NEW YORK CITY
ON A SHOESTRING:
FUN FOR $10 OR
LESS
Free
summer movies &
concerts at Bryant Park.
Admission: Free
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Savvy visitors
are finding out what native New Yorkers already know: You dont
have to spend a fortune to enjoy New York. The city is bursting
with hundreds of no-cost and low-cost pleasures that include concerts,
plays, museum exhibitions and tours throughout all five boroughs.
Cultural
Treasures for a Trifle
Take advantage
of "pay what you wish" evenings at some of the worlds
finest museums: Fridays from 4 to 8pm at the Museum of Modern Art
(212/708-9400);
Fridays from 6 to 9pm at the Whitney Museum of American Art (212/570-3676);
Thursdays from 5 to 8pm at the Jewish Museum (212/423-3200);
and Fridays from 6 to 8pm at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (212/423-3500).
Pay what
you wish days are also in effect every day at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art and The Cloisters (212/535-7710)
and at the American Museum of Natural History (212/769-5100).
Suggested admission
at the Museum of the City of New York (212/534-1672)
where you can explore five floors of New York Citys
past, present and future is $7, or $5 for seniors, students
and children; $15 for families.
Admire folk
paintings, furniture, pottery, quilts and other decorative arts
from the 18th century to the present at the American Folk Art Museum,
which now houses its collection in two locations. The smaller branch,
the Eva & Morris Feld Gallery on Columbus Avenue (212/595-9533),
offers free admission at all times. The museums new home on
West 53rd Street (212/265-1040) charges admission: $9 for adults,
$7 for students and seniors, free for children 12 and under; free
to all on Fridays from 5:30 to 7:30pm.
Historical and
contemporary design can be viewed at the Cooper-Hewitt National
Design Museum (212/849-8400)
for $10 general admission or $7 for students and seniors, or pay
what you wish at the Museum of Arts and Design (212/956-3535) on Thursdays from 6 to 8pm. Unique
urban art is showcased at the Municipal Art Societys Urban
Center Gallery (212/935-3960)
at no charge, 11am to 5pm. The gallery is closed on Sundays and
Thursdays.
Its free
to explore the worlds largest collection of artifacts devoted
to Native American history and culture at the Smithsonians
National Museum of the American Indian (212/514-3700).
The museum is open daily from 10am to 5pm, 8pm on Thursdays.
Take advantage
of special exhibitions free of charge at the beaux arts New York
Public Library (212/930-0769)
as well as free concerts, film series and other special events in
adjacent Bryant Park (212/768-4242).
From ancient
Egyptian artifacts to contemporary classics, the Brooklyn Museum
of Art (718/638-5000)
offers a vast art collection and special exhibitions year-round.
The suggested admission is $8 for adults, $4 for students and seniors,
and free for children under 12 at all times, and free for everyone
the first Saturday of each month.
Socrates Sculpture
Park (718/956-1819),
a free outdoor museum located on the East River in Long Island City,
Queens. It serves as both a major art institution and reclaimed
open space allowing public access to the waterfront with impressive
Manhattan views. Open daily until sunset.
Visit Staten
Islands Snug Harbor Cultural Center (718/448-2500),
an 83-acre National Historic Landmark district featuring remarkable
examples of Greek revival architecture and free admission. The cultural
program includes concerts, art and theater.
Experience the
grandeur of Morningside Heights Cathedral of St. John the
Divine (212/316-7540)
along with its Biblical garden and childrens sculpture garden.
Tours are available Tuesday through Saturday at 11am, and Sunday
at 1pm. The fee for visitors is $3 per person. When completed, it
will be the worlds largest gothic cathedral.
The Japan Society
(212/752-3015),
New Yorks leading cultural institution focusing on Japan,
presents a range of lectures, musical performances and exhibitions.
Admission to the gallery ranges from $3 for students and seniors
to $5 for adults. Ticket prices for special events are often $10
or less.
Founded in 1825,
the National Academy of Design Museum (212/369-4880)
offers exhibitions of American art drawn from its permanent collection
and from traveling shows all for an $8 admission price for
adults, $4.50 for students and seniors.
Enjoy natural
science and historical exhibitions at the Staten Island Institute
of Arts and Sciences (718/727-1135)
for just $2 for adults and $1 for seniors and students. Admission
is free for children under 12.
