free things to do in New York City
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Free Events, Free Things to Do in New York City! Read More
Where else but in New York City can you listen to a world-class musician, discuss a book with a famous author, take a part in poetry reading, have a glass of wine at an art exhibition opening, and all that on the same day, and all that free of charge, and all of that on any day of the year, whether it's December or July, April or November!
The trick is to know about those free events, free things to do BEFORE they happen, not after the fact. That's where Club Free Time comes in handy! Become a Club Free Time member and start using these unique New York City (NYC) opportunities today, April 4, 2025!
Join the Club!
Club Free Time is your perfect guide to Free Entertainment and Free Culture in the City That Never Sleeps.
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In addition to providing information about free events, free things to do in New York, Club Free Time offers its members complimentary tickets to classical music concerts, dance performances and theater: when a producer wants that special buzz of the 'full house' - Club Free Time members are welcomed for their enthusiasm and sophistication!
Join the Club!
Get a taste of free culture and free entertainment in New York City (NYC)!
Join the Club!
Experience an entirely new perspective on New York. 'Open up a whole new cultural world... in one of the most vibrant capital cities in the world, sampling cultural delights beyond anyone's wildest dream.' Rupert Parker, journalist, photographer, cameraman, and TV producer
April 4, 2025. Free shows, concerts, movies, tours are New York (NYC) best kept secret! New York City never ceases to amaze you with quantity and quality of its free culture and free entertainment whether it's day or night, weekday or weekend, summer or winter, spring or fall, January or June, May or September. If you are looking for inexpensive things to do and where to go in Manhattan today, tonight, tomorrow, or any other time, or any other day of any week - you came to the right place: just click on any day on the calendar dispayed on the every page of our site and you will see how many events you can attend in Manhattan free of charge on that very day.
New York's cultural scene is at its busiest in October and March (and the same goes for free events, free things to do), but other months of the year still offer incredible amount of high quality, off the beaten path, unique free events, free things to do which will take your breath away! So if you looking for something to do in April or November, December or February, you will find tons of free things to do, free events to go to. (In June, July and August lots of those free events take place outdoors, of course).
So do not wot till tomorrow, start using these unique New York City opportunities today, April 4, 2025!
Where else but in New York City can you listen to a world-class musician, discuss a book with a famous author, take a part in poetry reading, have a glass of wine at an art exhibition opening, and all that on the same day, and all that free of charge, and all of that on any day of the year, whether it's December or July, April or November!
The trick is to know about those free events, free things to do BEFORE they happen, not after the fact. That's where Club Free Time comes in handy! Become a Club Free Time member and start using these unique New York City (NYC) opportunities today, April 4, 2025!
Join the Club!
Club Free Time is your perfect guide to Free Entertainment and Free Culture in the City That Never Sleeps.
Join the Club!
Free things to do, free events that take place in the City every day of the year are truly amazing. So if you're looking for something interesting to do today (April 4, 2025) or on any other day of the year don't miss those free-of-charge opportunities that only New York provides! You can find lots of high quality, off the beaten path, unique free events, free things to do which will take your breath away!
In addition to providing information about free events, free things to do in New York, Club Free Time offers its members complimentary tickets to classical music concerts, dance performances and theater: when a producer wants that special buzz of the 'full house' - Club Free Time members are welcomed for their enthusiasm and sophistication!
Join the Club!
Get a taste of free culture and free entertainment in New York City (NYC)!
Join the Club!
Experience an entirely new perspective on New York. 'Open up a whole new cultural world... in one of the most vibrant capital cities in the world, sampling cultural delights beyond anyone's wildest dream.' Rupert Parker, journalist, photographer, cameraman, and TV producer
Join the Club!
The quality and quantity of
free events,
free things to do
that happen in New York City
every day of the year
is truly amazing.
So don't miss the opportunities
that only New York provides:
stop wondering what to do;
start taking advantage of
free events to go to,
free things to do in NYC
today!
