Savvy visitors are finding out what native New Yorkers already know: You don’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy New York. The city is bursting with hundreds of no-cost and low-cost pleasures that include concerts, plays, museum exhibitions and tours throughout all five boroughs.
 

“Pay what you wish” days are also in effect every day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Cloisters (212/535-7710, www.metmuseum.org) and at the American Museum of Natural History (212/769-5100, www.amnh.org).

Suggested admission at the Museum of the City of New York (212/534-1672, www.mcny.org) – where you can explore five floors of New York City’s past, present and future – is $7, or $5 for seniors, students and children; $15 for families.

Historical and contemporary design can be viewed at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum (212/849-8400, www.ndm.si.edu) for $10 general admission or $7 for students and seniors, or “pay what you wish” at the Museum of Arts and Design (212/956-3535, www.americancraftmuseum.org/acm) on Thursdays from 6 to 8pm.  Unique urban art is showcased at the Municipal Art Society’s Urban Center Gallery (212/935-3960, www.mas.org) at no charge, 11am to 5pm.  The gallery is closed on Sundays and Thursdays.

It’s free to explore the world’s largest collection of artifacts devoted to Native American history and culture at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (212/514-3700, www.nmai.si.edu).  The museum is open daily from 10am to 5pm, 8pm on Thursdays.
Take advantage of special exhibitions free of charge at the beaux arts New York Public Library (212/930-0769, www.nypl.org) as well as free concerts, film series and other special events in adjacent Bryant Park (212/768-4242, www.bryantpark.org).

From ancient Egyptian artifacts to contemporary classics, the Brooklyn Museum of Art (718/638-5000, www.brooklynmuseum.org) offers a vast art collection and special exhibitions year-round.  The suggested admission is $8 for adults, $4 for students and seniors, and free for children under 12  at all times, and free for everyone the first Saturday of each month.

Socrates Sculpture Park (718/956-1819, www.socratessculpturepark.org), a free outdoor museum located on the East River in Long Island City, Queens.  It serves as both a major art institution and reclaimed open space allowing public access to the waterfront with impressive Manhattan views.  Open daily until sunset.

Founded in 1825, the National Academy of Design Museum (212/369-4880, www.nationalacademy.org) offers exhibitions of American art drawn from its permanent collection and from traveling shows – all for an $8 admission price for adults, $4.50 for students and seniors.

Explore Rockefeller Center (212/332-6868, www.rockefellercenter.com), a majestic Art Deco masterpiece, on a free, self-guided tour.  Pick up maps in the main lobby at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

On Saturdays at 2pm, take a free walking tour offered by the 14^th Street-Union Square Business Improvement District (212/460-1204, www.unionsquarenyc.org), including stops at New York’s first film studios, opera houses, grand theaters and nickelodeons, “Ladies’ Mile” and Union Square Park.

Take a tour of New York City landmark Grand Central Terminal with the Municipal Art Society (212/935-3960, www.mas.org) on Wednesdays at 12:30pm for a suggested donation of $10.  There are also free tours of New York’s fascinating neighborhoods, including historic 34^th Street with the 34^th Street Partnership (212/868-0521, www.34thStreet.org), a grand tour of midtown with the Grand Central Partnership (212/883-2420, www.grandcentralpartnership.org) or a tour of Times Square with the Times Square BID (212/768-1560, www.timessquarebid.org).

Watch world history in the making on guided, multilingual tours of the United Nations (212/963-TOUR, www.un.org) with an admission fee of $10.50 for adults, $8 for seniors, $7 for students and $6 for children ages 5 to 14; children under five not permitted on tours.  Or take in Chinese culture in the country’s most famous Chinatown; walking tours offered by Toro Associates, Inc. (212/625-9977, www.chinatowninfo.com) at $15 for adults and $12 for children.  Visitors can see a Buddhist temple, historical Chinatown landmarks and herbal medicine stores and hear the little known stories about this diverse neighborhood.

Take a cruise on the Staten Island Ferry (718/815-BOAT) for spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline, New York harbor and the Statue of Liberty.  The ferry runs 24 hours a day and is free at all times.  Or take a walk across the footpath on the Brooklyn Bridge for a fantastic and free view of the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn.

For just $4 round-trip, ride the Roosevelt Island Tram (www.roosevelt-island.ny.us) across the East River and enjoy fabulous views of Manhattan and Queens.

Offering unique perspectives on the history of entertainment, the Museum of Television & Radio (212/621-6800, www.mtr.org) gives visitors access to its collection of archived television and radio programs dating back to the invention of each.  Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors and $5 for kids under 14.

