Free Outdoor Movies in NYC This Summer

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 alfresco screenings all summer long, including the Movies Under the Stars series, which offers screenings in some of our favorite parks and playgrounds, Bryant Park Movie Nights, Sidewalk Cinema, and Movies on the Waterfront.
If you're looking for paid options, check out our roundup of drive-in movie theaters in and near NYC. Be sure to bookmark our Activity Calendar for more fun things to do.
Movies usually begin when evening falls, so when we pass summer solstice the showtimes begin earlier. 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 Movies in Manhattan
Free Outdoor Movies in Brooklyn
Free Outdoor Movies in Staten Island
Places featured in this article:
Eugene McCabe Field
St. Catherine's Park
St. Vartan Park
Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum
Samuel N. Bennerson 2nd Playground
St. Vartan Park
Washington Square Park
Harlem River Park
Robert Moses Playground
Happy Warrior Playground
William Passannante Ballfield
Bellevue Park South
Abraham Lincoln Playground
Carl Schurz Park
Commodore Barry Park
Owl's Head Park
Amersfort Park
Bill Brown Playground
Brooklyn Army Terminal
Clove Lakes Park House
Faber Park (in Faber Pool and Park)
Wolfe's Pond Park