The quality and quantity of
free events,
free things to do
that happen in New York City
every day of the year
is truly amazing.
So don't miss the opportunities
that only New York provides:
stop wondering what to do;
start taking advantage of
free events to go to,
free things to do in NYC
today!
Let New York City surprise, stimulate, entertain and excite you! Read More
Don't miss the opportunities that only New York provides:
- free concerts in NYC
- free movies in NYC
- free jazz in NYC
- free poetry readings in NYC
- free tours/hikes in NYC
- free city walks in NYC
- free Yoga /Tai Chi in NYC
- fairs and parades in NYC
- free theater in NYC
- free tickets to concerts, theater and dance performances in NYC
'New York is abuzz with so much culture that they're giving it away.' (The New York Times article about Club Free Time).
Editor's Picks
38 free things to do in New York City (NYC) today:
Friday, April 4, 2025
All events are free unless otherwise noted.Workshop | Tai Chi
Improve balance, strength and focus through gentle exercises. The sights and sounds of the river provide a serene background for the ancient flowing postures.
New York City, NY; NYC
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8:30 am
Free
Free
Museums | Design Museum and Sculpture Garden
The museum was designed and created in 1980's by one of the twentieth century's most important landscape architects and designers. It serves to preserve the legacy of the artist by showcasing his creations: sculptures, furniture pieces, lighting designs, ceramics, architecture, and more.
New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
Free
Free
Workshop | Adult Zumba
Featuring easy-to-follow Latin dance choreography. Work on your balance, coordination and range of motion.
New York City, NY; NYC
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10:30 am
Free
Free
Museums | Asian Art and Culture Museum
The museum features a diverse collection of artworks, including traditional and contemporary pieces from various Asian cultures. 2 pm: guided tour.
New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free
Free
Classical Music | Historical Works Performed on Period Instruments
Juilliard's Historical Performance Department plays historical music on period instruments. Conversation exploring connections between the music and the Metropolitan Museum of Arts collection will follow.
New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Pay-What-You-Wish for New...
Pay-What-You-Wish for New...
Book Discussion | Cultural Capitalism: Literature and the Market after Socialism
Bradley Gorski's book explores Russian literature’s eager embrace of capitalism in the post-Soviet era. When the Soviet Union fell, books were suddenly bought and sold as commodities. Russia’s first bestseller lists brought attention and prestige. Even literary prizes turned to the market for legitimacy. The rise of capitalism entirely transformed both the economics and the aesthetics of Russian literature. By reconstructing the market’s influence on everything from late-Soviet paper shortages to the prose of neoimperialism, Cultural Capitalism reveals Russian literature’s exuberant hopes for and deep disappointments in capitalism. Only a free market, it was hoped, could cure endemic book deficits and liberate literature from ideological constraints. But as the market came to dominate literature, it imposed an ideology of its own, one that directed literary development for decades.
New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free
Free
Symposium | Cemerony Honoring the Anniversary of the Founding of New York City's First Synagogue
The Fifth Annual Ceremony honoring the 295th anniversary of the Consecration of the first Synagogue in North America. On the seventh day of Passover April 8, 1730, the nascent Jewish community of New York City consecrated the Mill Street Synagogue at what today is 26 South William Street. In August 2019, a plaque was installed at 22 South William Street to commemorate the Mill Street Synagogue. This event is held to raise awareness regarding the important contribution of the congregation to the rise of New York. The ceremony will also involve the presentation of the Gershom Mendes Seixas Religious Freedom Award.
New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free
Free
Workshop | Learn Juggling in the Park
Get in a quick lesson, stay for the whole time, or just enjoy watching them put their skills to the test. They're a friendly group and open to drop-ins, even if you catch them outside of the regular juggling lessons. All skill levels welcome. Equipment is provided.
