Free Things to Do in Atlanta

Atlanta has an impressive amount of free culture, green space, and history. The BeltLine trail system, the MLK Historic Site, and several world-class museums with free admission days make it one of the best-value major cities in the Southeast.

The BeltLine (Free)

Atlanta BeltLine — A 33-mile loop of multi-use trails, parks, and public art connecting 45 neighborhoods around the city. The Eastside Trail (from Piedmont Park to Krog Street Market) is the most popular stretch — murals, restaurants, and a vibrant walking/cycling scene. Free.

Free Things to Do in Austin

Austin’s motto is “Keep Austin Weird” — and the city delivers an enormous amount of free weird (and wonderful) experiences. Free live music on every corner, 1.5 million bats emerging from a bridge at sunset, and swimming holes that look like they belong in a magazine.

Congress Avenue Bats (Free)

The Congress Avenue Bridge is home to 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats — the largest urban bat colony in North America. Every evening from March through October, the bats emerge in a massive cloud at sunset, spiraling into the sky to feed on insects. Stand on the bridge, the hike-and-bike trail below, or from the TGI Friday’s patio (yes, seriously) for the best views. Completely free.

Free Things to Do in Branson

Branson’s entertainment strip charges for shows and attractions, but the Ozark Mountains surrounding the city offer spectacular free experiences — and several of the in-town attractions are free too.

Free Entertainment

Branson Landing fountain show — A choreographed water, fire, and music fountain show at the Branson Landing waterfront. Shows run multiple times daily. Free.

Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater (exterior) — The building itself is a landmark. Free to photograph and admire.

Free Things to Do in Clearwater Beach

Clearwater Beach has been ranked #1 in the US multiple times — and walking on it is free. Beyond the sand, the nightly Pier 60 celebration and the Gulf Coast nature make for a full day without spending.

Beach & Pier 60 (Free)

Clearwater Beach — Sugar-white sand, calm turquoise Gulf water, and lifeguards in season. Free to access from any public walkover. The beach is wide and there’s room for everyone, even in peak season.

Free Things to Do in Daytona Beach

Daytona Beach’s biggest attraction has always been free — 23 miles of hard-packed sand beach where you can drive your car right onto the sand, park, and set up for the day. But there’s a lot more free stuff beyond the beach.

The Beach (Free — Sort Of)

Beach driving — Daytona is one of the few places in Florida where you can still drive on the beach. Access points at marked beach ramps along Atlantic Avenue. There’s a $20 vehicle fee during peak season (February-November), but it’s free December-January and free to walk on year-round.

Free Things to Do in Destin

Destin’s main attraction — the emerald-green Gulf water and white-sand beach — is free. Beyond the beach, HarborWalk Village, nature trails, and sunset viewing round out a full day of no-cost entertainment.

Beach (Free)

Henderson Beach State Park — The most pristine beach in Destin. $6 vehicle entry (not technically free, but included here because the beach is that good). Nature trails behind the dunes, boardwalk access, and sugar-white sand.

Free Things to Do in Gatlinburg & the Smoky Mountains

The biggest attraction near Gatlinburg is free — Great Smoky Mountains National Park charges no admission fee, making it the most visited national park in America. Beyond the park, Gatlinburg’s downtown has free tastings, galleries, and mountain views.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Free)

No entrance fee. The most visited national park in America is completely free to enter. Over 800 miles of trails, from easy riverside walks to strenuous ridge climbs.

Free Things to Do in Las Vegas — Beyond the Casinos

The Bellagio Fountains

The fountain show at Bellagio is the most iconic free attraction in Vegas — and it never gets old. Choreographed water shows set to music run every 30 minutes in the afternoon and every 15 minutes from 8 PM until midnight. The best viewing spots are from the bridge at the corner of Las Vegas Blvd and Flamingo, or from the patio at Eiffel Tower Restaurant (if you’re dining). On still evenings, you can hear the music from across the street. The fountains shoot 460 feet in the air at their peak.

Free Things to Do in Maui

Maui is expensive — resort prices, activity prices, restaurant prices. But the island’s greatest assets — the beaches, the drives, the sunrises, and the natural beauty — are either free or nearly so.

Free Beaches

All beaches in Hawaii are public by law. You’ll never pay to access the sand.

Ka’anapali Beach — The resort beach on the west side. Walk past the resorts and lay your towel anywhere. Free. The daily cliff-diving ceremony at Black Rock (Pu’u Keka’a) at sunset is a tradition worth watching.

Free Things to Do in Miami Beach

Miami Beach looks expensive. The bottle-service clubs and designer shopping certainly are. But the beach, the art, the architecture, and many of the best cultural experiences in Miami are completely free.

South Beach & Art Deco

South Beach — Three miles of white sand, warm turquoise water, and some of the best people-watching on earth. Free to access from any street end between 1st and 46th Streets. Lummus Park (the grassy strip between Ocean Drive and the beach) is the classic South Beach scene — volleyball, cyclists, rollerbladers, and palm trees.

