Save your pennies for a Broadway show or an upgrade to your hotel! There is plenty to do for free in NYC, and chances are you will find yourself right next to many of these tourism goldmines during the course of your stay in Manhattan. The following ten items are in no particular order, so take a second to look them over and then think about a logical order to take them in for your needs.

Washington Square Park – The people watching can’t be beat in this trendy neighborhood park where you can visit its famous Arch named for George Washington and it’s elder landmark fountain. June 2009 brought about a great celebration marking completion of the park’s first phase renovations. Phase one, which began in late 2007 with and carried a pricetag of $13 million, includes more trees, expanded lawns, fountain renovation, repaved pathways and new benches.

Federal Reserve Bank FREE Tour – Don’t skip past this one quite so quickly… maybe a rainy day would be a good time to schedule this indoor activity. You’ll not only be indoors, but you’ll journey five stories underground to see the Reserve Bank’s vault of international monetary gold. This will be perfect for the Pirates or Harry Potter fans among your brood. The only price you pay here is planning; call ahead because there are only five daily tours from 9:30 – 3:30.

Metropolitan Museum of Art – “The Met” as you will learn to call it, is technically free, though a donation is suggested ($15 adults, $10 seniors, and $7 students). It would be a shame to miss this world class collection, so if you are truly broke, go anyway, but do donate if you are able.

Grand Central Station – Chances are you will find yourself here as a matter of necessity during your stay, so take some time to explore. Ask anyone who works in the station about the “Whispering Arches” in front of the Oyster Bar & Restaurant; they aren’t marked, but whispering into the corners produces an unique acoustic effect that sounds as though one is speaking from across the room!

F.A.O. Schwartz – Head on over to the intersection of 5^th Avenue x 58^th Street and indulge your inner child. For decades, this landmark store in Manhattan has offered a unique and interactive experience that puts window shopping to shame. You can touch, handle, and experiment with so many different toys you will not easily get bored taking part in this truly unique New York City tradition.

Upright Citizens Brigade – You’ll recognize many faces in the Upright Citizens Brigade’s lineup and alumni; many have gone on to fame in the entertainment industry. If comedy is your pursuit, UCB definitely needs to find its way onto your schedule. The typical $5 or $8 cover is waived on almost every Monday 11PM show and many of the Thursday 11PM shows.

TV Show Tapings – Many of the network shows are free, but they require a little planning. Click around the internet to zero in on your particular show of choice, or just head down to one of the studios in Times Square where the studio is actually visible from the street, and the cameras are happy to capture random shots of the crowd. Many of the shows will have live music or other performing arts out on the street during the broadcasts.

Central Park – What else is there that hasn’t been said about New York’s famous Central Park. There is much to do here, even if you just find yourself with a few unscheduled hours during which you’d like to take a nice stroll. A visit to New York really isn’t complete without at least a couple hours in the park.

Brooklyn Bridge – You know it by site if not by name, and the latter might suggest you have never seen a movie that was filmed in New York. This local celebrity deserves every bit of attention, and a walk across this landmark bridge connecting Brooklyn to lower Manhattan will inspire and amaze you. Be sure to take your camera and capture some of those great “foreground/cityscape” shots and you’ll realize you don’t need to purchase a postcard when you can email your own shots to all your friends!