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11 totally free things to do in New York City this January
By
Anthony Schneck
Published Jan 2, 2025
Modified Jan 2, 2025
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Photo by Julie Larsen Maher / Courtesy of the Bronx Zoo
By
Anthony Schneck
Published Jan 2, 2025
Modified Jan 2, 2025
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The new year is here, heading to the first quarter-mark of the 21st century. Can you believe the year 2000 wasn’t just a few years ago?
But we’re not here to talk about how great the past 25 years have been. We’re here to talk about free things to do in New York City during January, when the tourists have mostly fled and the proposition of leaving your apartment — let alone your neighborhood — may feel like climbing K2.
Play some ultimate Frisbee with friends or even strangers
This new year, relive those halcyon college days on the quad by playing ultimate Frisbee. The Juniper Valley Tennis Courts in Middle Village hosts an ultimate Frisbee club for players of all skill and experience levels on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sign up for a spot here.
Check out free standup at Beauty Bar
We could all use some laughs, right? Head to Beauty Bar on 14th Street every Sunday starting at 8 p.m. for Secret Sauce Comedy night. Some of the city’s best working comedians show up for a night that features no cover and no drink minimum — a true rarity in the comedy world. Plus, it’s right by Union Square, so you might actually convince friends to come meet you there.
MoonGARDEN is an immersive light exhibit that started in Montreal but is on view at the Seaport until late February.
Photo by Mike Szpot / Courtesy of Seaport
Hang out in the Seaport’s MoonGARDEN
Massive illuminated spheres ranging between 6 and 30 feet in diameter make up MoonGARDEN, an immersive light exhibit that started in Montreal but is on view at the Seaport until late February. It’s free and open to anyone, so just come wander around (after dark, obviously, for the best effect), and take a few magical selfies while you’re at it.
Head to the library for WIkipedia's 24th birthday party!
Courtesy Brooklyn Public Library
Celebrate Wikipedia’s 24th birthday
Can you believe Wikipedia is already 24 years old? Like most 24-year-olds’ birthday parties, you’ll have to go to Brooklyn, but this one is at the Brooklyn Library’s Central Branch at Grand Army Plaza. It’s happening on Saturday, Jan. 25 from noon to 5 p.m. and promises “fun activities, informative talks and engaging workshops.” But wait, there’s more: The first 100 people to show up to the library will get tickets to the free afterparty at The Armory, which features an open bar from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. As with Wikipedia itself, it’s one of those deals you can’t believe exists … but it does.
Do trivia with geeks at a bar/vintage shop
Geeks Who Drink, a trivia game company, is heading to Garage Sale Vintage in Chelsea for a weekly trivia session starting on Sunday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. You can enjoy a drink while showing off your knowledge, and after the trivia, you can stick around for another drink — or do some shopping for vinyl and vintage clothing. What’s not to like?
No gym membership? No problem. The city's parks have got you covered.
Andrew Aitchison / In pictures via Getty Images
Get fit at an NYC park
It’s resolution season, and the gyms will be absolutely packed with resolute people who have paid for memberships. But thanks to the magic of New York City's park system, you can get a great workout all month long, all around the city. Look, we’ll even direct you straight to the search tool for free fitness events in January. There are truly too many to pick just one. Bootcamp on Staten Island, total body fitness in Brownsville, yoga in the Bronx, and so much more. There’s no excuse!
Hang out and play ukulele
Have you always wanted to learn the ukulele? Have a hidden ukulele talent you need to share with others? Join the Ukulele Club at the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library on Saturday, Jan. 4 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and you can be whisked away to a magical world where everyone has a ukulele. You can bring your own if you have one, but beginners who don’t want to go full uke can try one of the provided instruments out before making any purchases.
Lucien Nana Yobo, assistant professor of isotope geochemistry at Texas A&M will speak at the American Museum of Natural History on Jan 8.
Courtesy Lucien Nana Yobo
Learn more about Earth’s Timekeepers
There’s a pretty good chance you’ve never heard a professor of isotope geochemistry speak. Make 2025 the year you remedy that huge gap in your life experiences! The American Museum of Natural History hosts Texas A&M’s Lucien Nana Yobo for a discussion of past atmospheric and oceanic conditions and what they may tell us about the future of climate change. The Earth’s Timekeepers talk is part of the SciCafe series, and it’s happening on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m.
The Queens Botanical Garden is free in winter.
Photo by Tiffany Camusci / Courtesy Queens Botanical Garden
Pay a visit to the Queens Museum and Queens Botanical Garden
Admission is always pay-what-you-wish at the Queens Museum, which has a sweeping exhibition on the 60th anniversary of the landmark New York World’s Fair on view through July. If you need a reason to spend the entire day in Flushing, you can also stroll through the Queens Botanical Garden, which offers free admission during the colder months, through March.
The Brooklyn Public Library's Center for Brooklyn History in Brooklyn Heights
Courtesy of the Brooklyn Public Library
Learn about life at Rikers Island
The city’s most notorious and controversial jail takes center stage in this discussion of a new book from David Campbell and Jarrod Shanahan, both of whom served time at Rikers. Their book is called “City Time: On Being Sentenced to Rikers Island,” and their chat will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 14, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Center for Brooklyn History in Brooklyn Heights.
Admission to the Bronx Zoo is free on Wednesdays, though you do need to reserve a timed ticket in advance.
Photo by Julie Larsen Maher / Courtesy of the Bronx Zoo
Find a Wednesday to go to the Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo is yet another of those New York City landmarks that becomes more appealing to visit during the dead of winter, when there aren’t as many tourists clogging it up. Admission to the park is free on Wednesdays, though you do need to reserve a timed ticket in advance. It’s a great excuse to take a personal day and traipse around the city’s best zoo.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described the Rikers Island jail complex.
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new york city
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Anthony Schneck
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