Free NYC Walking Tours

One advantage of living in a big city is that there are lots of free things to do. NYC has a great history, and lots of free walking tours to help you explore it!

Grand Central and Surroundings This tour is given by Justin Ferate every Friday at 12:30. The tour covers Grand Central, the Lincoln Building and surrounding neighborhoods. Meet at the sculpture court at 120 Park Avenue, no reservation is required.

The Highline These tours of the High Lina Park happen during warm months. Meet on Saturday at 11  under the highline on the corner of Gansevoort and Washington streets. It's first come first serve and space is limited!

Free Tours by Foot This organization offers a variety of tours, including 2 hour tours and a 6 hour all in one tour. Only the food tours have a small cost. However, tour guides are not paid so tipping is recommended. Bonus: They also operate in Washington D.C.

Central Park: The Central Park Conservancy offers a variety of free tours. Tours take place rain or shine and are led volunteers. There's a variety of tours ranging from half an hour to two hours with such interesting topics as "The Art of The Park" and "Seneca Village".

The Lower East Side: One of my favorites. This tour is offered April through November on Sundays. Meet at 11 in front of Katz's deli (alas, not kosher) on the corner of East Houston and Ludlow streets. The same organization offer a tour that focuses on artists spaces and residencies on Sundays April through October.

The Federal Reserve If you are interested int his tour you MUST click the link and reserve a spot. They have an overview of hte Reserve System, historical money exhbitis and you can visit the vault! It takes 45 minutes. Their policy on children varies (right now you have to be 16 an up) so check before you go with the little ones.