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Outdoor movie screenings on Governors Island.
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New York's best outdoor movie screenings this summer

Where to see movies in the great outdoors in New York City

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Outdoor movie screenings on Governors Island.
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Summer is finally here and one of the best outdoor activities to enjoy during the warm weather is to catch an outdoor movie in New York City. As noted in our list of 101 things to love about NYC, you won’t find a better backdrop to watch a movie than the city’s stunning skyline.

Whether you’re looking for classic films or want to catch some newer flicks, there are plenty of options to choose from, happening just about every day of the week during the season (and in the five boroughs).

Here, we've curated a selection of the best screenings, and will keep adding new ones as they come up—if we've missed your favorite, let us know in the comments.

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Rooftop Films at Liberty Park

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As part of Rooftop Film’s Summer Series, there will be several screenings at Liberty Park—including live music and Q&As—on June 27, July 26, and August 20 at 7:15 p.m. All screenings are free, but make sure you RSVP.

Liberty Park Rob Williamson for AECOM

The Rooftop at Pier 17

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Every Monday until September 9, Seaport Cinema at Pier 17’s rooftop will screen free outdoor movies with themed snacks and cocktails, as well as a full menu of sliders, tacos, and popcorn. Seats are available on a first come first serve basis. Visit their website for more information.

Courtesy of Seaport Cinema

MOCA Cinema at Columbus Park

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The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) will host four June movie screenings at Columbus Park. Beginning on Friday, June 7, the series will kick off with Kung Fu Panda and will end with Crazy Rich Asians on June 28.

 

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Hudson RiverFlicks, Family Fridays

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On Friday nights starting July 12, Hudson RiverFlicks will bring family-friendly movies to the waterfront, screening kids’s favorite animated movies like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Ralph Breaks the Internet, and Incredibles 2.

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Hudson RiverFlicks, Iconic NYC Movies

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Beginning July 10, Hudson River Park will host Hudson RiverFlicks with iconic NYC movie screenings on Wednesdays at Pier 63. And for the first time, the Park will partner with Shaolin Jazz to bring hip-hop, soul, and funk to a screening of The Warriors on July 10 and The Last Dragon on August 14.

Bryant Park Movie Nights

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Bryant Park’s annual Movie Nights film series will return on June 10 with a screening of Big. From there, movies will screen every Monday night through August 12, showcasing from selections curated by Vulture. Bring a blanket, some food, and friends—but be sure to arrive early, since folks start staking out spots well before screenings begin.

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

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The popular Intrepid Summer Movie Series will make its return on May 24 with screenings of Dunkirk, Top Gun, and First Man, and more through August 16. Find the full movie schedule here.

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Summer on the Hudson: Pier I Picture Show

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Beginning July 10, Summer on the Hudson’s Pier I Picture Show film series will screen O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Little Miss Sunshine, and other fan favorites. Screenings take place every Wednesday, with seating beginning at 7 p.m. and films starting at 8:30 p.m.

Central Park Conservancy Film Festival

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This year’s Central Park Conservancy film festival, happening on August 13, August 14, and August 15, will feature Back to the Future, Moonstruck, and Black Panther. The festival takes place in the park’s landscape between Sheep Meadow and the 72nd Street cross drive. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. but movies start at dusk.

Central Park Conservancy

Rooftop Films at Bronx Terminal Market

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Returning for its seventh year, Bronx Terminal Market's family-friendly rooftop film series will showcase movies once a month, starting with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse on June 11, How to Train your Dragon: The Hidden World on July 9, and Incredibles 2 on August 13.

Socrates Sculpture Park

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The outdoor film series that takes place at Socrates Sculpture Park will return on July 3 and run through August 21. The series will feature foreign-language (subtitled) independent films including Cielo, La Ciénaga, and En El Séptimo Día.

Movies with a View

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Brooklyn Bridge Park’s eight-week outdoor series returns on July 11, this time for its 20th anniversary series, screening movies like Crooklyn, Girlfight, and Selma. Movies are screened every Thursday beginning at 6 p.m and will run until August 29. And as an added plus, this year Smhere will also be burgers, crab cakes, frites, and beer and wine from Smorgasburg.

Rooftop Films at Fort Greene Park

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Fort Greene Park will screen films as part of the popular Rooftop Films Summer Series, which include live music and Q&As, on July 11 and July 25. Screenings are free, but make sure you RSVP.

fort greene park

Parklife

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Starting in June, this Park Slope bar will show movies every Wednesday night in its expansive backyard. The series kicks off with Office Space on June 5, and will include screenings of When Harry Met Sally (July 10), The Princess Bride (August 21), and Beetlejuice (September 4), among other classic flicks. Each event will kick off with John Trivialta: Movie Trivia before the movie begins.

Movies Under the Stars at Prospect Park

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Starting on Wednesday, July 17, Prospect Park Alliance will be screening movies at the park’s Long Meadow North. This year, the series celebrates women’s voices in film with three films: Brave, co-written and co-directed by Brenda Chapman; Love and Basketball written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood; and Babe: Pig in the City, co-written by Judy Morris. RSVP for the series here.

Governors Island

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Governors Island’s collaboration with the Film at Lincoln Center returns for another summer, bringing three screenings for each month of summer. Those will be Men in Black on June 14; After Hours on July 12; and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on August 9. Each screening will kick off with a short film.

