29 Things to Do on Long Island for Less Than $15

Instead of blowing up your summer travel budget on one extravagant weekend in the Hamptons, use this guide to the best free and cheap things to do on Long Island that won't leave you high and dry. From yoga on the beach to shucking your own oysters, check out these 29 activity ideas -- all for $15 or less.

Southold
The North Fork Table & Inn’s truck delivers on a Grown Up Grilled Cheese ($11.50, plus an extra buck for bacon) with fontina, Taleggio, and marinated mushrooms that will be the highlight of your weekend. 

Peconic
There’s nothing like strolling through a charming family-run farm filled with baby goats, llamas, and horses to make you forget your existential woes. It’s free to roam the grounds and pet the animals, but the shop’s fresh handcrafted herbed chèvre ($12) pairs well with any wine you’ll be tasting in the North Fork.

East Marion
This lush lavender field is the closest thing to Provence that New Yorkers have, and it’s free to pop by for a fragrant whiff and a selfie with the almost-French-looking landscape behind you. If you want to pick your own bunch, it’ll cost $5 to enter the field. 

Cutchogue
Excluding Billy Joel and outrageous property values, there are at least three things Long Island is good for: great wine, beautiful beaches, and low hanging fruit. Enjoy a pick-your-own outing at Wickham’s, be it for strawberries in June, cherries in July, blueberries in August, or peaches and apples in the fall (prices range from $4.50-$6.40 per quart container).

Mattituck
If you find yourself on the North Fork -- or really, anywhere on Long Island -- head to Harbes for the best cider donut ($1.25) you’ve ever had. Even better, if you arrive early in the morning and the fresh ones aren’t ready yet, you can score a bag of day-old (and perfectly delicious) donuts for free.

Westhampton Beach
Skip the pricey lobster rolls and get a whole classic margherita pizza for $15 from Pizzetteria Brunetti in Westhampton Beach.

Southold
The best way to explore the North Fork -- and burn off the booze -- is on two wheels, and it only costs $10/hr to to pedal between the vines with a Bayview Bike Rental from Eagle's Neck Paddling Company.

Water Mill
While the façade of this Water Mill museum is itself a work of art, the East End-inspired exhibits, ranging from large-scale installations to nature-driven photography, are well worth the $10 admission fee.

Cutchogue
Daily bonfires, live music, and a beautiful backcountry setting make the Oregon Road outpost of Lieb Cellars the best place to wine away an afternoon on the North Fork. Take a flight ($12 to $20) or a glass of the Bridge Lane Rosé ($8) onto the terrace, and watch cyclists and the occasional tractor go by.

Peconic
A trip to the North Fork isn’t complete without a pint of Summer Ale at the brewery’s spacious new Peconic location, or a generous flight of eight beers ($10) at the original Greenport loft -- though a true beer hound will undoubtedly do both.

Greenport
This National Historic Landmark ($10 admission) is more than just a great selfie backdrop. After a dip at Ditch Plains, step inside the lighthouse, where fascinating exhibits about wildlife, history, the environment and surf culture are always on point.

Fire Island
Board the Sailors Haven/Sunken Forest ferry ($13/roundtrip) for a relaxing stroll under a canopy of 300-year-old trees in a rare Maritime Holly Forest that’s nestled against Fire Island National Seashore’s most treasured beaches.

Shelter Island Heights
A glamorous Long Island getaway is well within your grasp; just plunk down $5 for a round-trip bike ticket on the ferry to Shelter Island, where the Sunset Beach hotel and bar will transport you to St. Tropez.

Montauk
After an early morning surf session in Montauk, float down the beach to Atlantic Terrace hotel for an oceanfront vinyasa yoga class ($15 for drop-ins).  

Orient
This 75-year-old candy shop is a staple out on the North Fork’s far east end. Its giant, chocolate-covered strawberries (around $5 for a box of four) are made with fruit from nearby Latham Farms, and are sure to hit the sweet spot.

