{"id":276947,"date":"2026-06-24T18:50:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T18:50:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/276947\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T18:50:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T18:50:12","slug":"top-ten-budget-friendly-places-queens-families-can-visit-in-and-around-nyc-this-summer-qns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/276947\/","title":{"rendered":"Top ten budget-friendly places Queens families can visit in and around NYC this summer \u2013 QNS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summertime, and the living\u2019s easy \u2013 especially when you want to go out on a budget. New York City may be the most expensive area in the U.S., but there are still ways to go out for cheap, and sometimes even for free! Here is a list of the top ten budget-friendly places to visit with family in and around NYC.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In New York City<\/p>\n

Take the Roosevelt Island Tram\n<\/p>\n

Since 1976, the Roosevelt Island Tram has offered breathtaking views of Midtown Manhattan and the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge \u2013 all for the low cost of $3 (the price of a standard MTA ride). The three to four-minute commuter cable car takes you from the Upper East Side to Roosevelt Island. Make sure to act fast \u2013 lines can get pretty long and it can get crowded. You can even make a day out of it to explore Roosevelt Island, taking in the sights and even having a little picnic by the waterfront.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Operating hours are from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday to Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, the tramway runs from 6 a.m. to 3:30 a.m.\n<\/p>\n

Take the ferry to Rockaway Beach\n<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re in Throgs Neck, East 90th or 34th, or Sunset Park, Rockaway Beach<\/a> in Queens is just a ferry ride away. It serves commuters access to the beaches, all for the low cost of $3 (the price of a standard MTA ride). The 120-minute ride (if you\u2019re coming from Throgs Neck) gives a scenic view of the city and Queens, depending on where you sit. Once you arrive, you can easily have a budgeted or even free experience at the beach. One could picnic by the water, relax on a beach towel or bring their swimsuits and swim ashore.\u00a0<\/p>\n

During the weekdays, the ferry runs as early as 5 a.m., with the last ride being as late as 8:35 p.m. On the weekends, the ferry departs as early as 8:47 a.m., with the last ride being 9:17 p.m. With high demand for the summer, supplemental service will be running on the weekend.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Visit Museums \u2013 all for free!
\n\"\"<\/a>MoMA PS1 has been a popular fixture in Long Island City since it opened in 1976. Photo by Ramy Mahmoud\n<\/p>\n

Did you know there is a plethora of museums you can visit, all for free? Throughout the five boroughs, there are many museums with free entry, whether it\u2019s every day or on certain days of the week.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In Manhattan, guests can indulge in fashion trends at the Museum at FIT<\/a>. Going with younger ones? The Whitney Museum<\/a> is free for anyone under 25, and free for everyone on Friday nights and second Sunday of the month. In Queens, guests can visit the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows Corona Park<\/a> and MoMA PS1<\/a> in Long Island City<\/a>, where one can view artwork by local artists. In the Bronx, the Bronx Museum<\/a> hosts contemporary art \u2013 all for free. In Staten Island, the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden<\/a> is free of charge to its main outdoor grounds and gardens, open 7 days a week from dawn to dusk. In Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Museum<\/a> hosts free First Saturdays for over 25 years, with special programming from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.<\/p>\n

For more museums that are free (or pay what you wish), you can visit this handy guide here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Attend free summer concerts\n<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019d like to rock out or chill to some jazz music, New York City hosts a wide variety of free concerts to enjoy \u2013 and you guessed it, it\u2019s all for free. Guests can visit Bryant Park in Manhattan to indulge in some Piano playing,<\/a> where NYC\u2019s finest play ragtime, stride and jazz music. On July 5, guests can visit the Ralph Ellison Plaza in Manhattan<\/a> for some jazz music from a local array of musicians and vocalists. In Staten Island on the same day<\/a>, a philharmonic concert celebrating America\u2019s 250th anniversary will be held at the Great Lawn at the Conference House Park. At Astoria Park on July 9, guests can enjoy rock music by BonJourney<\/a> \u2013 a Bon Jovi and Journey tribute band.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For more free concerts, guests can visit the NYC Parks website here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Attend free movies in the park\n<\/p>\n

Similar to the free concerts, NYC also offers free movies of all genres to watch under the stars. On July 2, Brooklyn Bridge Park will host \u201cMovies with a View,\u201d presented by Persol, kicking off the 4th of July weekend by streaming the hit musical Hamilton. On July 3, the Playground Area in Bailey Playground in the Bronx will be streaming the film The Bad Guys 2. At the soccer field in Thomas Jefferson Park in Manhattan, they will be showing the film Ronaldo, about soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo. At the Travers Park Plaza in Queens on July 14, they will be showing the film Pele: Birth of a Legend as part of their soccer series in honor of the World Cup.<\/p>\n

