Image via Complex Original
A hot, sweaty summer has subsided to cooler temps, changing leaves, and a maddening assortment of pumpkin-flavored everything. Fall is finally here! Even if rising heating bills are denting your paycheck, there's no need to be a homebody—grab some friends and head out to these 50 activities without spending a dime.
Open House New York Weekend
Location: Various
Date: October 11-12
Time: Various
Perfect For: Architecture buffs
Website: ohny.org
This annual weekend-long festival gives New Yorkers access to 300 historical sites across the five boroughs that are usually closed off to the public. Buildings range from historical factories to cutting-edge contemporary museums, all of which have changed the face of urban design. The weekend is peppered with cool tours, talks, and performances. Schedule your weekend with the event guide here.
Renegade Craft Fair
Location: 125 W 18th Street
Date: November 15-16
Time: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Perfect For: DIY inspiration
Website: renegadecraft.com
Grab your girl and head to Renegade Craft Fair's Brooklyn venue this November to check out their showcase of the city's best craft and design DIY. Grab a snack from a local vendor and window-shop the independent vendor booths that carry everything from handcrafted fashion, furniture, screen printed artwork, and more.
Williamsburg Spelling Bee
Location: Pete's Candy Store
Dates: October 6 - November 3
Time: 7 p.m.
Perfect For: Showing off your inner grammar Nazi
Website: petescandystore.com
Been aching to prove your spelling abilities since you lost the regional bee in seventh grade? Dust off your SAT vocabulary manual and head to the Williamsburg Spelling Bee to resurrect your competitive spirit. There's no cover, and the first 15 people to sign up get to compete onstage in Pete's boxcar-shaped backroom for the final round on December 2.
Interference: Coexistence
Location: The Clock Tower
Dates: September 6 - October 19
Time: 2 p.m.
Perfect For: Enhancing that dime sack
Website: holocenter.org
This collection of holographic art features tripped-out visuals from 25 international 3-D artists. Pieces range from the '70s and '80s to modern day. Take a Saturday off and question your perception with this gallery, where the only thing missing is that Tupac hologram from Coachella 2012.
Lower East Side Pickle Day
Location: Orchard St. at Delancey
Date: October 19
Time: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Perfect For: Pickle lovers
Website: pickleday.nyc
Pickle day began in the '90s as a local tradition in the Lower East Side, bringing together pickle vendors from all over the globe. If you're the type that dumps your pickles on a friend's plate when you eat out, have no fear—there's live music, fashion vendors, and even DJ lessons to keep your pickle-averse ass occupied.
Village Halloween Parade
Location: Sixth Ave. at Canal St.
Date: October 31
Time: 6 p.m.
Perfect For: Showing off your bomb-ass costume
Website: halloween-nyc.com
Did you spend an ungodly amount of time last year making the perfect Halloween costume, only to show up at a limp frat party where half the lames there were only wearing pumpkin t-shirts? This season, head to the Village's 41st annual Halloween Parade and show off your design chops alongside thousands of the best-disguised people in the city. Over 50 bands will provide live music, and hundreds of giant puppets will apparently be there too.
Archtober
Location: Various
Date: All of October
Time: Various
Perfect For: City planning majors
Website: archtober.org
Architecture and Design Month in NYC, known as Archtober, celebrates the huge diversity of buildings and design throughout the city with free talks and tours of museums, cemeteries, ships, and more. Check out the dozens of events going on throughout the month here.
New York Film Festival
Date: September 26 - October 12
Time: Various
Perfect For: Film buffs
Website: filminc.com
Tickets for the 52nd New York Film Festival usually sell for around $20 a pop, but luckily, one hour before each event, complimentary tickets are given out at the box office venue. Lines are formed super early, so be sure to get there a few hours in advance to nab a good spot. Check out the full schedule here.
El Greco in New York
Location: The Met
Date: November 4 - February 1
Time: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Perfect For: Starving artists seeking inspiration
Website: metmuseum.org
In honor of the 400th anniversary of Greek painter El Greco's death, the Met has collaborated with a handful of other museums to put dozens of his works in one place. Expand your art knowledge and check out the art that inspired Picasso and Cezanne while it's still in town.