Montauk
If you start your day with the breakfast wrap ($6.95) -- a classic combo of bacon, egg, and cheese -- and a 24oz “I’m not your monkey” smoothie ($6.95), you’ll be well energized for a day of play in Montauk.

Montauk
Take a flight of six beers ($12, with a free tasting glass) out onto the sun-drenched patio and let the cold suds -- like the rare Pineapple Mango Wit or Double IPA -- roll down the back of your throat.

East Hampton
For just $10 you can visit the East Hampton home & paint-splattered studio of the abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock. Come for the art, stay for the lingering smells of Ed Harris' aftershave.

Flanders
Built by a duck farmer in the 1930s, this free roadside attraction in Riverhead -- with eyes made from a Ford Model T's taillights -- is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is well-worth ducking into (hahaha). 

Throughout the island
Take advantage of free parking at state-run beaches (including a few we've already written up), most of which stop charging at 4pm on weekdays and 6pm on weekends. Also check out popular sandy shores like Georgica Beach and Long Beach that are free before 9am and after 5pm. Seaside picnics at sunset are way more romantic without the obnoxious crowds.

Long Beach
The next best thing to surfing a long clean wave in Long Beach is eating a light and fluffy s’mores or maple bacon donut (from $1 to $3) at The Dough Hut.

Sands Point
Step into The Great Gatsby during a visit to the original Guggenheim Estate on the tip of the North Shore’s Cow Neck Peninsula, where F. Scott Fitzgerald took inspiration for the famed “East Egg.” Marvel at Castle Gould and the Hempstead House, and get lost in the 216-acre park filled with thousands of red roses and numerous hiking trails. Entry is $10/car.

Oyster Bay
The summer home of Theodore Roosevelt recently reopened in Oyster Bay after undergoing a $10 million renovation. While it’s $10 to tour the “Summer White House” where the 26th president lived from 1885-1919, ranger-guided walks and hikes along the nature trail to Cold Spring Harbor are free of charge.

Greenport
At the end of Bootleg Alley in Greenport, feel the satisfying thrill of shucking your own oysters ($1.50 each) while drinking a local brew and nibbling on homemade pickles as you overlook the peaceful docks.

Greenport
On a hot summer day, when Greenport’s tiny streets are teeming with tourists, sneak away into this chill speakeasy for inventive, seasonally inspired craft cocktails like the “Fort Defiance Style Barbados Buck” ($10) or the Northside Collins ($11).

Sagaponack
It’s worth playing hooky on a Thursday to experience this free summertime fête at the picturesque 55-acre Wölffer Estate Vineyard, where live jazz from 5pm-8pm, farm-fresh bites, and a premier tasting ($15) are the perfect antidote to a stressful work week.

Roslyn Harbor
Take a whirl through the new “Glamorous Graffiti: Basquiat, Crash, Haring & more” exhibit, then head out into one of the largest publicly-accessible sculpture gardens in the Northeast. The 145-acre former Frick Estate has 40 impressive outdoor pieces, including works by Richard Serra, Mark di Suvero, and Fernando Botero. Admission to both the museum and grounds is $10.

Wading River
Why pay a gajillion dollars for a crummy motel room in the Hamptons when you can have private waterfront accommodations for $15/night? Of the more than 20 public and private campgrounds on Long Island, book a campsite at 600-acre Wildwood State Park and enjoy a night under the stars while overlooking the Long Island Sound. Outdoor movies are screened on Wednesdays and Saturdays in July and August, while Fridays are for, what else, square dancing.

Southampton/East Hampton/Montauk
Skip the pricey cab fare in predictable stop-and-go traffic in favor of a fun, free ride in an electrically powered shuttle imaginatively called The Free Ride, which operates in Southampton, East Hampton, and Montauk. Newcomer Hampton Hopper also offers transportation around the East End for $12/ride.

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