Cheap or Free Dates on Long Island, NY

Whether you're spending more and more time with that special someone or you're just embarking on your very first date, there are many ways to save money if you're short on cash. Long Island, New York offers many venues that you and your date can visit and things to do without having to spend a ton of cash to have fun. Here are some suggestions for you for affordable or even free dates in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

01 of 07

Stroll Through a Long Island Garden

Clark Botanic Garden, Albertson, NY — Linda Tagliaferro

Take a long, romantic walk while walking hand in hand with your long-time love or a new date. Check out some of the gardens on Long Island which are either completely free, like the Bailey Arboretum or those that have a small entrance or parking fee, like the Outdoor Sculpture Garden at the Nassau County Museum of Art.

Gardens are a place where you and your date can enjoy each other's company, set against the backdrop of some lovely, natural spaces right here on the Island.

02 of 07

Go to a FREE Museum

The Heckscher Museum of Art — Kac16li/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0

Long Island, NY has a number of museums without entry fees, but even those that charge have special times or hours where you'll be admitted for free. The Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Avenue, Huntington, NY, does have an entree fee, but on the first Friday of every month, there are extended evening hours from 4 to 8:30 p.m., with a 7 p.m. performance, and all of this is FREE. And if you're a Huntington Township resident, it's free for you to enter every Wednesday after 2 p.m. and every Saturday before 1 p.m. There's also free admission for active military personnel at the Heckscher.

The American Guitar Museum in New Hyde Park is FREE, Grumman Memorial Park in Calverton is free to enter and explore the aircraft on display, as is the African American Museum of Nassau County. Rock Hall Museum in Lawrence is FREE to enter and enjoy this lovely Georgian-style home that was originally built in the 1700s and has since been restored.

03 of 07

Have a Picnic on a Long Island Beach

Hamptons - Montauk beach — Dan Gray/Flickr/CC BY-ND 2.0

Although non-residents may have to pay an entry and/or parking fee in the height of the summer season, Long Island's beaches are free to enter at other times of the year. And if it's summer and you want to enjoy a picnic or late-afternoon snack, just bring some food with you and hit the beach after they stop collecting entrance fees.

04 of 07

FREE Summer Concerts

If you and your date enjoy music and you're looking for somewhere to go during the warmer months, then you're in luck. There are a number of FREE summer concerts for cost-free musical entertainment on the Island.

Continue to 5 of 7 below.

05 of 07

Have Lunch, Not Dinner at Long Island Restaurants

Atlantic Seafood Lobster Roll — Mr.TinDC/Flickr/CC BY-ND 2.0

Many restaurants offer the same or similar menus during the day as the ones at night. The big difference? You'll be paying less for lunch than for dinner.

You can also get deep discounts at local eateries with dining discounts and coupons.

06 of 07

FREE Entertainment in Long Island Wine Country

Paumanok Vineyards — Shinya Suzuki/Flickr/CC BY-ND 2.0

In season, take a trip to Long Island's many vineyards and wineries, located mostly on the North Fork, and with some on the South Fork. There will be a fee for wine tastings, but many of these venues offer free musical entertainment and other special events.

07 of 07

Hear Your Favorite Authors for FREE

If you're dating someone who loves all things literary, then just find out what's going on at Book Revue in Huntington and other bookstores that feature author talks. They're completely free and Book Revue has played host to famous writers and celebrities including Alan Alda, Ray Bradbury, Elmore Leonard, G. Gordon Liddy, Jimmy Carter, Keith Hernandez and others.