Kayaking on the Hudson
Location: Pier 26
Dates: Every Saturday and Sunday
Time: 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Perfect For: Active types
Website: downtownboathouse.org
Check out the changing leaves of the cityscape from the Hudson before it gets too cold out to venture onto the water. Provided you can swim, the Downtown Boathouse will let you loose on the water with a kayak and full gear for up to three hours.
Bats at Belvedere
Location: Belvedere Castle in Central Park
Date: October 11
Time: 6 - 7:30 p.m.
Perfect For: Rabies prevention
Website: nycgovparks.org
Why not ring in Halloween season by learning about one of its main mascots? Workers from the Organization for Bat Conservation will give a presentation with live bats about how to identify these winged nightmares in their natural habitat.
Arrested Development Bingo at Videology
Location: Videology
Dates: October 1 & 8
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Perfect For: Self-professed anal rapists
Website: videology.info
If you show up dressed as a never-nude, you get a free drink and a frozen banana. Really, that's all you need to know.
Smorgasburg
Location: Various
Date: Weekends through November 23
Time: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Perfect For: Getting a sample taste of the city
Website: smorgasburg.com
Between 75-100 food and drink vendors gather alternately at Brooklyn's East River State Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 5 to sell their fares at the famed Brooklyn Flea's food market. Everything from Colombian fish tacos to homemade hot sauce is available, making Smorgasburg a great place for even the pickiest eater. Take a walk along the waterfront and nosh on some free samples before it gets too cold to venture outdoors.
The Lost and Found Show
Location: The Gallery at Le Poisson Rouge
Date: October; TBA
Time: 7 - 9:30 p.m.
Perfect For: A chill night with friends
Website: lostfoundshow.com
The theme of this monthly storytelling show is based around common objects that end up in the lost and found box: coats, shoes, keys, etc. Comedians, musicians, actors, and writers are just a few of the different performers that show up and base their act around the theme. This entertainment variety pack is great for friends and dates alike.
Brooklyn Museum
Location: 200 Eastern Pkwy.
Date: First Saturday of the month
Time: Hours listed here
Perfect For: Expanding your cultural know-how
Website: brooklynmuseum.visit
The second-largest museum in NYC, the Brooklyn Museum houses great permanent collections alongside special exhibits each month. Killer Heels: The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe is currently up until February. The museum operates on a pay-as-you-wish model, but feel free to throw in a few bucks for donation to keep the place running.
Tarantino Trivia Night
Location: The Bell House
Date: October 13
Time: 8 p.m.
Perfect For: Quoting Inglorious Basterds and not sounding like a douche
Website: thebellhouseny.co
As if you needed an excuse to watch Pulp Fiction for the 32nd time, The Bell House and trivia team professionals TrivWorks are hosting a night of everything Tarantino, complete with themed prizes. TrivWorks is notorious for putting on the largest trivia nights in NYC, so get there early with your team to grab a good spot.
Brooklyn Flea
Location: Various
Dates: Saturdays and Sundays
Time: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Perfect For: Killing a chunk of free time
Website: brooklynflea.com
Hundreds of vendor flock to the Brooklyn Flea each weekend to sell old records, vintage furniture, art prints, artisanal jewelry, and more to a growing base of customers. Window shopping is an art that's perfected at this enormous market, where you can meander for hours. Check it out before it gets too cold and catch awesome views of the city skyline before they move indoors for the season after Thanksgiving.
Rite of Passage: The Early Years of Vienna Actionism, 1960-1966
Location: Hauser & Wirth
Date: Tuesday - Saturday until October 25
Time: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Perfect For: Creeping out bae
Website: hauserwirth.com
This collection of paintings, collages, and photographs displays the unsettling art of Viennese Actionism, which was a violent movement in Austria that developed action art. Themes involve blood, destruction, decay, mutilation, and various bodily fluids, among others. If Halloween's got you in the mood for something macabre, then this gallery will definitely do.
Free Skee-Ball and Hot Dogs
Location: Full Circle Bar
Date: Sundays and Thursdays, starting October 5
Time: All day
Perfect For: Competitive friends on a budget
Website: fullcirclebar.com
Full Circle Bar, the national home of Brewskee-Ball and the first-ever Skee-Ball league, lets you play their trademark game for free AND serves free hot dogs. The bar also has a balloon animal night and $4 Gennessee. Did we mention that hot dogs are free? Assemble the crew and get your frugal asses out there.
Run the TCS New York City Marathon
Location: Various
Date: November 2
Time: 9:40 a.m.
