Free Outdoor Movies for Kids in NYC this Summer

Enjoying a free alfresco flick is a rite of summer in New York City. Every year, new outdoor movie series seem to pop up, and even though most of them aren't aimed specifically at families, many of the screenings are kid-friendly.

Movies begin at dusk (between 8-8:30pm) but make sure you arrive early: The well known series, like the Bryant Park Film Festival and Brooklyn Bridge Park's Movies With a View, fill up fast. Plus, some of them offer cool, pre-movie entertainment.

So pack a picnic (complete with popcorn), bring your blanket and watch a flick at one of these outdoor summer movie series in NYC.

Big Screen Plaza – Flatiron
Tuesdays and Saturdays at 7pm, June-October
Behind the Eventi Hotel on Sixth Avenue between 29th and 30th Streets
FREE
Launched in 2010, this series is held in a large outdoor plaza with a 30 by 16-foot HD-format LED screen. Although not specifically aimed at kids, this year's lineup includes family favorites like E.T. and Close Encounters. Bring your own food or buy grub at FoodParc, and then grab a chair or put down a blanket. Click here for the complete schedule.

Bryant Park Film Festival – Midtown West
Mondays, June 20-August 22
Bryant Park
FREE
With its lineup of classic movies, this series attracts serious cinephiles. In short, leave your preschoolers at home. There aren't too many films with kid-appeal this year (how many children can appreciate Preston Sturges' screwball comedy The Lady Eve or Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?) But tweens should enjoy the zany Airplane!. Warning: This one gets seriously crowded! Click here for the complete schedule.

Central Park Film Festival – Upper West Side
Monday-Friday August 22-27
The area between Sheep Meadow and the 72nd Street Cross Drive
FREE
Manhattan's iconic green space has moved its one-week movie series to the west side. This year's theme is music. Unfortunately, most of the offerings aren't very tuneful, at least for families, unless you really want to introduce your brood to Charlie Parker's music and heroin habit in Bird. Dreamgirls is probably your best bet if you have tweens. Click here for the complete schedule.

Coney Island Flicks on the Beach – Coney Island
Mondays, July 11-August 29
Luna Park
FREE
After hitting the rides at Luna Park, settle in for cinema by the seashore. Family-friendly highlights include Rango, Top Gun, Iron Man 2 and Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. Click here for the complete schedule.

Epix Movie Free-for-All – East Village
Thursdays, June 30-September 1
Tompkins Square Park
FREE
Epix HD, which cosponsors the series in Coney Island and one in McCarren Park, also brings movies to the East Village. However, except for the Star Trek reboot and Coming to America, these films are strictly for adults. Click here for the complete schedule.

Habana Outpost Brooklyn's Outdoor Movie Series – Fort Greene
Sundays, May 22-October 23
FREE
The popular eco-eatery often hosts complimentary community activities like this Sunday night movie series, which lasts well into the fall. The lineup's quite eclectic, including lots of cult hits from the '70s and '80s like Saturday Night Fever, Krush Groove, Roller Boogie, Grease, St. Elmo's Fire and Purple Rain. Food, of course, is available for purchase. Click here for the complete schedule.

Intrepid Summer Movie Series – Midtown West
Fridays, June 24, July 8, July 22, August 5 and August 19
Intrepid Air & Space Museum
FREE
The giant ship screens old-school blockbusters on its flight deck like The Goonies, Back to the Future and E.T. Click here for the complete schedule.

Movie Nights in Astoria Park – Astoria
Mondays, August 1-22
Astoria Park Lawn
FREE
This series is mostly family-friendly fare: Toy Story, Saturday Night Fever, Akeelah and the Bee, and Shrek.

Movies Under the Stars – Upper West Side
Wednesdays, July 13-August 17
Pier I in Riverside Park
FREE
Horror is the theme this year, but we're not talking Nightmare on Elm Street. School your Twlight-obsessed tweens in genre flicks of yore, like the 1933 version of Invisible Man, Hitchcock's The Birds and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! Click here for the complete schedule.