New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free
Free
Film | Two Tickets to Greece (2023): French Comedy
When childhood friends Magalie and Blandine cross paths after many years, they finally decide to take their dream vacation to Greece. Director: Marc Fitoussi Cast: Laure Calamy, Olivia Cote, Kristin Scott Thomas
New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free
Free
Classical Music | MidDay Music
Featuring lovely classical music from students! Come hear the works of many famous composers!
New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free
Free
Film | Romeo and Juliet (1968): Shakespeare's Classic Romantic Tragedy
Shakespeare's classic, one of the most beloved screen versions from 1968. Director: Franco Zeffirelli Cast: Leonard Whiting, Olivia Hussey, John McEnery.
New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free
Free
Museums | Tour - Arts and Cultural Heritage of Spain and Portugal: Goya, El Greco and Others
Explore the best items this museum has on display with this guided tour. Paintings, sculptures, ceramics, antiquities, and more by world-famous artists.
New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free
Free
Classical Music | Prize-Winning Pianist Performs Debussy and More (In Person AND Online!)
Fengyi Wang, collaborative piano, showcases pieces by Romantic and 20th Century composers. Program Claude Debussy (1862-1918) Sonata for Cello and Piano Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) Six Songs, Op.48 Samuel Barber (1910-1981) Hermit Songs, Op. 29
New York City, NY; NYC
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3:00 pm
Free
Free
Classical Music | Works of Debussy, Liszt, J.S. Bach, Scriabin and Messiaen for Piano (In Person AND Online!)
Isaac Parlin, piano, performs pieces by significant composers from a range of musical eras. Program Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915) Two Impromptus, Op.14 Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915) Nine Mazurkas, Op.25 Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915) Two Mazurkas, Op. 40 J.S. Bach (1685-1750) Toccata in G Major, BWV 916 Claude Debussy (1862-1918) Images, Book 1, L.110 Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) "L'Alouette lulu" from Catalogue d'oiseaux Franz Liszt (1811-1886) Annees de pelerinage, Troisieme annee, S.163
New York City, NY; NYC
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3:00 pm
Free
Free
Film | You Can't Erase Me: Sparky D Secrets (2024): Documentary on Hip-Hop Pioneer and Discussion
The film explores the life and legacy of legendary battle rapper Sparky D. From her historic hip-hop rivalries to her battles with addiction and homelessness, it highlights her inspiring journey of resilience and redemption. After the screening, Sparky D and producer/director Tony "Mr. Wave" Wesley will join a panel discussion, sharing insights into her groundbreaking career and personal transformation.
New York City, NY; NYC
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4:00 pm
Free
Free
Museums | American History and Artifact Collections
Enjoy a stroll through galleries of an extensive collection of American art, learn about the history of New York and the USA. Last admission is at 7 pm.
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Pay-what-you-wish, reservation required
Pay-what-you-wish, reservation required
Museums | Modern Art: From The 19th Century to the Present Day
Experience the exhibits in the museum galleries which include paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, films, videos, and much more.
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free
Free
Classical Music | Works of Haydn and More for Double Bass (In Person AND Online!)