Music and
More Under the Stars
Revel in the
best classical music, jazz, drama, opera and dance that New York
has to offer at free warm-weather performances in the citys
parks by the New York Philharmonic (212/875-5000),
Metropolitan Opera (212/879-5500),
the Public Theaters Shakespeare in the Park (212/539-8500)
and others (City of New York Parks and Recreation Hotline, 888-NYPARKS,
or Central Park Conservancy).
Grab a friend
and drop by for a stellar evening of live jazz, delicious tapas
and drinks the first Friday of every month under the Hayden Sphere
at the American Museum of Natural Historys Rose Center for
Earth and Space (212/769-5100).
The music is free with suggested museum admission of $12 for adults,
$7 for children ages 2 to 12 and $9 for students and seniors.
Enjoy concerts
and dance performances under palm trees at the World Financial Centers
Winter Garden (212/945-2600),
a stunning, glass-enclosed shopping and business complex on Lower
Manhattans waterfront.
Where the Grass is Always Greener
Explore the
beauty of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (718/623-7200),
free all day Monday through Friday and from 10am to noon on Saturdays.
The regular admission fee is $5 for adults and $3 for students and
seniors is in effect all other days, although children under 16
are always admitted free. The grounds of the Staten Island Botanical
Garden (718/273-8200)
are open from dawn until dusk at no charge while the world-renowned
Chinese Scholars Garden is free on Tuesdays from 10am to 1pm
with just a $5 admission for adults and $4 for students, seniors
and children at other times. Entrance to the beautiful Queens Botanical
Garden (718/886-3800), is free at all times.
Flowers at the
New York Botanical Garden (718/817-8700) blossom all year. Situated on 250 acres in the Bronx, the garden
includes 27 outdoor gardens and plant collections and a Victorian
conservatory featuring a monumental 90-foot-high glass dome. The
garden is free on Saturdays from 10am to noon and all day Wednesdays;
regular admission is $13 for adults, $11 for seniors and students,
$5 for children ages 2 to 12 and free for children under 2. Parking
is $7.
Also in the
Bronx, enjoy spectacular views from Wave Hill (718/549-3200),
the acclaimed public garden and cultural institution overlooking
the Hudson River and New Jerseys soaring 500-foot cliffs,
the Palisades. Entrance is free all day Tuesday and on Saturday
from 9am to noon. All other times admission is $4 for adults, $2
for seniors and students and free for children under 6.
Visit the only
working historical farm in New York City. The Queens County Farm
Museum (718/347-3276) has free admission and is open every day, year-round. There are
weekend tours of the farmhouse and greenhouse, educational programs
and a fresh produce stand.
Taste farm-fresh
produce, homemade breads, cheeses, cider and more at the Union Square
Green Market (212/477-3220),
where some vendors offer free samples. The market operates year-round
Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 8am-6pm.
Both the young
and the young at heart can enjoy New York Citys carousels:
Central
Park (212/879-0244), year-round, $1.25 per ride; Bryant Park
(212/768-4242), seasonal, $1.75 per ride; and Prospect Park (718/282-7789),
April through October, $1 per ride.
The Dana Discovery
Center (212/860-1370)
in the northeast corner of Central Park will lend you a pole for
an afternoon of catch-and-release fishing in the Harlem Meer, a
beautiful lake also frequented by numerous species of wild birds.
Take advantage of the centers educational workshops for children,
or grab a pair of binoculars and sharpen your bird-watching eye.
The center is free to all and is open daily, April to October, from
10am to 5pm (4pm in winter).
Finally, historic
Green-Wood Cemetery (718/788-7850)
in Brooklyn is an outdoor museum filled with extraordinary
works of sculpture and architecture. It is home to the gravesites
of dignitaries and national figures including musical great Leonard
Bernstein, artist Louis Comfort Tiffany, newspaperman Horace Greeley
and William Bill the Butcher Poole, the 19th century
gang leader who was depicted in Martin Scorseses film Gangs
of New York. The cemetery conducts regular public tours year-round
for $10.
Getting to
Know New York
Get a feel for
New York through a New Yorkers eyes with a free neighborhood
exploration with a Big Apple Greeter (212/669-8159).
