate, ticketed and closed on Tuesdays — book ahead if you want to go in.

You can only see the restored apartments on a guided tour, and each tour follows real families who lived in the building. Tickets are $30, plus a $3 fee if you book online or by phone. Tours sell out on weekends, so book a few days ahead.

The old elevated freight line is now a mile-and-a-half park. Walk it south to north in the late afternoon and finish at Hudson Yards, or north to south and end at the Whitney. It gets very crowded from about 1pm on weekends; weekday mornings are a different experience.

The park on tulip-shaped concrete pots in the Hudson is free and needs no timed entry — only shows at its amphitheater are ticketed. It is open until 11pm through October 31 and until 9pm in November and December, and sunset here is one of the best free things in Manhattan.

The whole museum is free on Friday evenings from 5 to 10pm and on the second Sunday of every month, and the ground floor is always free. It is closed on Tuesdays. The outdoor terraces facing the river are part of the visit and worth the climb.

Chelsea Market is an indoor food hall in the old Nabisco factory, open daily 7am to 10pm. Walk two blocks west and you are in Hudson River Park, four miles of piers and lawns along the river from Battery Park City up to 59th Street, free and open until 1am.

The Rose Main Reading Room is open to visitors, and the permanent exhibition of the library's treasures is free. It is open Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10am to 6pm, Tuesday and Wednesday until 8pm, and Sunday afternoons. Bryant Park is directly behind it.

Look up at the main concourse ceiling, then go down to the dining level. The tiled arch outside the Oyster Bar carries a whisper from one corner to the diagonally opposite one — stand facing the wall and try it.

MoMA's UNIQLO Friday Nights are free for New York State residents from 5:30 to 8:30pm with an advance reservation. The Morgan Library & Museum is free every Friday from 5 to 8pm, also with a reservation, which opens a week ahead. The Morgan's historic library room alone justifies the trip.

General admission is $30, but New York State residents and students in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut pay what they wish. Buying online at the resident rate needs a New York billing address; New Jersey and Connecticut students should buy in person with their student ID.

New York State residents with ID can pay what they wish for general admission only; special exhibitions and shows cost extra. Open daily 10am to 5:30pm.

The Guggenheim's pay-what-you-wish hours are now Tuesdays and Sundays from 4 to 5:30pm — the old Saturday-evening slot has ended. The Frick, which reopened after its renovation, is pay what you wish on Wednesdays from 1:30 to 5:30pm and holds free First Fridays in the evening from October to May. Children under 10 are not admitted to the Frick.

The only formal garden in Central Park, entered through the Vanderbilt Gate. It opens at 8am and closes at 6pm in October and 5pm from November. It is much quieter than the southern end of the park.

A standard subway fare buys a four-minute cable-car ride over the East River with a view straight down the avenues. MetroCard sales ended on January 1, 2026, so tap a contactless card or phone.

The museum reopened in its new building in November 2025. Admission is pay what you can (the suggested adult price is $16), every Sunday is free, and it stays open until 9pm on Fridays.

The historic theater is being renovated, and shows are running for now at The Apollo Stages at The Victoria, a few doors away at 233 W 125th St. Check the Apollo's own calendar for Amateur Night dates before you plan around it.

Fort Tryon Park is free, with the Heather Garden and long views over the Hudson to the Palisades. The Cloisters, the Met's medieval branch, sits at its northern end; it is closed on Wednesdays, and the Met's resident pay-what-you-wish policy is the thing to check before you go.

The Shorakapok Preserve inside the park is the last natural forest on the island, with some of the largest tulip trees in the city. It is the one place in Manhattan where you can walk for half an hour and not hear traffic.