Interested in seeing more movies? You can visit the NYC Parks website here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ride the Staten Island Ferry\u00a0
\n\"\"<\/a>The Staten Island Ferry. Photo via Getty Images\n<\/p>\n

The Staten Island Ferry is a completely free, 24\/7 public transit service that offers stunning views of Lower Manhattan and even a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty. The ferry takes over 70,000 passengers daily from Whitehall Street to St. George. They even sell snacks and beer (with beer making its official return this past March, the first time since 2019) for those who want to crack open a beer while basking in the views. Once you get off at Staten Island, there is an abundance of things to do on a budget, including exploring the Empire Outlet Mall or the St. George Theatre.<\/p>\n

Partake in your local library\u2019s free activities
\n\"reopen\"<\/a>QPL Hillcrest branch. Photo via Google Maps\n<\/p>\n

The New York Public Library<\/a>, the Queens Public Library<\/a> and the Brooklyn Public Library<\/a> hosts a variety of events \u2013 all for free. You can visit the NYPL\u2019s exhibitions at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, such as the Polonsky Exhibition of the NYPL\u2019s Public Library Treasures, Summer at the Library events at Queens Public Library and Toddler Time at the Brooklyn Public Library, where the young ones can enjoy stories, songs and rhymes. For more information on events held at your local library, you can visit their events calendar: NYPL<\/a>, Queens<\/a>, and Brooklyn<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Around New York City<\/p>\n

Take the car, bus, or Metro North to go hiking.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

New York State isn\u2019t just a metropolis \u2013 there\u2019s a wide variety of hiking trails in the state, some even being a quick Metro North ride or a one-hour car drive away. Harriman State Park \u2013 located 30 miles north of NYC \u2013 is the second largest state park in the state, with 31 lakes, two beaches and over 200 miles of hiking trail. Harriman, in Rockland and Orange counties, is a 1-hour car drive away. Bear Mountain, in the Hudson Highlands, is 45 miles north of New York City. Taking the 700 bus from Port Authority (roughly an hour and 45 minutes) or a 1-hour car ride, this is for the experienced hikers who want to take on a challenge. It serves as an historic role as the first section of the Appalachian Trail. Cold Spring, which is a 1-hour and 30-minute ride on the Metro-North from Grand Central, is a small town with a breathtaking view of the Hudson River. They feature an 8-mile hiking trail from Cold Spring to Beacon, where you can enjoy nature while visiting two small towns.<\/p>\n

Visit a quaint Long Island town via car or LIRR
\n\"\"<\/a>Sag Harbor on Long Island. Photo via Getty Images\n<\/p>\n

Nassau and Suffolk counties are filled with quaint, small towns with so much to see. Huntington \u2013 a 1-hour and 49-minute LIRR ride from Penn Station, or a 1-hour drive \u2013 is a coastal town located on the North Shore that carries a small-town vibe, filled with history, a vibrant business corridor and beaches. Northport \u2013 a two-hour train ride on the LIRR, and a 1-hour and 30-minute drive \u2013 features a Victorian-era downtown, with a walkable main street and a harbor with beautiful views of the water. Seacliff \u2013 a 1-hour and 28-minute LIRR ride or a 1-hour drive \u2013 also features Victorian architecture combined with waterfront views of the harbor. This is the spot to be if you enjoy being surrounded by nature.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kids Bowl Free in New Jersey
\n\"\"<\/a>Photo via Getty Images\n<\/p>\n

If you want to cross state lines, kids can bowl free throughout the summer in New Jersey. To participate, families must register a Kids Bowl Free account<\/a>, where they can bowl two free games every day, all summer long. Bowling centers that are a bus ride away from Port Authority include The Funplex at East Hanover (2-hour ride, taking the NJ Transit and 73 bus); Lodi Lanes in Ledgewood (49-minute bus ride, taking the 164 and 780); and Holiday Bowl in Oakland (1 hour and 30-minute bus ride, taking the 250).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Summertime, and the living\u2019s easy \u2013 especially when you want to go out on a budget. New York…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":276948,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[26301,2576,9,24,63,294,106461,134,9375,136,135],"class_list":["post-276947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-staten-island","tag-libraries","tag-museums","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-rockaway-beach","tag-roosevelt-island-tram","tag-staten-island","tag-staten-island-ferry","tag-staten-island-headlines","tag-staten-island-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276947","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=276947"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276947\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/276948"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=276947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=276947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=276947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}