Where to See Free Summer Movies in NYC for an Outdoor Movie Night

New York City screens tons of FREE outdoor movies each summer, and many of them are just for kids and families. We keep an eye on these special outdoor summer movie screenings all season long, including the Movies Under the Stars series, which offers screenings in some of our favorite parks and playgrounds, Bryant Park Movie Nights, and Sidewalk Cinema.
New in 2022: Movies Under the Stars, hosted by NYC Parks Department, requires online registration so be sure to click through to the website for the movies you want to see and secure your spot.
If you're looking for paid options, check out our roundup of drive-in movie theaters near NYC.
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Movies usually begin when evening falls, but plan to arrive early to stake out a good viewing spot. Even if your local park is screening a flick you've watched a dozen times before, it's a totally different experience viewing it in the open air alongside other fans. It's a thrilling, communal event, and a summer rite of passage for New Yorkers of all ages.
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Free Outdoor Movie Nights in Manhattan
Free Outdoor Movies in Brooklyn This Summer
Free Outdoor Movies in Queens
Free Outdoor Movies in Staten Island
Free Outdoor Movies in the Bronx
Places featured in this article:
Samuel N Bennerson 2nd Playground
Vesuvio Playground
Penn South Playground
Hansborough Recreation Center
Langston Hughes Playground
Lincoln Center - Hearst Plaza
Carl Schurz Park
Governors Island
East River Plaza Garage Rooftop (4th Floor)
Mae Grant Playground
Randall's Island
Columbus Park,
Fort Tryon Park, Dongan Lawn
Vincent Albano Jr Playground
Washington Square Park
Hamilton Fish Recreation Center
Randall's Island
Gutenberg Playground
Asphalt Green
Hamilton Fish Park
Carmansville Playground
Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum
Carl Schurz Park
Lincoln Terrace / Arthur S. Somers Park
50 Kent Pop-Up Park
Herbert Von King Park
Bill Brown Playground
Fort Greene Park
Prospect Park
McGolrick Park
Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk
Beach 17th Street
Cunningham Park
Astoria Park
Highland Park
Midland Field
Harris Brothers Park
Conference House Conservancy
Silver Lake Park
Faber Park Recreation Center
Lemon Creek Park
Bloomingdale Park
Schmul Park
Kwame Ture Recreation Center
Van Cortlandt Park Running Track
Williamsbrdige Oval Recreation Center
Bronx Terminal Market
Pelham Bay Park
East 161st Street and Grand Concourse