Perfect For: Athletic types
Website: tcsnycmarathon.org
While race registration fees can be hefty, this marathon allows you to enter a drawing to run through all five boroughs free of charge. Hundreds of bands and spectators will be on the sidelines cheering you on, and with Hurricane Sandy cancelling last years race, people are bound to be even more pumped than usual. Grab your Nikes and push yourself through 26.2 miles of concrete jungle.
Walk the High Line
Location: Entry points listed here
Dates: October 1 - November 30
Time: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Perfect For: A first date
Website: thehighline.org
Get away from the bustle of Manhattan foot traffic and check out awesome views of the Meatpacking District from the High Line, which is a Mecca of urban nature built on abandoned railway tracks. The walk is chill and pretty romantic, and the changing leaves make it even more gorgeous. Grab a book (or your girl) and head up before it gets too cold.
Jeff Koons at The Whitney
Location: 945 Madison Avenue
Date: Fridays, until October 19
Time: 6 - 9 p.m.
Perfect For: feeling cultured
Website: whitney.org
Whitney tickets usually go for $25 a pop, but Fridays feature pay-what-you-wish admission for a few precious hours. Jeff Koons: A Retrospective showcases three floors of Koons' creations spanning his lifetime, from high-def pictures with his porn star ex-wife to the famous mirrored Balloon Dog sculpture.
Whiplash Comedy
Location: Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
Date: Mondays
Time: 11 p.m.
Perfect For: Checking out local comics
Website: newyork.ucbtheatre.com
See the city's best up-and-coming standup comics sharpen their acts at the UCB Theatre's popular Monday night showcase. Amy Poehler is known for occasionally dropping in, so show up a little early to nab your ticket and a beer.
Bronx Museum of the Arts
Location: 1040 Grand Concourse
Dates: Thursday - Sunday
Time: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Perfect For: Checking out Bronx-based artists
Website: bronxmuseum.org
The Bronx Museum houses contemporary artwork that's been free of charge to view since 2011, making art available to all audiences. Their works unite diversity and connect the community to the urban experience. Check out their upcoming events here.
Browse the Chelsea Galleries
Location: Map locations listed here
Date: Thursday nights
Time: Various
Perfect For: Art aficionados
Website: N/A
The art-rich area of Chelsea often hosts free art openings in even their most intimidating galleries. Stroll through and look at the newly displayed art. Who knows, you could stumble upon some free wine and cheese.
Be Part of a Studio Audience
Location: Various
Date: Various
Time: Various
Perfect For: Seeing your favorite host is in the flesh
Website: newyork.com
Sign up a few weeks in advance, and with careful planning, you can find yourself in the audience of The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, The Tonight Show, SNL, and tons of other shows. Shows need live audiences every day, so with a little patience, you can wedge your way into a seat.
New York Aquarium
Location: 602 Surf Ave.
Date: Fridays
Time: 3 - 4:30 p.m.
Perfect For: Chillin' with some sea life
Website: nyaquarium.com
New York's biggest aquarium houses walrus, sea lions, piranhas, and penguins, among others. Stop by on a Friday afternoon to take advantage of the pay-what-you-wish donation model. Bonus points if you bring bae.
Tuesday Night Open Mic
Location: UCB Theatre
Date: Tuesdays
Time: 11 p.m.
Perfect For: Sam Smith wannabes
Website: east.ucbtheatre.com
Think you're an undiscovered musical gem in the rough? Email UCB Theatre's open mic night and beg for a spot to prove your apparent talent. If being onstage makes you want to vomit everywhere, have no fear—audience spots are free too.
Wave Hill Garden and Cultural Center
Location: W 249th St.
Date: Tuesdays and Saturdays
Time: 9 a.m. - Noon
Perfect For: Taking a break from the city
Website: wavehill.org
If the bustle of the Big Apple is wearing you down, take a breather and visit Wave Hill's 28-acre public garden and conservatory. This is the perfect time of year to see the summer greens of the gardens fade to rich fall colors. If you're feeling especially bougie, the cafe serves afternoon tea that you can sip with your beloved.
Bierkraft Tastings
Location: 191 Fifth Avenue
Date: Tuesdays
Time: 7 p.m.
