Central Park has been called the lungs of New York City. Located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan, Central Park is possibly the most famous urban park in the world. With some 42 million annual visitors, it is the most visited park in the United States.
New York City is notoriously expensive (it is used as the benchmark to measure the relative expenses of other cities around the world) but at least Central Park is free. Visiting New York City can be budget-friendly if one chooses the many cheap or free attractions the Big Apple has on offer.
Take A Free Walking Tour Of Central Park
Free Tours By Foot offers several free walking tours of Central Park (actually pay-what-you-like walking tours). There is a tour of the lower section and another for the middle section. They also offer some pay-what-you-like bike tours of Central Park.
- Tip: Take A Free or Pay-What-You-Want Walking Tour
Their tours are free to book and one only pays what one wishes. Their tours are seasonal and have a limited schedule but if one can time it right, then one can have a professionally guided tour for any budget. They also offer their for-fee and private walking tours if one would prefer those too.
These tours really go into the background story of New York City's greatest city park, its history, the many things there and that have happened there. See how it was but once the rocky and desolate northern fringes of NYC as it rapidly expanded.
- Size: Central Park is 843 acres (400 hectares)
Central Park Lower Section Free Walking Tour
Reservations are required and the tour starts at the southwest corner of 59th St. and 5th Ave by the Pulitzer Fountain and ends at 72nd St. and Central Park West.
- Duration: Approximately 2 hours. Around 1 mile Walked
- When: 9:45 am Wednesdays and 9:45 am Fridays
- Season: Early Spring and Late Fall
- Cost: Pay What You Want Tour
There are also more tours at different seasons and times, check their calendar to see what's on.
Central Park Middle Section Free Walking Tour
Reservations are also required with this tour. It starts at the park entrance opposite the American Museum of Natural History and ends at Bethesda Terrace.
- Duration: Approximately 2 hours. Around 1 mile Walked
- When: 2 pm Thursdays and 9:45 am Mondays
- Season: Early Spring and Late Fall
- Cost: Pay What You Want Tour
Free Biking Tours Of Central Park
Free Tours By Foot also offers tours of Central Park that are not by foot (and others that are not free). One great option is to join their pay what you wish bike tour. On these free tours by bike one will learn the story behind Olmstead and Vaux’s masterpiece.
Bike tours are a great way to see more of Central Park in a tour, attractions visited include the 3,500-year-old Egyptian obelisk, Bethesda Terrace, Cleopatra's Needle, and much more. Along the way, visitors will view the Great Meadow, Shakespeare Garden, and Turtle Pond.
A Few Of The Sites Covered:
- Columbus Circle
- Tavern on the Green
- Sheep Meadow
- The Metropolitan Art Museum
- Jackie Onassis Kennedy Reservoir
- Delacorte Theater
The tour does not provide free bikes, guests need to work that out by themselves. Sometimes bookings in NYC some with free or cheap bike rentals. Alternatively, one can bring one's own or rent one (which can be rented for around $16 for 2 hours).
- Bike Rental: As Low As $16 For Two Hours
- Age Limit: 12+
- Reservations: Required
- Where: Started At the Bike Rental Shop at 56 West 56th Street
- Duration: 2 hours
- When: 9:30 am Fridays
Explore Central Park By Oneself For Free
There is always plenty happening in Central Park. One can stroll down the Mall, visit the Belvedere, and call in at the Strawberry Fields (dedicated to the Beatles' musician John Lennon who was shot nearby).
Central Park is full of people performing all sorts of relaxing and entertaining music - like harps. There are often markets on and ice skating in the winter (Central Park does come alive after the first snowfall).
Half of the fun of exploring Central Park is not to do things so much as it is to stroll, relax, and soak up the atmosphere. That makes Central Park one of the most budget-friendly options in New York City.