Experienced, multilingual local volunteers share the secrets of
their favorite neighborhoods. Reserve at least three to four weeks
in advance.
Explore Rockefeller
Center (212/332-6868), a majestic Art Deco masterpiece, on a free, self-guided tour. Pick
up maps in the main lobby at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
Take a tour
of New York City landmark Grand Central Terminal with the Municipal
Art Society (212/935-3960) on Wednesdays at 12:30pm for a suggested donation of $10. There
are also free tours of New Yorks fascinating neighborhoods,
including historic 34th Street with the 34th Street Partnership
(212/868-0521), a grand tour of midtown with the Grand Central Partnership (212/883-2420)
or a tour of Times Square with the Times Square BID (212/768-1560).
Watch world
history in the making on guided, multilingual tours of the United
Nations (212/963-TOUR) with an admission fee of $10.50 for adults,
$8 for seniors, $7 for students and $6 for children ages 5 to 14;
children under five not permitted on tours. Or take in Chinese culture
in the countrys largest and most famous Chinatown
where tourists can visit Buddhist temple, historical Chinatown landmarks
and huge neighborhood markets.
Take a cruise
on the Staten Island Ferry (718/815-BOAT) for spectacular views
of the Manhattan skyline, New York harbor and the Statue of Liberty.
The ferry runs 24 hours a day and is free at all times. Or take
a walk across the footpath on the Brooklyn Bridge for a fantastic
and free view of the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn.
For just $4
round-trip, ride the Roosevelt
Island Tram across the East River and enjoy fabulous views of
Manhattan and Queens.
Your 15 Minutes
of Fame
By planning
in advance, you can attend free tapings of popular television shows
including Late Night with David Letterman (212/975-5853);
Live with Regis and Kelly (212/456-3054);
The Montel Williams Show (212/989-8101).
Standby tickets are available on the day of taping for some shows.
Offering unique
perspectives on the history of entertainment, the Museum of Television
& Radio (212/621-6800) gives visitors access to its collection of archived television and
radio programs dating back to the invention of each. Admission is
$10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors and $5 for kids under
14.
Kids of All
Ages Wont Blow Their Allowance Here
Enjoy toy boats
and soldiers, presidential papers, paintings, Fabergé Imperial
Easter eggs, objets dart and other memorabilia at the Forbes
Magazine Galleries (212/206-5548). Entrance is free and the
gallery is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10am
to 4pm. Guided tours of the collection are available free of charge,
but reservations must be made one month in advance.
Providing hands-on,
interactive exhibits, workshops and performances, the Staten
Island Childrens Museum (718/273-2060) encourages children
to learn by doing. Admission is $5 per person and children under
2 are admitted free. Just across the water, kids can explore science,
culture and other areas of interest at the Brooklyn
Childrens Museum (718/735-4400). Though not required,
suggested admission is $4 at all times, and free for children 1
or under.
Take advantage
of free hours of admission at the New York Hall of Science (718/699-0005) in Queens. Every Thursday September 1 through June 30 admission
is free 2 to 5pm. Regular prices are $9 for adults and $6 for seniors
and children. Parking is $7 per car.
The New York
City Police Museum (212/480-3100),
located in historic Lower Manhattan, captures the rich history of
the New York Police Department (NYPD), giving visitors an insiders
look at the worlds most famous law enforcement agency. Permanent
exhibits include turn-of-the-century mug shots, photos of notorious
criminals and their tools of the trade, a display of
police vehicles, a model of a jail cell and, in the most solemn
of the exhibits, the museum pays tribute to every NYPD officer killed
in the line of duty throughout the departments history. Suggested
admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and $2 for children ages
6 to 18.
Experience animal
attraction at the citys Wildlife Conservation Parks.
To start, dont miss the Bronx Zoo (718/367-1010),
home to more than 4,000 animals. Pay-what-you-wish on Wednesdays,
otherwise admission is $8 for adults, $6 for children aged 2 to
12, $6 for seniors and students. In Manhattan, admission to the
Central Park Zoo (212/439-6500) is $6 for adults, $1.25 for seniors,
$1 for children ages 3 to 12 and free for children under the age
of 3. Discover an incredible world of wildlife at the Prospect Park
Zoo (718/399-7339) in Brooklyn where admission is $5 for adults,
$1.25 for seniors and students and $1 for children ages 3 to 12.
