FREE THINGS TO DO!
in New York City
Free Concerts Free Theatre Free Museums & Gardens CONCERTS
Naumburg Orchestral Concerts. For symphonic and semiclassical music, head to the oldest free outdoor concert series in the country on select Mondays and Tuesdays in Central Park. Artists include the Matt Herskowitz Trio, the Knights and the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players. June 20-Aug. 22, 7:30 p.m. Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park south of 72nd St. Go to naumburgconcerts.org for more info.
4Knots Music Festival. The Siren Music Festival may be gone, but the indie-rock tradition carries on at the South Street Seaport. The Black Angels, Davila 666, and Oberhofer are slated to perform. July 16, 6 p.m. South Street Seaport, Pier 17, 89 South St.
Washington Square Music Festival. On select Tuesdays, enjoy familiar and adventurous musical evenings of chamber orchestra, opera, vocals and jazz performances. Expect the Festival Chamber Orchestra and Charles Mingus Orchestra among others this season. July 12-Aug. 7, 8 p.m. Washington Square Park Main Stage, 1 Fifth Ave. (212) 252-3621. (scroll down to continue)
Madison Square Music: Oval Lawn Series. This outdoor concert venue presents nationally touring acts including Tift Merritt and Christian McBride & Inside Straight. Concerts are on select Wednesday nights. June 22-July 13, 7 p.m. Madison Square Park, 10 Madison Ave. (212) 538-1884.
Celebrate Brooklyn! This performance series earns its exclamatory title with an exciting variety of musical acts, including Ra Ra Riot and the Book. Through Aug. 6. Prospect Park Bandshell, Prospect Park West and Ninth St.
(718) 683-5600. For dates and times, check out bricartsmedia.org.
Central Park SummerStage. At Central Park SummerStage, some concerts are benefits, but many are free. Catch the hilarious and unpredictable Reggie Watts on June 22 and get a dose of funk on June 25 with Lee Fields & the Expressions. SummerStage also holds concerts across the boroughs. Rumsey Playfield, Enter the park at 69th St. and Fifth Ave. (212) 310-6600. For more info, visit summerstage.org.
RiverRocks. Check out this series of free concerts on Pier 54 in Hudson River Park. This year, Tune Yards (July 14), Metronomy (July 28) and Deer Tick (Aug. 11) are bringing the jams. 6 p.m. West and 13th Sts. (212) 627-2121.
Downtown Brooklyn Free Concert Series. The Downtown Brooklyn Partnership hosts a diverse lineup of local musicians every Wednesday in June. Listen to great tunes inspired by different cultures and sip free lemonade. Hoyt Plaza, Hoyt and Schermerhorn Sts. (718) 403-1600.
Soundbite Series. Writer and DJ Bill Pearis curates this musical series for a second year, running every Sunday from June 26 to the end of August. Fulton Food Stalls, South St. between Fulton and Beekman Sts. For more info, visit southstreetseaport.com.
THEATER
Shakespeare in the Park. The granddaddy of free theater offers two shows in Central Park each year. This time around it's "All's Well That Ends Well" and "Measure for Measure," both in repertory. 8 p.m. Delacorte Theater, enter at 81st St. and Central Park West or 79th St. and Fifth Ave. (212) 539-8500. Check the calendar at shakespeareinthepark.org.
Shakespeare in the Parking Lot. The Bard's works are served up in a grittier concrete "theater" on the lower East Side. Check out "Love's Labour's Lost" (July 8-24) and "Julius Caesar" (July 29-Aug. 14) every Thursday through Saturday. 8 p.m. Municipal parking lot, Broome and Ludlow Sts. (212) 877-0099
Manhattan Shakespeare Project. The all-female company presents a 90-minute, free summer production of "Henry V" at a park near you. The next show is June 23 at Summit Rock in Central Park and the last performance is July 17 in Sunset Park in Brooklyn. (646) 450-8367. Go to manhattanshakes.org for the full schedule.
New York Classical Theatre. The company stages site-specific performances in which audiences can follow the actors from place to place as the plot unfolds. This time out, the group offers "The Rover," "The School for Husbands"
and "Henry V." (212) 252-4531. For performance times and locations, visit newyorkclassical.org.
Broadway in Bryant Park. On Thursdays, see acts from popular Broadway and Off-Broadway shows live in midtown during your lunch hour. July 7-Aug. 11, 12:30 p.m. Bryant Park, between 40th and 42nd Sts. and Fifth and Sixth Aves. (212) 768-4242.
MUSEUMS & GARDENS
FREE DAILY
Fisher Landau Center For Art. Admission is always free at this private off-the-radar art facility in the Dutch Kills area of Long Island City. It's a great place to check out contemporary art from the 1960s and from today. 38-27 30th St., Queens. (718) 937-0727.
National Museum of the American Indian. Until July 4, catch "This IS Hawai'i," an exhibit featuring new and experimental works exploring what it means to be Hawaiian in the 21st century. 1 Bowling Green. (212) 514-3700.
Tibet House. Beginning June 30, "The Dalai Lama and His People" highlights the life and work of the Tibetan spiritual leader with photographs. 22 W. 15th St. (212) 807-0563.
Sony Wonder Technology Lab. There's never a charge at this high-tech entertainment center for kids. Activities include film screenings, hands-on arts and crafts and science experiments. Upcoming events include a tech for tots workshop and a "Dora the Explorer" and "Go, Diego, Go!" double feature. 550 Madison Ave. (212) 833-8100.
Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum. Admission to the Greek Revival mansion will set you back three to five bucks, but you can take a relaxing stroll through the grounds and terraced garden for free daily from 8:30 a.m. to dusk. 895 Shore Road, Bronx. (718) 885-1461.