Perfect For: Beer and free food lovers
Website: bierkraft.com
Beer, cheese, and assorted cured meats are all available to nosh on for free at Bierkraft, home to over 1,000 different beers. Grab some friends and chill on the picnic tables out back, or stay up front and chat with the knowledgeable bartenders.
Free Pizza at The Mark Bar
Location: 1025 Manhattan Avenue
Date: Daily
Time: 6 p.m.
Perfect For: Those unafraid of dive bars
Website: twitter.com/themarkbar
The Mark Bar in Greenpoint is the quintessential dive bar, with a dimly lit interior and sometimes-questionable clientele. But, at 6 p.m. every day, the owner brings out free pizza for whoever's around. Do you need another reason to go? As a bonus, the hospitality extends to Sunday, where you can head back and receive a free bagel with cream cheese, and hot coffee. TYBG.
Gotham Writer's Workshop
Location: 555 Eighth Ave.
Date: See schedule here
Time: Various
Perfect For: Aspiring writers
Website: free.writingclasses.com
Gotham Writer's Workshop offers a slew of free one-hour classes throughout the year. Class options include humor writing, screenwriting, creative writing, journalism workshops, and more. If you're looking to add a few skills to your resume without breaking the bank, just show up at one of these and get yourself learned.
El Museo del Barrio
Location: 1230 Fifth Ave
Date: Wednesdays - Saturdays
Time: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Perfect For: Getting cultured
Website: elmuseo.org
NYC's leading Latino cultural institution, El Museo del Barrio showcases the rich diversity of Latino, Caribbean, and Latin American cultures. Check out PLAYING WITH FIRE: Political Interventions, Dissident Acts, and Mischievous Interventions, one of the coolest exhibits in NYC right now, or their permanent collection of over 6,500 objects.
Snug Harbor Botanical Garden
Location: 1000 Richmond Terrace
Date: Every day
Time: Dawn to dusk
Perfect For: Peace of mind
Website: aligndpm.com
The gorgeous general grounds and botanical gardens of Snug Harbor are open and free to the public seven days a week. If you feel like pretending you're in The Shining, there's a giant half-acre garden maze that's free on Tuesdays, as well as a 9/11 memorial garden and a Chinese scholar's garden.
Canoe Gowanus Canal
Location: 2nd St. near Bond St.
Date: Through November 1
Time: Various
Perfect For: Nature fiends
Website: gowanuscanal.org
Canoe Brooklyn with guidance from a group of volunteers. You can paddle wherever you want for 20 minutes while checking out the wildlife in the bay. If you're water-averse, they also offer free bike tours around the canal. The only thing you're required to do is be eco-friendly and help volunteers pick up trash that's washed ashore in the canal after your trip.
Bryant Park Ping Pong
Location: 94 W. 42nd St.
Date: Every day until November 30
Time: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Perfect For: Reviving your middle school ping pong skills
Website: nycgovparks.org
Paddles and balls are provided for free. Don't know anyone who can handle your game? Sign up for a match with a practiced park attendant, who'll most likely kick your ass Balls of Fury-style.
Exposed: A History of Lingerie
Location: The Museum at FIT
Date: Through November 15
Time: Monday-Friday 12 - 8 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Perfect For: Fashion inspiration
Website: exhibitions.fit.nyu
Bustiers from the 1800s are displayed alongside Suki Cohen's ultra-slick futuristic body suits in this Fashion Institute museum exhibition.
American Museum of Natural History
Location: Central Park W & 79th St.
Date: Daily
Time: 10 a.m. - 5:45 p.m.
Perfect For: Educational fun
Website: amnh.org
Dodge the school crowds and geek out over the massive planetarium, animal exhibits, and the biggest dinosaur collection in the U.S. Admission is pay-what-you-wish, but feel free to throw down a few bones to keep the place running.
UNIQLO Free Fridays at MoMA
Location: 11 W 53rd St
Date: Fridays
Time: 4 - 8 p.m.
Perfect For: Checking out HOV-referenced artwork
Website: moma.org
MoMA is the holy grail of NYC art museums, where you'd usually shell out $25 per ticket. Luckily for your broke ass, UNIQLO teamed up with the museum to give you access to Picasso, Monet, Kahlo, Pollock, and hundreds of other legendary artist free of charge. Lines usually form in advance, so get there early to nab a ticket.
Astronomy Nights at the Intrepid Museum
Location: Pier 86
Date: October 4 & 24
Time: 7:30 - 10:30 p.m.