Sami Ahn, double bass, performs works from composers of various musical periods. Program Benedetto Marcello (1686-1739) (arr. Fred Zimmermann) Sonata in E Minor Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) (arr. Gregor Piatigorsky/Edgar Meyer) Divertimento Hob. XI: 113 Vilmos Montag (1908-1991) (arr. Friedrich Hofmeister) Sonata for Double Bass and Piano in E Minor Alfred Desenclos (1912-1971) Aria et rondo Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) (arr. Levon Atovmyan) Five Pieces for Two Violins and Piano
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
Free
Free
Opening Reception | Carolyn Case: Wild Domestic
The artist's deceptively abstract work hides fragments and hints of the everyday, elevating routine and domestic duties to the realm of the ethereal, and allows the untidy to remain cleverly uncontained. The carefully distilled chaos of the kitchen and its symbolism for daily life propel the exhibition. The artist notes that“suspicions about my motives to keep order have crept in. One way for me to process these ideas is to bring the landscape back into the domestic world. That is where the title originates, a hopeful space where mess, uncertainty, beauty, and order combine, a wild domestic." With titles like “Kitchen Window,” “Blue Spatula,” and “Morning Coffee,” Case quickly places the viewer into her domain: the habitual encounter with our quotidian environment. Switching between the kitchen and the studio, the paintbrush and the potholder, Case dissolves the wall between the brainwork of conjuring art out of the imagination, and the seemingly mindless necessities of the day-to-day – writing to-do-lists, washing dishes, or preparing a meal. From this unassuming starting point, Case produces grand paintings swirling with gesture, energy, and audacious color, layering fragments, shapes and marks, some barely legible as the original domestic reference. Unafraid to mix acidic purples or strike yellow against black, Case invigorates each visible inch with her nonconformist approach.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Free
Opening Reception | Out of Frame: Three-Artist Exhibition on 'Personal Connections, Cultural Histories, and Vast Reaches of the Mind'
Out of Frame is a three-person exhibition through which the featured artists explore the complexities of representation and our evolving relationship with the image iteself--whether personal connections, cultural histories, or the vast reaches of the mind. Joseph Jones brings an immediacy to his depictions of familiar subjects, such as flora and felines. His intimate, hyper-realistic paintings, often sourced from online imagery, are imbued with surrealism. These artistic interventions--along with the tactile materiality of his chosen mediums--transform the digital origins of his subjects. The textures of his pieces invite viewers to experience these works in real life. Jones' paintings also prompt cultural reflection, capturing tender moments of comfort and familiarity. Artist Michael Thompson's work emerges from a deep connection to and nostalgia for the aesthetics of manual labor. Borrowing from film photography and motion pictures, the imagery in Thompson's paintings appears anachronistic. In this way, Thompson meditates on image production and shifting labor dynamics. Lastly, Goncalo Preto takes a more cerebral and atmospheric approach to his work. His practice delves into perception, consciousness, and the vast terrain of human experience. Drawing on the visual language of mechanical and scientific processes, Preto's work navigates between the representation of the nervous system and the construction of fictional spaces. His paintings engage with the mysteries of perception and the complexities of our cognitive and sensory experiences.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Free
Opening Reception | Timothy Lai: Still. Yet. Still.
A solo exhibition by Timothy Lai. Iterative and enigmatic, this new body of work spirals around intrusive visions that seep into the gaps of daily thought. Lai returns to the domestic interior as a stage for his cast of archetypes—the dog, the rabbit, an outstretched arm, a male figure. Obscuring narrative clarity, the artist calls into question both what came before and what is to follow. Within the seriality of these works, difference emerges as a crucial tool for non-narrativity. Symbolic order comes only with each iterative arrangement within Lai’s mise-en-scene; allowing a sense of foreboding to percolate amid the deferred anticipation of a resolution that will never arrive.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Free
Classical Music | Chopin's Piano Works
Juilliard Kovner Fellow Juhee Lim, piano, performs a range of pieces from renowned Classical-era composer Frederic Chopin. Program Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) Mazurka, Op. 59, No. 1 Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) Etudes, Op. 10, Nos. 8, 7, 3 Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) Scherzo in E Major, Op. 54, No. 4 Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) Prelude, Op. 28, Nos. 13-18 Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) Polonaise in A-Flat Major, Op. 53, "Heroic"
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Free
Film | David Lynch's Mulholland Drive (2001): Surreal Drama with Naomi Watts, Justin Theroux
After a car wreck on Mulholland Drive renders a woman amnesiac, she and a Hollywood hopeful search for clues and answers across Los Angeles in a twisting venture beyond dreams and reality. Director: David Lynch Stars: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux 147 min.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Free
Screening | Ruff Cuts 3: Student and Alumni Films
Ruff Cuts is the School of Media Studies' main screening event, where students and alumni screen their films and receive feedback from their colleagues and professors. The event attracts professors, alumni, festival programmers, industry professionals, and students across the university. It is an incredible opportunity to screen work-in-progress films.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Free
Screening | Black Fruit: 3 Episodes of the German Comedy-Drama
A screening of episodes 1-3 of the groundbreaking series Black Fruit, followed by a Q&A with series creator, lead, and executive producer Lamin Leroy Gibba. When Lalo is thrown off course by the sudden death of his father, he suppresses his loss with impulsive actions that disrupt his life. While he and his best friend Karla, both in their mid-twenties, queer and Black in Germany, try to shape who they want to become, they are forced to grapple with the limits of their adaptability.