Metropolitan Museum of Art. Pay what you can afford to check out this historic New York City institution. On view until Aug. 21, "Reconfiguring an African Icon: Odes to the Mask by Modern and Contemporary Artists From Three Continents" displays creative twists on a museum staple. 1000 Fifth Ave., at 82nd St. (212) 535-7710.
National Museum of the American Indian. (Gavin Ashworth)
TUESDAYS
Staten Island Museum. "Gesture: In Paint and Software" opens on July 7, capturing the colorful improvisational compositions of Helen and Golan Levin. Free from noon to 2 p.m. 75 Stuyvesant Place. (718) 727-1135.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden. This summer marks the opening of "Mapping New York Natives," an exhibit highlighting the Garden's inventory and featuring descriptions of plants found in counties within a 50-mile radius of the Big Apple. Free, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m.-noon. 1000 Washington Ave., Brooklyn. (718) 623-7200.
Wave Hill. During July and August, you can waltz into the Bronx garden for free all day on Tuesdays. Enjoy the beauty of summer blooms in addition to special activities and programs. 675 W. 252nd St. (718) 549-3200.
WEDNESDAYS
New York Botanical Garden. Walk the grounds of the Garden free-of-charge. Be sure to check out the spectacular new 11-acre Azalea Garden during your visit. Bronx River Parkway and Fordham Road. (718) 817-8700.
El Museo del Barrio. Skip the admission fee when you come to the museum on Wednesdays between 6 and 9 p.m. Additionally, the museum opens its doors every third Saturday of each month for special programming. 1230 Fifth Ave., at 104th St. (212) 831-7272.
THURSDAYS
Children's Museum of the Arts. Kids have fun for free between 4 and 6 p.m. The downtown museum's latest exhibit, "Public Display," shows off work by New York City schoolkids. 182 Lafayette St. (212) 274-0986.
International Center of Photography. Explore the ICP without spending a dime from 5 to 8 p.m. Catch exhibits featuring the work of photojournalist Ruth Gruber and Elliot Erwit. Also, "Hiroshima: Ground Zero 1945" presents stunning photos of the city after the atomic bomb. 1133 Sixth Ave., between W. 43rd and 44th Sts. (212) 857-0000.
Museum of Modern Art. Admission is free for all visitors during Target Free Friday Nights, held every Friday 4-8 p.m. Be sure to catch "German Expressionism: The Graphic Impulse" before it closes July 11. 11 W. 53rd St. (212) 708-9400.
Whitney Museum. It's pay what you wish 6-9 p.m. Opening June 30, "Lyonel Feininger: At the Edge of the World" features the full breadth of the German-American caricaturist's work, including comic strips, photographs and wooden figures. 945 Madison Ave., at 75th St. (212) 570-3676.
American Folk Art Museum. For free on Fridays 5:30-7:30 p.m., check out "Perspectives: Forming the Figure," an exhibition sampling the diversity of folk art; it closes on Aug. 21. 45 W. 53rd St. (212) 265-1040.
Museum of the Moving Image. "Jim Henson's Fantastic World" opens July 16, with 120 artifacts that illustrate the Muppets creator's boundless creativity. You can see the exhibit for free on Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m. 35th Ave at 36th St., Queens. (718) 784-0077.
Asia Society and Museum. "A Longing for Luxury," a selection of exemplary Chinese art, is on view through Aug. 14. Catch it for free Fridays 6-9 p.m. 725 Park Ave., at 70th St. (212) 288-6400.
Morgan Library and Museum. Through September, the museum explores the evolution of clothing in Northern Europe with "Illuminating Fashion: Dress in the Art of Medieval France and the Netherlands." Admission is free on Fridays 7-9 p.m. 225 Madison Ave., at 36th St. (212) 685-0008.
Children's Museum of Manhattan. Target First Fridays means free playtime. Opening this summer is "Curious George: Let's Get Curious," a problem-solving exhibit featuring everyone's favorite monkey and his pal the Man with the Yellow Hat. 212 W. 83rd St. (212) 721-1223.
FRIDAYS
Noguchi Museum. The sculpture rock garden at the Noguchi Museum is a tranquil relief from the hustle and bustle of city life. On the first Friday of every month admission is pay what you wish. 33-38 10th St., Queens. (718) 204-7088.
Bronx Museum of the Arts. Every Friday, the museum is free and on the first Friday of every month you can enjoy special programs. In July, catch screenings from the African Film Festival and a panel discussion with the curators. 1040 Grand Concourse, at 165th St., Bronx. (718) 681-6000.
SATURDAYS
Brooklyn Museum. At the museum's Target First Saturdays, thousands of visitors enjoy art and entertainment each month, 5-11 p.m. 200 Eastern Parkway. (718) 638-5000.
Jewish Museum. There's still time to see the lush illustrations and witty observations in "Maira Kalman: Various Illuminations (of a Crazy World)," on view until July 31. Admission is free 11 a.m.-5:45 p.m. 1109 Fifth Ave., at 92nd St. (212) 423-3200.
Guggenheim Museum. It's pay-as-you-wish 5:45-7:45 p.m. On June 24, the first U.S. retrospective of artist and philosopher Lee Ufan makes its debut at the museum. 1071 Fifth Ave., at 89th St. (212) 423-3500.
SUNDAYS
Frick Museum. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., pay what you wish to see the just-opened exhibition "Turkish Taste at the Court of Marie-Antoinette," showing France's special fascination with anything that evoked Turkish culture. 1 E. 70th St. (212) 288-0700.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2011/07/04/2011-07-04_ultimate_summer_guide_free_fun_in_nyc.html#ixzz1RBOdyp9U