Free Things to Do in Myrtle Beach

The Grand Strand gives away a lot of free entertainment — 60 miles of beach, boardwalk festivals, free concerts, and natural areas that cost nothing to enjoy.

The Beach (Free)

60 miles of coastline from North Myrtle Beach south through Surfside and Pawleys Island. The beach is free to access from any public access point. Lifeguards in season. The sand is wide and firm, the waves are gentle, and the water is warm from May through October.

Free Things to Do in Nashville

Nashville gives away an absurd amount of free entertainment. Live music on Broadway is free. Several excellent museums are free. Parks and greenways are everywhere. You could spend three days in Nashville without spending a dime on entertainment.

Free Live Music

Lower Broadway honky-tonks — No cover charge at any of the honky-tonks. Live bands from 10 AM to 3 AM, seven days a week. Tootsie’s, Robert’s Western World, Layla’s, and dozens more. This alone makes Nashville one of the best entertainment-value cities in America.

Free Things to Do in New Orleans

New Orleans gives away more free culture per square mile than any city in America. The music alone — jazz pouring out of every club on Frenchmen Street, brass bands on street corners, second line parades on random Sunday afternoons — is worth the trip. And it’s all free.

Free Music

Frenchmen Street — The real live music street in New Orleans (Bourbon Street is for tourists; Frenchmen is where locals go for music). Many clubs have no cover charge — you can walk down the street, listen from the doorway, step inside for a song, and move to the next. d.b.a., The Spotted Cat, and The Maison all have nightly live music, often free.

Free Things to Do in New York City

New York is the most expensive city in America — but it also gives away an absurd amount of world-class culture, entertainment, and beauty for free. You could spend a week in NYC without buying a single admission ticket and still see more than most tourists.

Free Museums & Culture

National September 11 Memorial — The twin reflecting pools at the World Trade Center site are free and open to the public (the museum has an admission fee, but the memorial itself is free).

Free Things to Do in Orlando

Orlando is a theme-park town with theme-park prices. But the real Orlando — the one locals live in — has an enormous amount of free experiences that most visitors never discover. Natural springs, urban parks, food events, and some of the best wildlife viewing in Florida.

Parks & Nature

Tibet-Butler Nature Preserve — 440 acres of pine flatwoods and cypress wetlands on the west side of Orlando. Multiple hiking trails, boardwalks over wetlands, and a nature center. Free admission. One of the quietest green spaces in the area.

Free Things to Do in Pigeon Forge

Pigeon Forge’s Parkway strip is built around paid attractions — but step off the strip into the Great Smoky Mountains and the best experiences are free.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Free)

No entrance fee — ever. The most visited national park in America is completely free.

Cades Cove — 11-mile loop road through a mountain valley with wildlife, historic buildings, and mountain views.

Free Things to Do in San Antonio

San Antonio is one of the best-value major cities in America for visitors — the two most famous attractions (the Alamo and the River Walk) are both free, and there’s a surprising amount of no-cost culture and nature to explore.

The Big Two (Free)

The Alamo — The most visited attraction in Texas. The 1836 battle site where 200 Texan defenders held the former mission against thousands of Mexican soldiers. The church and grounds are free to visit. Guided tours are available for a fee but the self-guided experience is excellent.

Free Things to Do in Scottsdale

Scottsdale’s desert landscape provides some of the best free outdoor experiences in the Southwest — and the art and culture scene has plenty of no-cost options too.

Desert Hiking (Free)

McDowell Sonoran Preserve — 30,500 acres of protected Sonoran Desert with 225+ miles of trails. Gateway trailhead is the main access point. Saguaro cacti, desert wildflowers (spring), and panoramic mountain views. Free. Bring water — lots of it.

Free Things to Do in Waikiki & Honolulu

Oahu has an enormous amount of free entertainment — from world-famous beaches to hiking trails to cultural experiences that cost nothing.

Beaches (All Free)

All Hawaii beaches are public by law. No beach charges admission.

Waikiki Beach — The most famous beach in the Pacific. Walk along the shore, swim in the gentle surf, and watch the sunset behind Diamond Head. Free.

Free Things to Do in Washington DC

Washington DC is the best free city in America. Every Smithsonian museum (17 of them) is free. The monuments are free. The National Zoo is free. The Capitol is free. You could spend a week in DC without paying a single admission fee.

The Smithsonian (All Free)

National Air and Space Museum — The Wright Flyer, Apollo 11 command module, a lunar touchrock, and the Spirit of St. Louis. One of the most popular museums in the world.

Free Things to Do on Hilton Head Island

Hilton Head is known as an upscale resort island, but the beaches are free, the bike trails are extensive, and the natural beauty of the Lowcountry is available to everyone.

Beaches (Free)

All Hilton Head beaches are public. Access points are available at Coligny Beach Park, Driessen Beach Park, Folly Field Beach Park, and Islanders Beach Park.

Coligny Beach Park — The main public beach with parking, showers, restrooms, a playground, and seasonal lifeguards. Wide sand, calm water, and the most accessible beach on the island.