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free
Free
Discussion | Artist Talk: Steve McQueen (online)
A conversation with artist Steve McQueen and scholar Paul Gilroy to mark two concurrent exhibitions of McQueen’s work at Dia Beacon and Dia Chelsea. Over many years, McQueen and Gilroy have sustained an ongoing dialogue about the political and cultural dimensions of what Gilroy terms the Black Atlantic, particularly as it relates to visual art and music. Gilroy has also written extensively on and in response to McQueen’s work, including most recently for the catalog Steve McQueen: Bass, published in conjunction with McQueen’s commission for Dia Beacon and documenting the immersive light-and-sound installation. In this conversation, they will focus on their shared interest in music, taking the complex musical idioms associated with Bass (2024) and the Black Atlantic as points of departure.
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free
Free
Museums | Japanese Art and Culture
The gallery showcases both traditional and contemporary Japanese art, including amine designs and theatrical production elements that evolved in the 17th century.
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free
Free
Film | Summer Brother (2023): Award-Winning Family Drama
During a sweltering summer, 13 year old Brian develops new perspectives on care and connection while spending time with his older brother Lucien. Through trial and error, Brian discovers alternative ways to communicate and understand his brother's needs, challenging conventional assumptions about support and independence. Their relationship evolves through shared experiences and mutual learning. Directed by Joren Molter Netherlands, 86 MIN Themes of intellectual disability. Warning: contains strong language.
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free
Free
Opera | American Opera Explored: An Evening of Operatic Arias and Scenes
An evening of operatic arias and scenes from some of the greatest American Operas, students will perform works by Leonard Bernstein, Gian Carlo Menotti, Carlisle Floyd, Jake Heggie and Ricky Ian Gordon among others. Curated and directed by William Gustafson.
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free
Free
7:30 pm
Regular: $30
Member: $0
Regular: $30
Member: $0
Join the Club!
8:00 pm
Regular: $28.52
Member: $0
Regular: $28.52
Member: $0
Join the Club!
8:00 pm
Regular: $20
Member: $0
Regular: $20
Member: $0
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Classical Music | Prize-Winning Violinst Performs Works of Brahms, Debusy, and More (In Person AND Online!)
Yun Lee, violin, plays pieces by Romantic and Impressionist composers. Program Amy Beach (1867-1944) Romance for Violin and Piano, Op. 23 Johann Brahms (1833-1897) Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78 Claude Debussy (1862-1918) Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Major, L. 140
New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free
Free
8:00 pm
Regular: $20
Member: $0
Regular: $20
Member: $0
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Classical Music | Works of Tchaikovsky, Mozart, and More for Violin (In Person AND Online!)
Violinist Eleanor Shen plays pieces by Mozart, Paganini, Janacek, Tchaikovsky, and others. Program Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) 5 Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 81 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Violin Sonata No. 21 in E Minor, K. 304 Niccolo Paganini (1782-1840) Caprice No. 24 Leos Janacek (1854-1928) Violin Sonata, JW VII/7 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Souvenir d'un Lieu Cher, Op. 42 Laurie Adams Klein; Elizabeth Prentiss (1818-1878) (arr. Soma Trio) I Love You Lord, More Love To Thee
New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free
Free
10:00 pm
Regular: $24
Member: $0
Regular: $24
Member: $0
Join the Club!
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