Free Attractions and Activities in Manhattan

1. The Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art

What is The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)?
- The Museum of Modern Art holds one of the world's most renowned collections of modern Western art masterpieces, home to over 150,000 seminal works by artists of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.
What kind of art can I expect to see at MoMA?
- The Midtown Manhattan museum houses permanent collections and rotating exhibitions featuring some of the most-acclaimed works by art luminaries such as Salvador Dalí, Frida Kahlo, Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, and Andy Warhol.
What types of artistic media does MoMA feature?
- Works span a variety of artistic media, including painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, architecture and design, and film and electronic media, including one of the world's most renowned collections of international film art.
Is there a way to visit MoMA for free?
- Visitors can enjoy the museum for free each Friday evening between 4:00pm and 8:00pm as part of the UNIQLO Free Friday Nights series.
Where is MoMA located and how can I contact them?
- 11 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019, Phone: 212-708-9400

2. Central Park

Central Park

What is Central Park?
- Central Park is one of the world's most renowned urban parks, designed in 1858 by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.
How big is Central Park, and where is it located?
- The park, which spans 843 acres between Manhattan's Upper East and West Sides, is the United States' most-visited urban park and is one of the most-filmed sites in the world.
What are some of Central Park’s most famous landmarks?
- Iconic landmarks include the park's Bay Bridge and elm-tree-lined Mall and Literary Walk, appearing in countless films and television series.
What romantic attractions can visitors find in Central Park?
- The park is known for its gorgeous Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, elegant European-style Conservatory Gardens, expansive Sheep Meadow, and Strawberry Fields, a living memorial to singer John Lennon.
What activities and attractions can visitors explore?
- Visitors can stroll through the park's meandering Ramble, explore its historic Belvedere Castle and Fort Clinton, or catch a free seasonal classical music concert at the Naumburg Bandshell.
Are all Central Park attractions free?
- While much of the park is free to explore, some attractions require a ticketed upcharge, including Wollman Rink, Victorian Gardens Amusement Park, and the Central Park Zoo.
Where is Central Park located and how can I contact them?
- 14 East 60th St, New York, NY, 10022, Phone: 212-310-6600

3. Federal Hall, Manhattan

Federal Hall, Manhattan

What is Federal Hall?
- Federal Hall, Manhattan preserves the site of one of America's earliest colonial government buildings, originally constructed between 1699 and 1703 as the city's first City Hall building, which housed the Congress of the Confederation following the American Revolutionary War.
What is the history of the current Federal Hall building?
- The second and current Federal Hall building, which was constructed in 1842, is considered to be one of the finest preserved examples of Neoclassical architecture in New York City.
Is Federal Hall open to the public?
- It is operated today as Federal Hall National Monument, open to the public for free on weekdays during business hours.
What exhibits can visitors see at Federal Hall?
- Exhibits chronicle the building's significance in American politics and government, including its use as the site for the presidential inauguration of George Washington.
Does Federal Hall provide visitor information?
- The site is also home to a Discover New York Harbor Visitor Information Center, which provides tourist information on Manhattan's top attractions and landmarks.
Where is Federal Hall located and how can I contact them?
- 26 Wall St, New York, NY 10005, Phone: 212-825-6990

4. The Federal Bank of New York's Gold Vault

The Federal Bank of New York's Gold Vault

What is The Federal Bank of New York’s Gold Vault?
- The Federal Bank of New York's Gold Vault houses the largest depository of stored gold in the world, held on behalf of governments around the world.
When was the Gold Vault established?
- The reserve was originally incorporated in 1914, with its gold vault constructed in the mid-1920s.
Are guided tours available for the Gold Vault?
- Guided tours of the vault are offered daily with advance registration, with docents elaborating on the significance of the gold collection and the operations of the Federal Reserve in American and international banking.
What should visitors know about the tour schedule?
- All tours begin promptly on the hour of reservation time and last approximately one hour in duration. Late arrivals for tours are not permitted to join tours in progress.
How can visitors register for a Gold Vault tour?
- Visitors should note that tour slots are limited and early registration is recommended, with public tour registration opening 30 days before desired tour dates.
Where is The Federal Bank of New York’s Gold Vault located and how can I contact them?
- 33 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10045, Phone: 212-720-5000