Providing hands-on, interactive exhibits, workshops and performances, the Staten Island Children’s Museum (718/273-2060) encourages children to learn by doing.  Admission is $5 per person and children under 2 are admitted free.  Just across the water, kids can explore science, culture and other areas of interest at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum (718/735-4400, www.brooklynkids.org).  Though not required, suggested admission is $4 at all times, and free for children 1 or under.

Take advantage of free hours of admission at the New York Hall of Science (718/699-0005, www.nyhallsci.org) in Queens.  Every Thursday September 1 through June 30 admission is free 2 to 5pm. Regular prices are $9 for adults and $6 for seniors and children.  Parking is $7 per car. 

The New York City Police Museum (212/480-3100, www.nycpolicemuseum.org), located in historic Lower Manhattan, captures the rich history of the New York Police Department (NYPD), giving visitors an insider’s look at the world’s most famous law enforcement agency.  Permanent exhibits include turn-of-the-century mug shots, photos of notorious criminals and their “tools of the trade,” a display of police vehicles, a model of a jail cell and, in the most solemn of the exhibits, the museum pays tribute to every NYPD officer killed in the line of duty throughout the department’s history.  Suggested admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and $2 for children ages 6 to 18.

Experience animal attraction at the city’s Wildlife Conservation Parks (www.wcs.org).  To start, don’t miss the Bronx Zoo (718/367-1010, www.bronxzoo.com), home to more than 4,000 animals. Pay-what-you-wish on Wednesdays, otherwise admission is $8 for adults, $6 for children aged 2 to 12, $6 for seniors and students.  In Manhattan, admission to the Central Park Zoo (212/439-6500) is $6 for adults, $1.25 for seniors, $1 for children ages 3 to 12 and free for children under the age of 3.  Discover an incredible world of wildlife at the Prospect Park Zoo (718/399-7339) in Brooklyn where admission is $5 for adults, $1.25 for seniors and students and $1 for children ages 3 to 12.

Before you leave Staten Island, stop by the biggest little zoo in the United States – the Staten Island Zoo (718/442-3174, www.statenislandzoo.org) – at a cost of $5 for adults, $4 for seniors or $3 for visitors aged three to 14.  On Wednesdays after 2pm, admission is a suggested donation of $2 per person at this eight-acre zoological garden with wonderful horticultural displays and a large collection of mammals, reptiles, invertebrates, fish and birds.

Delve into the past on Staten Island with a visit to Historic Richmond Town (718/351-1611, www.historicrichmondtown.org), a living history village and museum complex with homes, shops and public buildings from the 1690s to 1900s.  Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3.50 for students and free for children under the age of 5.

Experience New York’s salty maritime history at the South Street Seaport (212/748-8725, www.southstseaport.org), boasting a museum and numerous shops and restaurants.  Browsing is free; museum admission is $8 for adults, $6 for students and seniors, $4 for children ages 5-12, and free for children under the age of 5.

Stories of faith and courage that affect nearly every American are told at the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Immigration Museum (212/269-5755, www.nps.gov/stli).  Admission is free but the ferry ride is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $4 for children aged 4 to 12.  A timed-pass ticket is required to enter the monument.  A limited number of daily tickets are available on a walk-in basis at the Circle Line ferry office at no additional cost.  Timed passes can also be reserved for a handling fee of $1.75 per ticket by calling 1-866-STATUE-4.

Learn about New York City’s famous transportation system at the Gallery Annex of the New York Transit Museum (718/694-5100, www.mta.info/museum).  Exhibits in the Annex (located in Grand Central Terminal) are free; free tours are also offered Wednesdays and Fridays at 12:30pm.  The main facility at Boerum and Schermerhorn Streets in Brooklyn reopened in September 2003 after an extensive renovation.

The nation’s only independent public museum dedicated to the history of growth, opportunity and entrepreneurship in our democratic free market economy, the Museum of Financial History (212/908-4695, www.financialhistory.org) offers $2 admission to visitors of all ages.

For a fashion update, join a Macy’s (212/494-3827) group tour.  Tours, offered at $10 per person, discuss the history of the world’s largest department store from its humble beginnings in 1857 to its status today with more than two million square feet of selling space.

For more information about visiting New York City, click on www.nycvisit.com call 1-800-NYC-VISIT (U.S. and Canada), 212/397-8222 (international) or stop by NYC’s Official Visitor Information Center at 810 Seventh Avenue at 53rd Street, or Visitor Information Kiosks at the southern tip of City Hall Park and in Harlem in the State Office Building Plaza at 163 West 125th Street at Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard.