Since relocating to Harlem I’ve discovered the borough offers several free attractions for tourists, including cultural institutions like the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and the Studio Museum in Harlem, historical sites like the Hamilton Grange National Memorial, and beautiful spaces like Marcus Garvey Park and Holcombe Rucker Park. Here at Mood we recommend that you explore the vibrant street art and enjoy a free walk through the historic Teresa hotel here in Harlem.
I’ve lived in four of the five boroughs, and each has its own vibe and energy. But Harlem feels like home to me, with its rich history in African American culture. Here are some free offerings in Harlem you should check out.
Cultural and Historical:
- Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture: This New York Public Library branch is a treasure trove of information about African-American history and culture. Which features more than 300 boxes of Maya Angelou’s personal papers, including letters from Malcolm X
and James Baldwin and several scribbled revisions of the poem she wrote to celebrate
- President Bill Clinton’s inauguration, will be made public at a New York library, the author said.
- Studio Museum in Harlem: This museum showcases the art of African diaspora artists.
- Hamilton Grange National Memorial: A preserved Federal-style home where Alexander Hamilton lived.
- The Apollo Theater: While tickets to shows are not free, you can enjoy a free walk through the exterior and soak in its history.
Parks and Outdoors:
- Marcus Garvey Park: A beautifully landscaped park with a playground, walking paths, and views of the Harlem cityscape.
- Holcombe Rucker Park: Known for its famous streetball court and lively atmosphere.
- Central Park: A sprawling green space in Manhattan, with various activities and attractions.
Other Free Activities:
- Explore Harlem’s street art: Many colorful murals and graffiti art can be found throughout the neighborhood.
- Visit the Cathedral of St. John the Divine:The largest cathedral in the United States.
- Taste Harlem’s food and cultural tours:Explore the neighborhood’s culinary scene and learn about its culture.
- Walk through Strivers’ Row: Admire the historic brownstones and architecture of this famous Harlem neighborhood.
Important Notes:
- Check opening hours: Some attractions may have limited hours or be closed on certain days.
- Plan your visit: Consider using public transportation or walking to explore Harlem’s many free attractions.
Landmark
Alexander Hamilton Grange National Memorial
West Harlem / Hamilton Heights / Sugar Hill
Hamilton Grange National Memorial, located in St Nicholas Park at West 141st Street and St Nicholas Avenue in Hamilton Heights – West Harlem, preserves the home of founding father Alexander Hamilton.
Born and raised in the West Indies, Hamilton came to New York in 1772 at age 17 to study finance at King’s College (now Columbia University). Hamilton became a supporter of the cause of the American patriots during the political turmoil of the 1770s. Commissioned as a Captain of Artillery at the beginning of the American Revolution, he soon became an aide-de-camp to George Washington.
After the war, as a member of Congress, Hamilton was instrumental in creating the new Constitution. As co-author of the Federalist Papers he was indispensable in the effort to get the Constitution adopted. As the first Secretary of the Treasury (1789-1795) he devised plans for funding the national debt, securing federal credit, encouraging expansion of manufacturing and organizing the federal bank.
Hamilton commissioned architect John McComb Jr. to design a Federal style country home on a sprawling 32 acre estate in upper Manhattan. This house was completed in 1802 and named ”The Grange” after the Hamilton family’s ancestral home in Scotland, but served as his home for only two years.
On July 11, 1804, Hamilton was fatally wounded in a duel with his political rival Aaron Burr.
Collyer Brothers’ Brownstone
- The Colllyer brothers are often cited as an example of compulsive hoarding associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), as well as disposophobia or ‘Collyer brothers syndrome,’ a fear of throwing anything away. For decades, neighborhood rumors swirled around the rarely seen, unemployed men and their home at 2078 Fifth Avenue (at the corner of 128th Street), in Manhattan, where they obsessively collected newspapers, books, furniture, musical instruments, and many other items, with booby traps set up in corridors and doorways to protect against intruders.
Both were eventually found dead in the Harlem brownstone where they had lived as hermits, surrounded by over 100 tons of rubbish that they had amassed over several decades.
The Collyer brothers, Homer Lusk Collyer (November 6, 1881 – March 21, 1947) and Langley Collyer(October 3, 1885 – March 1947) were sons of Herman Livingston Collyer (1857–1923), a Manhattan gynecologist who worked at Bellevue Hospital, and Susie Gage Frost (1856–1929); the Collyer family traced its roots to a ship that supposedly arrived in America from England a week after the Mayflower. They had a sister, Susan, who died as an infant in 1880. The family was descended from the Livingston family, an old and well established New York family with roots going back to the 18th century. They were well educated and both sons attended Columbia University, which had just relocated to its present-day Morningside Heights campus, about a twenty-minute walk from the Collyer house. Homer obtained a degree in admiralty law, while Langley earned a degree in engineering (though Columbia University claimed it had no records of his attendance), and made attempts at being an inventor. Langley also played the piano and became a self-styled musician with long, flowing hair, which was a rarity in this era. Over the years, as both brothers’ eccentricities intensified, Langley tinkered with various inventions, such as a device to vacuum the insides of pianos and a Model T Ford adapted to generate electricity.
Dr. Herman Collyer, with his wife and two sons, moved into their residence in Harlem in 1909, when Harlem was an upper class neighborhood that was quickly becoming home to some of New York’s wealthier residents. Dr. Collyer was known to be eccentric himself, and was said to frequently paddle down the East River in a canoe to the City Hospital on Blackwell’s Island, where he occasionally worked; and then carry the canoe back to his home in Harlem after he came ashore on Manhattan Island. He abandoned his family around 1919, a few years before he died. No one knows why Dr. Collyer abandoned his family, or whether his wife moved with him into his new home at 153 West 77th Street when he left behind his house in Harlem. Nevertheless, Homer and Langley Collyer stayed in the family house after their father left. Dr. Collyer died in 1923, and Mrs. Collyer died in 1929. After their parents died, the Collyer brothers inherited all of their possessions and moved them into their house in Harlem.
When Dr. Herman Collyer originally moved to Harlem, it was a fashionable neighborhood. As the neighborhood’s character changed, the brothers became an anachronistic curiosity and withdrew from the world.
2078 Fifth Avenue (Demolished)
5th Avenue and 128th Street
New York, NY
Dyckman Farmhouse Museum
Washington Heights / Inwood
The Dyckman Farmhouse Museum is a visual treat for everyone who looks up and sees it perched above Broadway at 204th Street. The Dutch Colonial style farmhouse was built on this site by William Dyckman c. 1784 and was originally part of several hundred acres of farmland owned by the family. Today, nestled in a small park, the farmhouse is an extraordinary reminder
of early Manhattan and an important part of its diverse Inwood neighborhood.
Opened to the public in 1916, the farmhouse and park have been host to a wide range of public programs — from educational crafts for children to concerts on the back porch. A major restoration project was undertaken in 2003 and the site re-opened in Fall 2005.
hours
Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11am – 4pm
Sundays from 12 – 4pm
Closed November 26 – December 2 for the Thanksgiving holiday.
admission
Admission to the museum is $1 for adults and free for children under 10.
Additional donations are always appreciated.
Groups of 10 or more (children or adult) are by appointment only, please
call or email for more information.
visiting
4881 Broadway
at 204th Street
New York, NY 10034
212-304-9422 phone
George Washington Bridge
Washington Heights / Inwood
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The two-level George Washington Bridge (GWB) crosses the Hudson River between upper Manhattan (West 178th Street) and Fort Lee, New Jersey and forms part of Interstate Highway I-95.
This suspension bridge was designed by Othmar H. Ammann who was the Port Authority’s Chief Engineer during that time. Ground was broken for the original six-lane bridge in October 1927. The Port Authority opened the bridge to traffic on October 25, 1931.(The Building of the Bridge: A Gallery of Photographs) In 1946, two additional lanes were provided on the upper level.
The lower level was opened on August 29, 1962. This increased the capacity of the bridge by 75 percent, making the GWB the world’s only 14-lane suspension bridge, and it is now one of the world’s busiest bridges. Mr. Ammann also served as a consultant on the addition of the lower level. In 1981, the George Washington Bridge was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
sites & attractions washington heights / inwood
visiting
Washington Heights / Inwood
New York, NY
Grant’s Tomb – General Grant National Memorial
Grant’s Tomb – General Grant National Memorial
Morningside Heights
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This memorial to Ulysses S. Grant, victorious Union commander of the Civil War, includes the tomb of General Grant and his wife, Julia Dent Grant. A grateful nation twice elected Grant to serve as President of the United States, from 1869 to 1877.
Designed by architect John Duncan, the granite and marble structure was completed in 1897 and remains the largest mausoleum in North America.
sites & attractions: historic parks & outdoorssites & attractions morningside heights
hours
Open year round 9:00am-5:00pm except January 1, Thanksgiving Day and December 25.
visiting
Grant’s Tomb – General Grant National Memorial
122nd Street and Riverside Drive
New York, NY
212-666-1640 phone
Hamilton Heights/Sugar Hill/West Harlem Historic District
West Harlem / Hamilton Heights / Sugar Hill
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The Hamilton Heights / Sugar Hill / West Harlem Historic Distric is one of the City’s most architecturally distinguished and culturally significant neighborhoods. The development of the area from West 135th to West 155th Street, Edgecombe Avenue to the Hudson, spans a period of over 350 years and is an exciting and evolving chapter of the settlement of Manhattan Island and the development of New York City.
By the early years of the 20th century, much of Hamilton Heights as it exists today had already been constructed. The row houses, built in a variety of styles such as Beaux Arts, Queen Anne, Dutch and Romanesque Revival, and in a rich palette of colors and materials, are considered among New York City’s most beautiful. The work of many notable architects, including Neville & Bagge, George Pelham, and William Mowbray, is represented here. Early residents of these houses were middle-class, professional people and their families, either native-born or immigrants from Germany, Ireland, and Italy. Norman Rockwell, America’s great illustrator, lived with his parents, from age three to seven at 789 St. Nicholas Avenue. The impresario Oscar Hammerstein I lived at 333 Edgecombe Avenue. George Gershwin wrote his first hit song ”Swanee” at his residence at 520 W. 144 street in 1919.
In the 1920s and 1930s, as an increasing black population occupied Harlem’s housing, many affluent African-Americans began to discover Hamilton Heights. During these years, the Harlem Renaissance was in full swing, and many of the new residents were artists, writers, musicians, government workers, and professionals. Part of the area became known as ”Sugar Hill”, where the sweet life was enjoyed. At that time, the neighborhood’s most elite addresses were 409 and 555 Edgecombe Avenue. Important residents of 409 included singer Julius Bledsoe (the original Joe in Showboat); William Braithwaite, poet and novelist; Eunice Carter, one New York State’s first African-American judges; May Chinn, a pioneering physician; Aaron Douglas, the great muralist; W.E.B. DuBois, founder of the NAACP and editor of Crisis; and Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice. Number 555 boasted actor and political activist Paul Robeson; legendary jazz pianist Count Basie; and social psychologist Kenneth Clark.
community tours sites & attractions: historicsites & attractions west harlem / hamilton heights / sugar hill
visiting
Hamilton Heights/Sugar Hill/West Harlem Historic District
West 135th to West 155th Street
Edgecombe Avenue to the Hudson
New York, NY
Little Red Lighthouse
Washington Heights / Inwood
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Little Red Lighthouse
The Jeffrey’s Hook lighthouse, erected in 1880 and moved to its current site in 1921, has become widely known as the children’s literary landmark, ”The Little Red Lighthouse.” The story of the lighthouse in Fort Washington Park was popularized by the children’s book The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge, by Hildegarde H. Swift with illustrations by Lynd Ward, published in 1942. In this fictional account of Jeffrey’s Hook lighthouse, the structure was presented as a symbol of the significance of a small thing in a big world. The lighthouse became a celebrated ”child’s landmark,” representing importance and permanence, after the proposed removal of the lighthouse in 1951. The public outcry of children and their allies prompted the preservation of the structure through its transfer to the jurisdiction of the City of New York/Parks & Recreation. The Jeffrey’s Hook lighthouse, which formerly had stood as the North Hook Beacon at Sandy Hook, New Jersey, from 1880-1917, was reconstructed in 1921 by the United States Bureau of Lighthouses as part of a project to improve the navigational aids on the Hudson River.
Metropolitan AME Church
Central Harlem
Rev. Darnell Montgomery, Pastor
Evenings of fellowship. Contemporary worship & praise with a relevant word. A 90-minute life changing experience. Host minister, Rev. Kahlil G. James. Doors open at 6:30 pm. Worship begins at 7:00 pm.
Formerly the Lincoln Theater:
The Lincoln served as a cinema in the 1940s and 50s, but may have had a larger seating capacity when originally presenting vaudeville and plays. Press articles indicate that the Lincoln first opened in 1915 and was the first theatre in Harlem (then a predominantly white neighborhood) to cater exclusively to a black clientele.
The Lincoln had its own stock company of black actors, but earned its greatest fame in the 1920s, when it presented black vaudeville, including such headliners as Bessie Smith, Florence Mills, and Ethel Waters. For a time, the very young Fats Waller was its resident organist.
Since the 1960s, the Lincoln has been home for the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church. Although there have been decorative changes, much of the structure remains intact… “A sturdy rectangular proscenium, richly brocaded in lovely floral patterns, dominates the front interior. Best of all, the theater’s boxes were never removed, and their gentle, curving lines add delicacy to a space that appears larger than it really is”. – Cinema Treasures
sites & attractions: churches sites & attractions central harlem
visiting
58 West 135th Street
Between Lenox & Fifth Avenues
New York, NY 10037
212-690-1834 phone
Morris-Jumel Mansion
Washington Heights / Inwood
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Manhattan’s oldest surviving house, the Morris-Jumel Mansion atop Harlem Heights, is a monument to colonial grandeur.
Built in 1765 by the British Colonel Roger Morris, Morris-Jumel Mansion is Manhattan’s oldest house. Today it’s a national landmark and museum, boasting eight beautifully appointed 18th- and 19th-century period rooms, including the former bedroom and war office of George Washington, who in 1776 used the Mansion as a headquarters during the Battle of New York. Open six days a week and offering both self-guided and guided tours, Morris-Jumel Mansion is also an event space, frequently hosting lectures, concerts and art exhibitions.
Summer hours;
Morris Jumel MansionThursday: 1pm–4pm (Last Entry); Friday–Sunday: 11am–4pm (Last Entry)Roger Morris ParkDaily 10am–5pm