5. The New York Earth Room

The New York Earth Room

What is The New York Earth Room?
- The New York Earth Room is a unique installation sculpture located within a loft in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood, designed by artist Walter de Maria in 1977.
What is the history of The New York Earth Room?
- The installation, which was originally developed as a temporary gallery exhibition and preserved permanently in 1980 through the work of the Dia Foundation, preserves more than 140 tons of earthen soil within a 250-cubic-yard indoor installation, measuring 22 inches deep.
When can visitors view The New York Earth Room?
- Visitors can view the installation for free Wednesdays through Sundays, with the exception of major national holidays.
Are there any visitor restrictions at The New York Earth Room?
- Photography of the installation is not permitted, and visitors are not permitted to touch or enter the soil surface.
Where is The New York Earth Room located and how can I contact them?
- 141 Wooster St, New York, NY 10012, Phone: 212-989-5566

6. Grand Central Terminal

Grand Central Terminal

What is Grand Central Terminal?
- Grand Central Terminal is home to the most railroad platforms in the world, spanning 48 acres within Manhattan's Midtown neighborhood.
What is the history of Grand Central Terminal?
- The world-renowned station is one of New York's most beautiful preserved landmarks, originally constructed as Grand Central Depot in 1871 and remodeled into its current iteration in 1913.
Is Grand Central Terminal a protected landmark?
- Since the 1960s, the Beaux Arts-style terminal has been protected as a New York City landmark, housing operations today for the commuter Metro-North Railroad.
Can visitors explore Grand Central Terminal?
- Visitors can explore the stunning terminal's ornate architecture for free, including its expansive Main Concourse and iconic design elements by Henry Edward Bedford and Jules-Félix Coutan.
What amenities are available at Grand Central Terminal?
- Many shops and restaurants are housed within the terminal, along with a branch of the New York Transit Museum.
Where is Grand Central Terminal located and how can I contact them?
- 89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017, Phone: 212-340-2583

7. General Grant National Memorial

General Grant National Memorial

What is the General Grant National Memorial?
- General Grant National Memorial preserves the final resting place of 18th United States President Ulysses S. Grant and First Lady Julia Dent Grant.
Where is the General Grant National Memorial located?
- The site, which was completed in 1897, serves as North America's largest mausoleum, located within Riverside Park in Upper Manhattan's Morningside Heights neighborhood.
Who oversees the General Grant National Memorial?
- Since 1958, it has been overseen by the National Park Service and may be explored for free by visitors Tuesdays through Sundays during the morning and afternoon hours.
What can visitors see at the General Grant National Memorial?
- A visitor center at the site contains exhibits on Grant's life and career, featuring a bookstore and daily showings of a 20-minute documentary film, "A Legacy of Freedom."
Where is the General Grant National Memorial located and how can I contact them?
- W 122nd St & Riverside Dr, New York, NY 10027, Phone: 646-670-7251

8. Hamilton Grange National Memorial

Hamilton Grange National Memorial

What is Hamilton Grange National Memorial?
- Hamilton Grange National Memorial, commonly known as The Grange, memorializes the home of early United States politician and civic figure Alexander Hamilton, located in Manhattan's St. Nicholas Park near the City University of New York's City College campus.
What is the history of Hamilton Grange?
- The relocated mansion was constructed in 1802 by architect John McComb Jr. on Hamilton's 32-acre Upper Manhattan estate and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places today, open to the public as a national memorial since 1962.
What can visitors see at Hamilton Grange?
- Exhibits at the site's visitor center are open to the public for free during business hours Wednesdays through Sundays, detailing significant events in Hamilton's life and career.
Are tours available at Hamilton Grange?
- Period-furnished rooms within the estate may be explored as part of guided or self-guided tours throughout the day, with tour groups limited to 15 participants.
Where is Hamilton Grange located and how can I contact them?
- 414 W 141st St, New York, NY 10031, Phone: 646-548-2310

9. The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art

The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art

What is The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art?
- The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art is the world's only dedicated museum showcasing works by LGBTQ artists, originally founded in 1969 by Charles Leslie as an annual exhibition of gay-themed artwork.
Where is the museum located?
- Since 1987, the museum has been housed within gallery space in Manhattan's SoHo district, foregrounding art scholarship from a queer perspective and showcasing significant exhibitions of works by gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and other queer artists.
What is in the museum’s collection?
- More than 24,000 works are held in the museum's permanent collection, which strives to serve as a platform for queer artists of color and other underrepresented voices in the LGBTQ community.
Is there an admission fee to visit?
- Visitors should note that while the museum is free to enter, a suggested donation of $9 USD is strongly recommended for adult visitors.
Are there any content advisories for visitors?
- As some works may contain explicit sexual themes, visitor discretion is advised.
Where is The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art located and how can I contact them?
- 26 Wooster St, New York, NY 10013, Phone: 212-431-2609