Sophia Rubino

New York City is full of free outdoor art that you don't even have to go to a museum to see. Sculptures, murals and photographs can be found in its parks, sidewalks and on its buildings! Locations such as the High Line, Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum Of Art, Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn, Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens and other NYC locales all have a wide variety of pieces awaiting you, from massive sculptures to eye-popping murals and graffiti. Best of all, it costs you nothing to pay a visit. Below, find the best outdoor art in NYC to stroll by for a DIY walking tour. RECOMMENDED: The best art shows and exhibits in NYC

If you’re looking for the best things to do in NYC this week, or even for today, there are tons of fun options, including MoMA PS1's Warm Up, a Messi immersive exhibit, Uptown Bounce, Summer Sounds at Manhattan West, Paw Play Days, and awesome free events in NYC! For more ideas, scroll down to see this week's best things to do in NYC. RECOMMENDED: Full list of the best things to do in New York Stay in the Loop: Sign up for our free weekly newsletter to get the latest in New York City news, culture and dining. 

There's nothing more "summer in NYC" than taking in a movie in the great outdoors, under the hardly-seen stars and set to the humming soundtrack of the city. Even better, all of the screenings listed here are free to attend. New Yorkers love to take in films on the nicest rooftops, on the best beaches, and in our city's greatest parks (preferably with a drink or popcorn in hand). Luckily, NYC has no shortage of movies in the park you can attend in the warmer months. Prefer to watch your favorite films indoors in the A/C? Check out the best movie theaters in NYC. And for some at-home inspiration, you can always catch up on the best NYC movies of all time. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to things to do in the summer in NYC 

It might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about summer in the city, but when you need to beat the heat, why not give free kayaking in NYC a try? We’ve got plenty of water, from the Hudson River to the East River Estuary, and these waterways offer some of the best views of many of New York’s attractions. If you own your own kayak, you’re all set to paddle. For the rest of us, there are many organizations around the city that aim to reconnect urbanites to nature and the aquatic ecosystems that surround us. Groups of boaters and paddling enthusiasts lead small groups around New York’s waterways, offering a cool, relaxing and educational adventure. Best of all? It’s free! NYC Parks also hosts one-off free kayaking and canoeing events throughout the summer!  Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island all have boating opportunities for you this summer. Most are first-come-first-served or by reservation only, so be sure to check before you head out. After all that paddling, treat yourself to a hearty NYC brunch. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to things to do outside in NYC

This West Village standout boasts impressive series year-round for even the most eclectic tastes. Whatever your mood, there’s probably something playing today at IFC to match it. Its selection of eclectic midnight features can’t be beaten. Is it the most modern spot on this list? Definitely not, but the vibes are good. And don’t forget to check out their charming selection of merch for the cinephile in your life.

Going to BAM always feels like a special event—and with good reason. It’s a local institution and features some of the best film programming in the city. If you’re looking to get your face blown off by a cutting-edge sound system, look elsewhere. But if you want to see the latest festival darling or experience an old-school classic on the big screen for the first time, look no further.

Stepping into Film Forum feels like stepping back in time to a different version of New York. That’s appropriate since it’s been in operation since 1970. The vibe is cozy—not in the real estate sense that actually means "claustrophobic," but in the sense that you’ll feel right at home and want to stay for a while. In many ways, Film Forum is the anti-mega-cineplex: a unique NY institution that’s earned a spot on this list.

While promoting the reopening of Astoria’s ginormous homage to the silver screen in 2011, film curator David Schwartz described heading into the 267-seat theater as “entering a spaceship and going on a voyage.” We’re hard-pressed to characterize the trippy, almost podlike space any better. Moving Image manages to land some big gets for Q&As and programs an intriguing mix of cutting-edge world and experimental cinema, classics (sometimes in that rarely screened, beautiful 70-millimeter format) and New York premieres.

While the Paris has undergone some changes in the last few years (it was bought by Netflix in 2019), it’s still an institution. Since 1948, the Paris has been Manhattan’s largest single-screen movie theater with a staggering 535 seats. Fortunately, Netflix hasn’t slouched on programming the classic cinematheque or given it over entirely to screening their own productions.

Alamo was one of the first pioneers of the whole “get dinner and a beer at the movies” vibe in the modern movie era, and they’ve got it down to an art. The seats are comfy, the popcorn has free refills, and they program fan favorites year-round in addition to new hits. This list isn’t about pitting major chains against each other, but Alamo has carved out a niche and they’re darn good at what they do. And, with locations in Lower Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn and Staten Island, that niche is widely accessible.

Want to catch a movie in what feels like a futuristic spaceport? Your options are limited but the Quad has you covered. The stunning results of its 2017 renovation are worth a look for the aesthetics alone, but the programming is impressively varied as well. The overall impression is that your experience here has been carefully curated, and that’s a very good thing.

