Free Things to Do in New York City in the Winter

New York City is notoriously expensive. But in winter, there are many free things to do in New York City. Window shopping, browsing outdoor markets and free music are some of the things to do that will cost nothing. For many locals, this is the best time of year. At holiday time, a festive feeling pervades the city. In January, crowds thin, but bargains abound. Since many New Yorkers go away, this is also a good time to find free street parking. And don’t confine your free NYC search to Manhattan. Brooklyn has plenty of free things to do in winter as well.

Gov­er­nors Island Win­ter Vil­lage

The 2nd annual winter wonderland on Governors Island is just a short ferry ride from lower Manhattan or Brooklyn (Ferry is free on weekends before noon and free at all times for kids 12 and under). Free activities include corn­hole, can jam and giant Jen­ga. There are fire pits so you can warm up. Gov­er­nors Island Win­ter Vil­lage, open through Feb­ru­ary 2023, includes hol­i­day lights along Colonels Row and an outdoor ice skating rink, with free skating on Thursdays.

If you’ve brought the family dog on vacation, Win­ter Dog Days returns. Dogs are allowed on Gov­er­nors Island on Sat­ur­days and Sun­days through­out the win­ter. Sadly, no ice skating for canines.

The Seaport

South Street Seaport has free ice skating at Seaport Square. This year’s rink, open November to February 2023, features a Northern Lights installation, Aurora, set to music. You can reserve free 75 minute skate sessions online.

Store Windows

No city does holiday window displays like NYC. Macy’s, the first department store to feature Christmas window displays, first decorated its windows in 1874, with animated windows debuting in 1899. Macy’s Herald Square display runs through January 1. Saks 5th Avenue has another great holiday window tradition. Nordstrom, a new player in NYC, has its holiday display indoors (a chance to warm up!), with a daily Santa Snow Show.

Rock Solid at 30 Rock

Don’t want to pay to skate at the Rock Center ice rink? It’s still fun to watch the skaters. You can listen to music and watch the music from outside. or go into 30 Rock and see the skaters through plate glass windows. This is also a nice place to warm up inside. Don’t miss the gorgeous Art Deco columns in 30 Rock.

You can’t see Radio City Music Hall or the views from the Top of the Rock for free. But the best thing to see is the giant Christmas tree in front of the skating rink. The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lights up the area from late November until early January.

The LEGO Store has cool NYC landmarks built from plastic bricks. And the store has free activities, like scavenger hunts where you can win a free LEGO figure. You can build with LEGOs in hands-on areas throughout the store. At the Nintendo NY store, you can try out new video games for free.

For free ice skating, head a bit downtown to the Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park. While skating is free, rental skates are not. Bring your own and hit the ice for free. When you need a break from the skating, there are more than 125 holiday shops and food stands surround the rink. Shops are open through January. The skating rink is open October through early March.

A Moment at the Cathedral

St. Patrick’s Cathedral welcomes visitors of any religion. St Pat’s, the largest Gothic-style Catholic Cathedral in the United States, opened in 1879. Free tours to the public are offered on select days.

Celebrate Epiphany, aka Three Kings’ Day

El Museo del Barrio has an annual Three Kings Day Parade and Celebration. Enjoy music, dancing and a street carnival. Dress warmly; this is held outside.

Hanukkah Lights

Just as you don’t have to be Catholic to appreciate St. Pat’s, you don’t have to be Jewish to attend a menorah lighting. Every night of Hanukkah, Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn has a menorah lighting open to all. There is music and free latkes. Kids get bags of chocolate gelt, gold coins, with chocolate inside. Near Central Park, Grand Army Plaza in Manhattan has nightly lighting of a 32 foot tall menorah, billed as “the world’s largest menorah.”

Winter and Holiday Markets

The Union Square Holiday Market, the granddaddy of NYC winter markets, started over two decades ago. Columbus Circle has a sister holiday bazaar, from the same group that runs the Union Square Market. The Columbus Circle market also has a large Christmas tree. Both markets offer crafts and handmade gifts. And, you can try samples of the many foods sold at the food kiosks.

If you have a Citibank credit or debit card, each market has a special lounge (even if you don’t have the right card, you can still likely use the area. No one checked mine). The lounges offer free hot drinks, phone charging and free photo booths. There are also heat lamps so you can warm up.

