There are few more pleasant activities in Manhattan than strolling the nearly 1.5-mile-long High Line park. Time your visit right, and you can take advantage of any one of the more than 400 free park-hosted programs and activities held each year. The rich roster of programming, largely concentrated in the summer months, includes assorted walking tours, live performances, kids' activities, and more.


Here are some of the programming highlights for the 2015 calendar year to make planning your visit, well, a walk in the park:

Walking Tours

Learn more about the history of the High Line's historic freight rail years, along with its current design scheme, public art program, and horticulture, on a series of free guided walks. Sign up for first-come, first-served 75-minute "From Freight to Flowers" walking tours, led by volunteer docents every Tuesday (6:30pm) and Saturday (10am) from May through September (meets at the High Line's Gansevoort Street entrance).  

Several specialized tours hone in on the park's nature and wildlife on select dates: Try the "High Line as Habitat" tour with horticulturist and resident wildlife expert, Maryanne Stubbs (held once monthly from May–September; RSVP required), or, try the monthly series of "Garden Tours," with themes like spring bulbs, perennial natives, edible and medicinal plants, and more (RSVP required). Alternatively, mix nature themes with NYC history on "Landscapes Through History" tours in May and June (RSVP required).

 

Learn more about the hits and misses of NYC urban planning on the "City Dreams & “Epic Fails” tour in May and June (RSVP required). Or, gain an introduction to "High Line Art" on guided tours from the High Line Art program curators (select dates from June through September, RSVP required).

Live Performances

The High Line also plays host to open-air theater, dance parties, poetry readings, concerts, and more. For 2015, look to the "Arriba! Latin Dance Party" series, held on select summer Wednesday evenings (June 24, July 22, and August 26, 2015), with musicians like Orlando Marin, Annette Aguilar and StringBeans, and Group Arcano (at the 14th Street Passage, on the High Line; RSVP requested).

Kids' and Teens' Programs  

The High Line ups its family-friendly ante with a slate of special kids' programs, with weekly drop-in sessions scheduled all summer long. Popular ongoing series for kids ages 4 and up include "Arty Hours," featuring themed, kid-friendly art projects (every Saturday in July and August, 10am–12pm, on the 23rd Street Lawn, on the High Line) and "Wild Wednesday," focused on park flora and fauna (every Wednesday in July and August, 4pm–6pm, on the 14th Street Passage, on the High Line).

For kids 5 and under, try "Lawn Time for Little Ones," with a selection of stories, songs, and bubbles, on the 23rd Street Lawn (every Thursday in July and August, 10am–11am).

Teens, meanwhile, can check out one of two summer "Teen Nights" for teens-only music, dancing, art, and more (July 16 and August 13, 6pm–9pm, 14th Street Passage, on the High Line).

Stargazing

There are more than just Hollywood stars in NYC, if you just remember to look up from time to time! Every Tuesday evening from April through October (from dusk till 9pm), the Amateur Astronomers Association sets up stargazing sessions, with astronomy experts and high-powered telescopes on hand to help participants catch a glimpse of the nightly celestial show (at West 14th Street, on the High Line).

Health & Wellness Activities

While the High Line's linear format doesn't make it the ideal park for active types (it's primarily a walking park), a handful of scheduled activities are worth showing up for to help blow off some steam. On Tuesdays, from June through September (9:30–10:30am), reps from the neighboring Taoist Tai Chi Society offer introductory lessons to Tai Chi (under The Standard hotel, on the High Line at West 12th Street). Or, on Wednesdays, from June through September (8:30–9:30am), take a break with morning meditation sessions, helmed by area yoga instructors, on the 22nd Street seating steps. Lastly, brush up on your boxing technique with free 75-minute classes scheduled on select Thursday evenings between May and October (14th Street Passage, on the High Line; RSVP required).