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Category: Free

  • 2014 Free NYC Outdoor Movies

    A fun (and free) way to spend a summer evening in New York City is to attend one of the outdoor summer film festivals.

    Bryant Park hosts the HBO Summer Film Festival.  The movies are shown on Monday nights June 16th – August 18th.  Films on the 2014 schedule include Saturday Night Fever, The Mark of Zorro, A Solider’s Story, Blazing Saddles, Suddenly Last Summer, National Lampoon’s Vacation, Key Largo, The Karate Kid, Lover Come Back, and The Shining.

    The Intrepid Museum’s Free Summer Movie Series has one of the most unusual locations. You watch the films on the deck of the Intrepid Aircraft Carrier!  You’re encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket and a picnic (no alcoholic beverages).  Movies are Thursday evenings July 10 – August 14.  The 2014 line-up includes Independence Day, Gravity, Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl, The Hunt for Red October, Spaceballs, and Captain Phillips.

    The Central Park Film Festival features free films for one week during the month of August. The films are shown in an area just north of the Sheep Meadow, mid-park at 69th Street.  The 2014 films are Big, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Way We Were, Ghostbusters, and Rear Window.

    Brooklyn Bridge Park shows films in a setting with great nighttime views of the city.  The Syfy Movies with a View series shows free outdoor movies on the Harborview Lawn Thursday nights, July 10th – August 28th.  The 2014 films are Duck Soup, Sharnado, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Bettlejuice, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Birds, and a final film choice by public vote.

    River Flicks features free outdoor movies in Hudson River Park on Manhattan’s West Side waterfront.  There are two versions of River Flicks – “Big Hit Wednesday” on the Pier 63 Lawn and “Family Fridays” on Pier 46.  The 2014 Wednesday series includes Iron Man, American Hustle, This is The End, The Lego Movie, Lone Survivor, the Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and Captain Phillips.  The 2014 Family Fridays series includes Despicable Me 2, Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, Groundhog Day, Smurfs 2, and The Wizard of Oz.

    South Street Seaport’s free Front/Row Cinema outdoor film series shows films on Wednesday (family night) and Saturdays. They provide lawn and lounge chair seating. 2014 films include WALL-E, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Muppets Take Manhattan, The Breakfast Club, Rango, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Brave, Karate Kid, The Avengers, Wreck-It Ralph, I am Legend, Fantastic Mr. Fox, True Grit, E.T., Men in Black, The Goonies, When Harry Met Sally, The Croods, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Perfect Pitch, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Aviator, Frozen, Crazy, Stupid, Love, and Skyfall.

    Films on the Green is a series of free outdoor French film screening in New York City parks.  The locations vary and include Central Park, Washington Square, Tompkins Square Park, Riverside Park Pier 1, and other park locations throughout the city. 2014 films include Purple Noon, Les Tontons Flinguerus, Buffet Food, The Women on the 6th Floor, La Haine, The Moustache, Grand Illusion, Le Magnifique, 2 Autumns, 3 Winters, and The French Monster.

     

  • Free Shakespeare in the Park 2014


    The shows for this summer’s Public Theater free Shakespeare performances in Central Park will be Much Ado About Nothing from June 3 – July 6th and King Lear from July 22 – August 17.

    Much Ado About Nothing is directed by three time Tony Award winner Jack O’Brian.  King Lear stars John Lithgow in the role of King Lear and is directed by Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan.

    There are three ways you can get tickets.  You can wait in line (often a long line) at the Delecorte Theater on the day of the performance. The tickets are distributed at noon. Each person age 5 and older can get up to two tickets, while supplies last.  There will also be ticket vouchers distributed at certain other locations throughout the season. These alternative distribution sites change daily. See the boroughs ticket distribution schedule.  Or, you can enter the virtual ticket lottery online to try to get tickets. You enter the lottery between midnight and noon on the day of the performance and you’ll receive an email after noon letting you know if you were selected to receive tickets.

    See the “Tickets” page at the Shakespeare in the Park website for details.

    The performances are at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. Enter at either the 81st Street and Central Park West or 79th Street and Fifth Avenue entrances.

    Jonathan Groff explains how to get tickets to see Shakespeare in the Park in this YouTube video:

     

     

     

  • GMA 2014 Free Summer Concert Series


    Good Morning America has announced their 2014 free Summer Concert Series.

    The concerts are aired as part of the GMA broadcasts, but if you’re in NYC, you can go see the performances in person.  The concerts are held in Central Park at Rumsey Playfield on Fridays from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.  Get there early and enter at the 72nd Street entrance when the park opens at 6:00 a.m.

    The performances are free and open to the public. The Jennifer Lopez concert and the Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson concert will require tickets to get in.  Details on how to get the free tickets for those two performances will be announced on the GMA website.