The indoor Chelsea Market is a cool place to visit anytime of year, but it truly is a wonder to see in the wintertime. Light displays enhance historic architecture and food shops entice. Browse the market for interesting and unusual finds from spices to local artwork.

Downtown, the World Trade Center’s Holiday Market at the Oculus has climate controlled holiday shopping. Live music and dance performances make the Oculus even more festive.

Free Things in NYC: It’s in the Stars

The Shops at Columbus Circle is an upscale and upright urban mall. There are clean public bathrooms, high end shops and live entertainment, depending on the day. At the Holiday Under the Stars display, 14-feet tall stars hang from the 150-foot ceiling. Go up a level or two and you can see Central Park. The stars are part of a light and music show every half hour (on the hour) between 5 p.m. and midnight. 

Shine Bright at Hudson Yards has over 2 million white lights inside and out, and free photos with Santa. Winterscape, a free immersive journey celebrates snow and ice – but from the climate controlled indoors.

Ringing in the New Year(s)

If you’ve ever watched TV on New Year Eve’s, you’ve probably seen the ball drop in Times Square. You can be part of the fun, for free. Just bring plenty of warm clothing and a strong bladder. You will be standing in crowds for hours and bathroom access is limited. This is one of those love it or hate it experiences.

If you prefer fireworks, see them in Central Park, before the Midnight Run. There is a free party in the park, with music, before the fireworks. There are also fireworks and a party in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.

The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine has an annual free New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace. Line up on the day of for free tickets.

In late January or early February, head to Chinatown for the New Year’s Day Firecracker Ceremony. Learn about Chinese culture as you line Chinatown’s streets. Thousands of firecrackers are set off to keep the bad spirits away in the New Year. Chinatown also celebrates a Lunar New Year parade in February with plenty of costumes, floats and dancing!

Head to Brooklyn for More Free Things to Do in NYC

Wander around the Dyker Heights light displays for free. It will just cost you a Metrocard swipe to get there. These private homes have lavish, often professional, Christmas light displays. Some homeowners even hand out candy canes or hot drinks. And if you are traveling with your dog, he is welcome to stroll with you.

While you have to pay for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden‘s Lightscape, running through January 8, the gardens are pay what you wish. Even after the light show ends, Brooklyn Botanic is pay what you wish on weekdays through March. And kids under 12 are always free.

Warm Up Inside

The Museum of Modern Art is free from 4 to 8 p.m. on Fridays. (It’s always free for kids 16 and under and local college students.) The American Museum of Natural History is pay what you wish, at any time, for the regular exhibits only. The Guggenheim Museum is pay what you wish, Saturdays, from 5–8 p.m. Whitney Museum of American Art has “pay what you wish,” Saturdays, from 7–10 p.m. Sadly, the Metropolitan Museum of Art now limits its suggested admission to locals, so if you aren’t a New Yorker, you have to pay full freight.

Sit inside: NYC has great public space, open to all. Consider the lush garden lobby in the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice on East 43^rd Street. You will feel like you’re sitting inside a greenhouse. Brookfield Place, downtown, has palm trees, lots of places to sit and great water views.

Read More: NYC’s Best Museums

Savings Galore

Winter is also the time to get bargains. Restaurants have special low priced menus during a 3 week long Restaurant Week. Many Broadway shows offer two for one tickets for NYC Broadway Week, January 17 to February 12, 2023. Lines at the TKTS booth are shorter, and you can get half priced tickets here. And stores clear out last year’s merch at a steep discount.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Dress warmly for the half price tickets line at TKTS.

Gas Free Hyundai Ioniq 5

In addition to finding free street parking more easily, traffic usually thins in NYC in winter. I drove a gas free all electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 around the city and even found special street parking where you could charge the car. With a 303 mile range, you can crisscross the city many times on one charge.

The SUV easily fits 5, has heads-up display so you can observe the city streets’ 25 mile an hour speed limit, parking assist so you don’t have to worry about rusty parallel parking skills and safety tech to help you navigate the cars, pedestrians and bicycles around the city: forward collision and blind spot warning assist, lane following and lane keeping assist and driver attention warning. Plus for winter, heated seats, heated steering wheel and snow driving mode.

Read More: NYC Parking Secrets Only Locals Know