
Tripadvisor
1 / 30#30. Mirror Lake
- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,079 reviews)
- City: Lake Placid New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Being an American can be incredibly expensive. While workers in the United States have seen a 1,015% increase in wages over the past 50 years, those gains haven't caught up with the ever-growing cost of living, according to a 2025 report from Consumer Affairs. Between 1973 and 2023, the national consumer price index increased by 586%.
Although Americans have about 63% more purchasing power than 50 years ago, that quickly dissipates when factoring in the increased costs of housing and education. Housing costs have jumped about 1,045%, private college tuition has risen by 158%, and public college tuition has increased by 177%.
That imbalance has put a huge strain on the average American. In 2023, a record-high 42.9 million households were cost-burdened, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.
It's no wonder that maintaining savings, paying down debts and mortgages, and regular expenses are taking precedence over vacations. But not everything that's enjoyable has to come at a high price. In fact, there's a roster of completely free things to do in New York.
From touring landmarks and historical sites to getting out into nature, you can find all this and more without swiping your credit card or crossing state lines.
To help you find your next free activity, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated free things to do in New York using data from Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor ranks places using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, an activity with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of Aug. 18, 2025. Only locations that received at least 20 reviews were included.
Read on to start planning a weekend of free fun near you!
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Tripadvisor
1 / 30- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,079 reviews)
- City: Lake Placid New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
2 / 30- Rating: 4.7/5 (2,395 reviews)
- City: Poughkeepsie New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
3 / 30- Rating: 4.7/5 (3,364 reviews)
- City: Brooklyn New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
4 / 30- Rating: 4.6/5 (4,627 reviews)
- City: Niagara Falls New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
5 / 30- Rating: 4.6/5 (656 reviews)
- City: Brooklyn New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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Tripadvisor
6 / 30- Rating: 4.0/5 (4,956 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
7 / 30- Rating: 4.4/5 (950 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
8 / 30- Rating: 4.7/5 (3,489 reviews)
- City: Brooklyn New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
9 / 30- Rating: 4.2/5 (4,090 reviews)
- City: Central Valley New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
10 / 30- Rating: 4.4/5 (3,874 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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Tripadvisor
11 / 30- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,539 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
12 / 30- Rating: 4.1/5 (4,969 reviews)
- City: Brooklyn New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
13 / 30- Rating: 4.5/5 (8,603 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
14 / 30- Rating: 4.5/5 (3,845 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
15 / 30- Rating: 4.6/5 (15,396 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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Tripadvisor
16 / 30- Rating: 4.6/5 (2,985 reviews)
- City: Brooklyn New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
17 / 30- Rating: 4.8/5 (21,511 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
18 / 30- Rating: 4.7/5 (8,267 reviews)
- City: Niagara Falls New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
19 / 30- Rating: 4.5/5 (2,759 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
20 / 30- Rating: 4.6/5 (24,003 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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Tripadvisor
21 / 30- Rating: 4.5/5 (25,697 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
22 / 30- Rating: 4.5/5 (9,948 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
23 / 30- Rating: 4.6/5 (23,124 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
24 / 30- Rating: 4.6/5 (14,739 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
25 / 30- Rating: 4.6/5 (32,403 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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Tripadvisor
26 / 30- Rating: 4.6/5 (44,847 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
27 / 30- Rating: 4.7/5 (26,279 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
28 / 30- Rating: 4.3/5 (57,102 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
29 / 30- Rating: 4.5/5 (63,344 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor
30 / 30- Rating: 4.7/5 (134,336 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.
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