Perfect For: Nerding out about space
Website: intrepidmuseum.org
Head out to the Intrepid Museum to hang out with local astronomers and their high-powered telescopes to talk about stargazing and astronomy. In addition to the viewing, there'll be talks and demonstrations inside the Museum.
Hispanic Day Parade
Location: Fifth Ave
Date: mid-October
Time: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Perfect For: Celebrating Latin and Spanish heritage
Website: festivals.com
Dancers, singers, and various NYC Hispanic societies will all show up to celebrate their culture and put on a colorful show. The exact date of the festival is TBA, but keep an eye on the website so you can attend.
The Bronx Zoo
Location: 2300 Southern Blvd.
Date: Wednesdays
Time: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Perfect For: Animal lovers
Website: new.bronxzoo.com
The Bronx Zoo operates on a pay-what-you-wish model all day every Wednesday. It's home to lions, gorillas, Komodo dragons, and tons of other cool animals.
Brooklyn Heights Promenade
Location: Brooklyn Heights Promenade
Date: Daily
Time: Dawn - 1 a.m.
Perfect For: A chill date
Website: nyharborparks.org
The Brooklyn Heights Promenade has one of the best views of NYC you can get, with Lower Manhattan, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the East River all displayed beautifully. When night hits and the skyline lights up, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more romantic place in the city.
Queens County Farm Museum
Location: 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy.
Date: Daily
Time: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Perfect For: Country boys at heart
Website: queensfarm.org
Get fully into the fall spirit at the Queens County Farm Museum, where you can chill with farm animals, pick pumpkins, explore a corn maze and more on NYC's largest undisturbed tract of farmland. On weekends they offer hay rides, and every Wednesday is their seasonal farm stand, where you can grab homegrown veggies and meet the farmers.
Canstruction
Location: 200 Vesey St.
Date: November 6 - 20
Time: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Perfect For: Getting creative for a cause
Website: brookfieldplaceny.com
Since 1993, NYC has brought together some of the best architects, engineers, and their students to create massive structures made completely out of unopened cans of food. After the structures are voted on, they're dismantled and the cans are donated to City Harvest to feed those in need. Admission is free, though visitors are asked to bring a can of food to contribute to the collection.
Central Park Moonlight Ride
Location: Columbus Circle
Date: First Friday of every month
Time: 10 p.m.
Perfect For: Fixie fiends
Website: times-up.org
Take in the moonlit scenery of Central Park by night with a group of fellow cyclists. Previous riders have said that the park takes on a magical quality, with a lack of cars and other pedestrians that would normally be in the way.
Aperture Gallery
Location: 547 W 27th St.
Date: Monday - Saturday
Time: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Perfect For: Photography buffs
Website: aperture.org
The founding members of this Chelsea gallery included Dorothy Lange and Ansel Adams, among others. The current exhibition of the month includes photographs taken from the weekly New York Times Magazine. Photographs from Annie Leibovitz, Jeff Koons, Chuck Close, and many others channel the magazine's most important photojournalism from the past 15 years.
Art in Odd Places
Location: Various
Dates: October 9 - 12
Time: Daily
Perfect For: Creative types
Website: free.artinoddplaces.org
Art in Odd Places' mission is to put visual and performing art in unexpected places. Dozens of artworks and performers are accessible throughout the week down 14th Street, on storefronts, benches, and projected onto buildings. This years theme is 'free,' focusing on the rising price of living in the city.
People's Improv Theatre
Location: 123 E. 24th St.
Date: Mondays and Wednesdays
Time: Various
Perfect For: Scoping new comedy talent
Website: thepit-nyc.com
No drink minimum and two free nights a week make People's Improv Theatre one of the best comedy bargains in NYC. Watch stand-up rookies cut their teeth onstage and take advantage of the bar's cheap happy hour specials.
Explore Prospect Park
Location: Prospect Park
Date: Daily
Time: 5 a.m. - 1 a.m.
Perfect For: Long Sunday walks
Website: prospectpark.org
Prospect Park is 585 acres of sprawling fields, an old-school boathouse, a roller rink, and much more. If you feel too cramped next to the tourist couple making out on a blanket in Central Park, head to Prospect and find a secluded spot for peace of mind. The changing autumn leaves make for a killer backdrop.