    See the GMA concert announcement for more details.

     

    Good Morning America 2014 Concert Schedule:

     

    May 23 – Lady Antebellum

    May 30 – Curtis “50 Cent” Jackston

    June 6 – Demi Lovato

    June 13 – Parramore

    June 20 – Jennifer Lopez

    June 27 – Afrojack

    July 4 – Jason Derulo

    July 11 – Keith Urban

    July 18 – Zedd

    July 25 – Kings of Leon

    August 1 – Enrique Iglesias

    August 8 – Luke Bryan

    August 15 – Florida Georgia Line

    August 22 – Robin Thicke

    August 29 – Brad Paisley

     

  • Free Outdoors Broadway Concert May 21st


    Come out to Shubert Alley, between Broadway and 8th Avenue and 44th and 45th Streets, at 11:00 a.m. on May 21st for the free “Stars in the Alley” concert.

    The show is scheduled to run from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and will feature appearances and performances from over 20 Broadway shows, including After Midnight, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Alladin, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, The Bridges of Madison County, Cabaret, Chicago, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, If/Then, Kinky Boots, Les Miserables, Mamma Mia!, Motown the Musical, Newsies, Once, The Phantom of the Opera, Pippin, Rock of Ages, Rocky, Rogers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Violet, and Wicked.  According to the Broadway League website, more shows are still to be announced.

    The show is put on by the Broadway League, with sponsorship by United Airlines.

    Shubert Alley is considered to be the geographical center of Broadway.

    Visit Broadway.org for more information about the event.

     

     

     

  • Take a Free Guided Tour of Central Park's North End

    harlem-mere

    Central Park is big. Really big. And sometimes visitors don’t get all the way to the northernmost portions, which is too bad because there are plenty of neat things to see up there.

    The Central Park Conservancy offers free guided “Northern Welcome” tours.  You’ll see highlights of the northern portion of the park, including the Conservatory Garden along Harlem Meer and the North Woods.

    Visit the Central Park Conservancy website for details.

     

  • Trinity Wall Street Free Concerts at One

    If you’re in the Wall Street neighborhood around 1:00 on a Thursday, you might want to head over to Trinity Church for a free concert.  The church hosts weekly afternoon concerts by guest performers and they’re free and open to the public to attend.  More information.

    Trinity Church is located 74 Trinity Place, near the intersection of Broadway and Wall Street.

  • Museum of American Finance, Free on Saturdays

    It’s all about the money, but it won’t cost a cent to visit the Museum of American Finance if you go on a Saturday. Other days of the week the admission fee is $8 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.

    You’ll learn all about the history of Wall Street, money and finance as you explore permanent and featured exhibits.

    The museum is located at 48 Wall Street, in the heart of Manhattan’s Financial District.  Hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

    Read reviews from people who have visited the museum

     

  • Free Tours of the New York Public Library

    library-lionEveryone recognizes the exterior of the New York Public Library’s main branch (Stephen A. Schwarzman Building), but have you been inside?  It’s a beautiful building with magnificent interior architecture, and the library hosts interesting exhibits. The library gives free one hour docent-guided tours of the building at 11:00am and 2:00pm Monday – Saturday and at 2:00pm on Sunday (check the library website to confirm tour times).  Tours meet at the reception desk in Astor Hall.

    See Yelp reviews of visits to the New York Public Library.

    The library is located on Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street. Bryan Park is right next door.

     

    The Reading Room at the Main Branch of the NY Public Library
    The Reading Room at the Main Branch of the NY Public Library

    Visit the New York Public Library website for details.

  • Free Summer Concerts in Central Park’s Harlem Meer

    Harlem Meers2013 marks the 20th year of the Harlem Meer Performance Festival in Central Park. Free concerts featuring the best in local established and emerging performers of jazz, Latin, gospel, blues, and world music are held each Sunday afternoon from 2:00pm to 4:00pm from June 16 – September 1, 2013.  The concerts are held lakeside on the plaza of the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center in Central Park’s north end (110th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues).

    There are some chairs provided or you can bring a blanket and enjoy the music from one of the park’s nearby lawns.

    Here’s a Google Map showing the location of the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center and Harlem Meer.

    2013 Harlem Meer Performance Festival Schedule.

  • Free Guided Tours of Central Park

    The Central Park Conservancy offers free walking tours highlighting several areas of the park.

    No reservations required (unless you come with a group of seven or more people). Just show up at the designated spot at least 5 minutes before the scheduled start time. The tours last about an hour.

    There are over a dozen tours to choose from, featuring scenic spots, history, park architecture and monuments.

    Visit the Conservancy website for a listing of the tours available and the details about dates, times and locations.