Movies Under the Stars – Hoboken
Wednesdays, June 15-August 24
Hoboken Pier A Park
FREE
Across the water, flicks are screened in that other Hudson River park: Hoboken Pier A Park. If you're coming from Manhattan, just hop on the PATH train, and then settle in for films like The Wizard of Oz and Toy Story 3. Click here for the complete schedule.

Movies Under the Stars – Staten Island
Fridays, June 17-July 15
Snug Harbor
FREE
Held at Staten Island's gorgeous Snug Harbor, this series features pre-screening concerts from local bands. Flicks include Singing in the Rain and Mars Attacks!. Click here for the complete schedule.

Movies with a View – Dumbo
Thursdays, July 7-September 1
Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1, Harbor View Lawn
FREE
Not only do you get a movie and a view, you also get complimentary pre-show entertainment like a DJ, and free valet bike parking courtesy of Transportation Alternatives. Again, this series isn't aimed at kids, but family-friendly offerings include Ghostbusters, An American Tail and Breakfast at Tiffany's. Click here for the complete schedule.

Narrows Botanical Gardens Movie Nights – Bay Ridge
Fridays, July 8 and July 22, August 5 and August 19
FREE
Didn't know that Brooklyn had another botanical garden, did you? This small green space hosts a quartet of free flicks, including Wall-E and Over the Hedge. Click here for the complete schedule.

Outdoor Summer Movie Series – Roosevelt Island
Saturdays, June 25-September 3
Firefighters Field on Roosevelt Island
FREE
Enjoy a daycation on the lovely isle, then end your visit with a free family flick by the water. This year's lineup is super family-friendly, and includes The Goonies, Up and Tron: Legacy. Click here for the complete schedule.

RCN Movie Nights – Murray Hill
Mondays, August 1-22
Waterside Plaza
FREE
This high-rise apartment complex on the East River hosts four superhero flicks in August: Iron Man, Spiderman 2, Spy Kids and The Incredibles. Bonus: Snag free popcorn and beverages while supplies last. Seating is extremely limited and you should bring your own blankets or chairs. Click here for the complete schedule.

Red Hook Summer Movies – Red Hook
Tuesdays, July 12-September 13
Valentino Pier
FREE
Catch a film within eye shot of the Statue of Liberty. The lineup includes some great family flicks, including Iron Giant, the original Karate Kid, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure and Men in Black. Click here for the complete schedule.

RiverFlicks for Kids – West Village
Fridays, July 8-August 19
Pier 46 in Hudson River Park

FREE
This kid-centric series has a fantastic lineup this year, featuring all of last year's big family hits including The Karate Kid, Despicable Me, Toy Story 3, How to Train Your Dragon and Tangled. Makes you wish you hadn't paid for them the first time around, huh? Click here for the complete schedule. There is also a RiverFlicks for Grown-Ups series at Pier 63 on Wednesdays, however, this year's offerings are all PG-13 and up. You could probably get away with taking older tweens to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Easy A. Click here for the complete schedule.

River to River: Movies on the Elevated Acre – Financial District
Mondays, June 20-July 11
Elevated Acre
This year's lineup isn't really for the kids, although teens should enjoy seeing '80s NYC in locally shot flicks Desperately Seeking Susan and The Brother From Another Planet. Click here for the complete schedule.

SummerScreen – Williamsburg
Wednesdays, July 6-August 24
McCarren Park
FREE
Your tweens should get a kick out of Wayne's World, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Clueless. Be warned: Since it's sponsored by L Magazine, you may get sneered at by disaffected twenty-somethings. Click here for the complete schedule.

SummerStarz – Williamsburg
Thursdays, July 14-August 18
East River State Park
FREE
Another Williamsburg film series, only no one will roll your eyes at you here: SummerStarz is specifically aimed at families. The movies are all kid favorites like Free Willy, Mary Poppins and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and starting at 6pm, there are fun activities sponsored by local organizations like the Brooklyn Children's Museum, Gym Park and the New York Road Runners. Click here for the complete schedule.

There are also random screenings in various parks throughout the summer, so it's browsing the New York City Parks Department's calendar.

For more seasonal happenings, check out our Summer Fun Guide or our Events Calendar.