There has to be somewhere in the city to see the latest bone-vibrating blockbuster, right? Your options for chain multiplexes are plentiful, but the AMC on 68th is huge, bright and clean. Plus it has the largest IMAX screen in the country (it’s 75.6 feet tall and 101 feet wide) and projects in gloriously massive 70mm.

The Angelika is a classic, OK? It’s true that taking the escalator down from the lobby feels a little like descending to the center of the earth but some of us enjoy that, and while the theater might occasionally rumble with the audible vibrations of a nearby passing subway, this adds character to the experience. Long live the Angelika and long live the movies!

This popular hybrid serves themed top-shelf cocktails and eats during first-run showings. Nitehawk also programs fun old faves, brunch and midnight screenings, bands playing over experimental shorts by locals, and viewings that include a beer-pairing dinner. All that fun can attract a big crowd, so thank goodness there are two Brooklyn locations—Williamsburg and Prospect Park!

In 2011, Lincoln Center unveiled this ahead-of-the-curve project. The center is split into two super-stylish theaters, plus an 87-seat amphitheater that boasts the largest plasma screen in the world. Heavyweight directors such as Pedro Almodóvar and Oliver Stone have stopped by to talk shop; microbudget indies, cool retrospectives, and critically acclaimed international films and docs round out the programming.

Why did the chicken cross the road? Artist Allison Katz knows the answer and tells all on her new billboard titled "Don't ASK" adjacent to the High Line on 18th Street near 10th Avenue. Inspired by her own 2023 painting of a rooster and hen moseying across an asphalt road at a monumental scale overlooking Chelsea’s streetscape, Katz created her most recent billboard as a nod to her interest in arterial systems as they relate to "momentum and the transit of thought and experience," according to a press release about the billboard. This piece, made possible by High Line Art, is on view through August 2025. High Line Art was founded in 2009 and commissions and produces various different types of artwork in order to produce a unique relationship with architecture and provoke discussion surrounding the area in which it inhabits.

When slavery is taught in an educational setting, perspectives are often erased or overlooked. Marcus Brown, a New Orleans-based artist with enslaved African ancestors, aims to share the stories of enslaved people with four free Augmented Reality (AR) exhibitions across New York City opening July 25 and running through July 2026. As part of the city's Arts in the Park initiative, Brown's "Slavery Trails" takes historical sites that are tied to slavery and crafts them into digital memorials using sculpture and AR that visitors may access via mobile device. Manhattan will house two exhibitions while Brooklyn and Queens will showcase one; "merging technology, music and history into public memory spaces that honor the enslaved and challenge contemporary narratives," according to a press release about the exhibition. Recommended: The best outdoor art in NYC this summer Manhattan's two sculptures are titled "The Slave Market: Wall Street" and "New York Slave Conspiracy of 1741. Brooklyn and Queens work together to tell "American Gold III" and "American Gold IV," respectively.  In Manhattan, "The Slave Market: Wall Street" makes visible the enslaved Africans and Native Americans who were bought and sold during the 1711 New York slave market. The second installation in Manhattan, titled "New York Slave Conspiracy of 1741," brings attention to the mass hysteria in response to mysterious fires which led to the execution and exile of primarily Black and enslaved New Yorkers. Both are lo

More than a century ago, an elephant named Alice embarked on an epic adventure, escaping her enclosure in Coney Island and swimming about five miles to Staten Island. After having heard this unlikely story, local artist Diane Matyas felt hope, buoyancy, endurance—and artistic inspiration. The tale led her to create The Luna Park Elephant, a larger-than-life exhibition capturing Alice's story. The public artwork is on display in Maker Park on the eastern edge of Staten Island through June 2026. RECOMMENDED: The best outdoor art in NYC this summer Photograph by Diane Matyas In Matyas’s sculpture, Alice the colorful elephant perches on the side of a metal shipping container painted in blue hues evoking the Narrows she swam through 121 years ago. Visitors are invited to move Alice's legs, helping her to "swim" the very path she did in real life. Her massive body extends to 10 feet when visitors stretch her legs as if she's a shadow puppet.   Unlike a typical gray elephant, Alice is decorated in ornate orange, blue and pink designs inspired by Sri Lankan prints. In real life, Alice was owned by Frederick Thompson of Luna Park in Coney Island. Just a year before Alice's escape, Thompson became known for his public display of animal cruelty when he electrocuted one of his other elephants, Topsy, according to Untapped Cities. Alice's journey can be framed as more of an escape in this light, especially when her demeanor went from "meek and friendly, perhaps a bit hungry, but not at