Iwan Baan/Courtesy West8

Movies Under The Stars at FDR Boardwalk

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At Staten Island’s Detective Russel Timoshenko Soccer Field (at FDR Boardwalk), there will be two summer movie screenings, including The Avengers on June 29, and Ghostbusters (1984) on July 3; both starting at 8:30 p.m.

FDR Beach and Boardwalk Staten Island

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Rooftop Films at Liberty Park

As part of Rooftop Film’s Summer Series, there will be several screenings at Liberty Park—including live music and Q&As—on June 27, July 26, and August 20 at 7:15 p.m. All screenings are free, but make sure you RSVP.

Liberty Park Rob Williamson for AECOM

The Rooftop at Pier 17

Every Monday until September 9, Seaport Cinema at Pier 17’s rooftop will screen free outdoor movies with themed snacks and cocktails, as well as a full menu of sliders, tacos, and popcorn. Seats are available on a first come first serve basis. Visit their website for more information.

Courtesy of Seaport Cinema

MOCA Cinema at Columbus Park

The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) will host four June movie screenings at Columbus Park. Beginning on Friday, June 7, the series will kick off with Kung Fu Panda and will end with Crazy Rich Asians on June 28.

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Walter Osorio (@walterosoriio) on

Hudson RiverFlicks, Family Fridays

On Friday nights starting July 12, Hudson RiverFlicks will bring family-friendly movies to the waterfront, screening kids’s favorite animated movies like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Ralph Breaks the Internet, and Incredibles 2.

A post shared by Kav (@d.kav) on

Hudson RiverFlicks, Iconic NYC Movies

Beginning July 10, Hudson River Park will host Hudson RiverFlicks with iconic NYC movie screenings on Wednesdays at Pier 63. And for the first time, the Park will partner with Shaolin Jazz to bring hip-hop, soul, and funk to a screening of The Warriors on July 10 and The Last Dragon on August 14.

Bryant Park Movie Nights

Bryant Park’s annual Movie Nights film series will return on June 10 with a screening of Big. From there, movies will screen every Monday night through August 12, showcasing from selections curated by Vulture. Bring a blanket, some food, and friends—but be sure to arrive early, since folks start staking out spots well before screenings begin.

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

The popular Intrepid Summer Movie Series will make its return on May 24 with screenings of Dunkirk, Top Gun, and First Man, and more through August 16. Find the full movie schedule here.

Shutterstock

Summer on the Hudson: Pier I Picture Show

Beginning July 10, Summer on the Hudson’s Pier I Picture Show film series will screen O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Little Miss Sunshine, and other fan favorites. Screenings take place every Wednesday, with seating beginning at 7 p.m. and films starting at 8:30 p.m.

Central Park Conservancy Film Festival

This year’s Central Park Conservancy film festival, happening on August 13, August 14, and August 15, will feature Back to the Future, Moonstruck, and Black Panther. The festival takes place in the park’s landscape between Sheep Meadow and the 72nd Street cross drive. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. but movies start at dusk.

Central Park Conservancy

Rooftop Films at Bronx Terminal Market

Returning for its seventh year, Bronx Terminal Market's family-friendly rooftop film series will showcase movies once a month, starting with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse on June 11, How to Train your Dragon: The Hidden World on July 9, and Incredibles 2 on August 13.

Socrates Sculpture Park

The outdoor film series that takes place at Socrates Sculpture Park will return on July 3 and run through August 21. The series will feature foreign-language (subtitled) independent films including Cielo, La Ciénaga, and En El Séptimo Día.

Movies with a View

Brooklyn Bridge Park’s eight-week outdoor series returns on July 11, this time for its 20th anniversary series, screening movies like Crooklyn, Girlfight, and Selma. Movies are screened every Thursday beginning at 6 p.m and will run until August 29. And as an added plus, this year Smhere will also be burgers, crab cakes, frites, and beer and wine from Smorgasburg.

Rooftop Films at Fort Greene Park

Fort Greene Park will screen films as part of the popular Rooftop Films Summer Series, which include live music and Q&As, on July 11 and July 25. Screenings are free, but make sure you RSVP.

fort greene park

Parklife

Starting in June, this Park Slope bar will show movies every Wednesday night in its expansive backyard. The series kicks off with Office Space on June 5, and will include screenings of When Harry Met Sally (July 10), The Princess Bride (August 21), and Beetlejuice (September 4), among other classic flicks. Each event will kick off with John Trivialta: Movie Trivia before the movie begins.

Movies Under the Stars at Prospect Park

Starting on Wednesday, July 17, Prospect Park Alliance will be screening movies at the park’s Long Meadow North. This year, the series celebrates women’s voices in film with three films: Brave, co-written and co-directed by Brenda Chapman; Love and Basketball written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood; and Babe: Pig in the City, co-written by Judy Morris. RSVP for the series here.

Governors Island

Governors Island’s collaboration with the Film at Lincoln Center returns for another summer, bringing three screenings for each month of summer. Those will be Men in Black on June 14; After Hours on July 12; and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on August 9. Each screening will kick off with a short film.

Iwan Baan/Courtesy West8

Movies Under The Stars at FDR Boardwalk

At Staten Island’s Detective Russel Timoshenko Soccer Field (at FDR Boardwalk), there will be two summer movie screenings, including The Avengers on June 29, and Ghostbusters (1984) on July 3; both starting at 8:30 p.m.

FDR Beach and Boardwalk Staten Island