Before you leave
Staten Island, stop by the biggest little zoo in the United States
the Staten Island Zoo (718/442-3174)
at a cost of $5 for adults, $4 for seniors or $3 for visitors
aged three to 14. On Wednesdays after 2pm, admission is a suggested
donation of $2 per person at this eight-acre zoological garden with
wonderful horticultural displays and a large collection of mammals,
reptiles, invertebrates, fish and birds.
Where America
Began
Explore New
York Citys fascinating past at any of the 20 Historic House
Museums (212/360-8282)
located throughout all five boroughs. Admission fees are minimal
to none. Visit Manhattans oldest house, the 1765 Morris-Jumel
Mansion (212/923-8008),
once the headquarters of George Washington; or stride back into
history at Brooklyns Old Stone House Historic Interpretive
Center (718/768-3195),
which survived the Revolutionary War's Battle of Brooklyn and served
as the 19th-century clubhouse for the team later known as the Brooklyn
Dodgers.
Delve into the
past on Staten Island with a visit to Historic Richmond Town (718/351-1611)
a living history village and museum complex with homes, shops and
public buildings from the 1690s to 1900s. Admission is $5 for adults,
$4 for seniors, $3.50 for students and free for children under the
age of 5.
Experience New
Yorks salty maritime history at the South Street Seaport (212/748-8725),
boasting a museum and numerous shops and restaurants. Browsing is
free; museum admission is $8 for adults, $6 for students and seniors,
$4 for children ages 5-12, and free for children under the age of
5.
Stories of faith
and courage that affect nearly every American are told at the Statue
of Liberty/Ellis Island Immigration Museum (212/269-5755).
Admission is free but the ferry ride is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors
and $4 for children aged 4 to 12. A timed-pass ticket is required
to enter the monument. A limited number of daily tickets are available
on a walk-in basis at the Circle Line ferry office at no additional
cost. Timed passes can also be reserved for a handling fee of $1.75
per ticket by calling 1-866-STATUE-4.
Learn about
New York Citys famous transportation system at the Gallery
Annex of the New York Transit Museum (718/694-5100).
Exhibits in the Annex (located in Grand Central Terminal) are free;
free tours are also offered Wednesdays and Fridays at 12:30pm. The
main facility at Boerum and Schermerhorn Streets in Brooklyn reopened
in September 2003 after an extensive renovation.
The nations
only independent public museum dedicated to the history of growth,
opportunity and entrepreneurship in our democratic free market economy,
the Museum of Financial History (212/908-4695)
offers $2 admission to visitors of all ages.
Shop til You Drop
New Yorks
famous Fashion
Institute of Technology (212/217-5800) shows off thousands of
designer costumes and accessories, fabrics from around the world
and the work of renowned fashion photographers in the institutes
free museum.
For a fashion
update, join a Macys (212/494-3827) group tour. Tours, offered
at $10 per person, discuss the history of the worlds largest
department store from its humble beginnings in 1857 to its status
today with more than two million square feet of selling space.
Need some more
clues on where to look?
- Try browsing
the citys official tourism web site at www.nycvisit.com
or drop by
- NYCs
Official Visitor Information Center at 810 Seventh Avenue at 53rd
Street,
- the City
Hall Park Visitor Information Kiosk downtown at the southern tip
of City Hall Park or
- the Harlem
Visitor Information Kiosk uptown at the State Office Building
Plaza
163 West 125th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd.
Youll
find hundreds of brochures and expert, multilingual visitor counselors
who can advise you on all things New York.
Official NYC Guide...
filled with helpful information and coupons to save money on
hotels, restaurants, sightseeing and shopping.
Order online at
www.nycvisit.com or call for a free copy
1 (800) NYC-VISIT in the U.S. and Canada or
+1 212 397-8222 internationally
About NYC &
Company: NYC & Company, the citys official tourism marketing
organization, is a private, membership-based non-profit dedicated
to building New York Citys economy and positive image through
tourism and convention development, major events and the marketing
of the city on a worldwide basis.
For more information
visit www.nycvisit.com or
call 1 (212) 484-1200.
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