How to Make New Friends After 60

43% of adults over 60 report feeling lonely or isolated. This can be due to a variety of reasons, from not seeing work friends after retirement to loved ones moving closer to grandchildren or passing away. 

No matter why or when someone feels lonely, they can make new friends at any age. To help, here’s some of the most common ways to make friends after 60, including resources to get started and activities to try.

Key takeaways

• Friendship after 60 has a positive impact on an individual’s mental and physical health. 

• Some of the best places to make friends after 60 are community and senior centers, religious organizations, and hobby or activity-based groups. Online resources can also help. 

• When making new friends, build trust slowly and stay safe. 

Why friendship matters more after 60

When we think of ways to become healthier, dietary changes and exercise usually come to mind. Yet evidence suggests that making friends is another way to maintain good health. Being lonely is as harmful as smoking 15 packs of cigarettes a day.

More specifically, loneliness increases the risk of:

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Dementia 

• Heart disease

• Stroke

• An early death

By contrast, a 2025 study suggests maintaining existing friendships and making new friends increases life satisfaction and lowers stress. Friends and social activities also add a sense of meaning and connection to our lives. 

This is especially important after retirement since most people experience a stark dip in time spent socializing after they stop working. Those over 60 who spend three hours or more a week with friends and loved ones experience more joy than their counterparts who spend less than three hours a week with others. 

Where to meet potential friends after 60

While important to our health, making friends in your 60s can be difficult. Finding new friends and deepening budding friendships often comes down to spending time in the right places. 

Senior centers and community programs

Senior centers are great, affordable places to meet new people. Many host activities and events for older adults, such as bingo nights and water aerobics classes. Other community centers may also host free events around specific interests or hobbies. If someone likes reading, for example, they may consider joining a book club at the local library. 

Religious and spiritual communities

Those who identify as spiritual or religious may find friends through local organizations that align with their beliefs. A 2023 study found older adults who were religious reported fewer feelings of social isolation after 12 weeks of involvement at a religious center. Many religious centers, including churches, synagogues, and mosques, host weekly services as well as other groups and community activities. 

Outside of organized religion, mindfulness and spiritual groups may provide a sense of community. Many yoga studios, meditation centers, and community centers host spiritual groups that don’t strictly adhere to one religion. 

Hobby and interest-based groups

Community centers and local businesses may also host interest-based groups and events. These are great places to meet potential friends who share at least one of your interests. Some hobby-centered groups to consider include:

• Craft circles 

• Creative workshops

• Garden clubs and horticultural societies

• Photography clubs 

• Art groups

• Music ensembles and singing groups

Activity-based friendship opportunities

Showing up in a senior center or spiritual space without a preplanned activity triggers anxiety for some people. For a more structured approach to making friends, consider activity-based senior social groups. 

Volunteer work and community service

Volunteering is associated with a lower mortality rate and more mobility among older adults. It can also provide a sense of purpose and opportunities to make friends who are passionate about the same cause. Places that are often looking for volunteers include:

• Hospitals

• Animal shelters

• Environmental and conversation groups

• Education nonprofits

• Literacy groups

• Soup kitchens

• Local boys and girls clubs

• Museums and historical societies 

Fitness and wellness activities

Making friends through an exercise class is a great way to improve your physical wellbeing and social health. Workout classes that are accessible to older adults or those with limited mobility include water aerobics, senior fitness classes, walking groups, yoga classes, and tai chi classes. Games like shuffleboard, pickleball, bocce ball, and bowling are also good options. 

Educational and learning opportunities

Lifelong learning helps us age better, but the classroom is also a place to make friends. Many community centers and universities, such as the Harvard Institute for Lifelong Learning in Retirement, host senior education programs. Some universities, including the California state university system and Northern Michigan University, even offer senior tuition waivers. With these financial aid programs, older adults can attend college classes for free or at a reduced rate. 

If you’re not ready to commit to an entire degree or certificate program, local community centers and colleges may host lecture series or discussion groups. Some historical centers, like the State Historical Society of Iowa, also offer lecture series. 

Online friendship and social connections

If you prefer to meet friends virtually, online communities are another great avenue for finding friends after retirement. 

Senior-focused social media platforms

Social media platforms like Facebook are great places to meet friends who share your interests and to discover local events. Other community platforms, like Eventbrite and Meetup, advertise virtual and in-person social activities.

If you’re looking for a romantic partner, explore dating apps designed for older adults, like OurTime and Silver Singles. Wyzr is a similar app to find friends who share common interests. 

Finding virtual activities and online groups

Before looking for friends online, reflect on your own interests. Someone who wants to practice their Spanish, for example, could look for an online language exchange, while someone who enjoys fishing may look for a Facebook group where users offer fishing advice and talk about their recent catches. 

Safety online and transitioning online friendships to in-person

Whether you’re looking for friends or love, follow safe online practices, such as not sending money to strangers, not revealing private information in chats, and talking via a phone or video call. If transitioning online friendships to in-person settings, meet in public, such as a coffee shop or local park with lots of foot traffic. 

Overcoming barriers to making friends

As we age, there are various barriers to making friends. Fortunately, there are tactical ways to overcome each:

Bottom line 

There’s no age limit on making new friends. You can reconnect with an old friend or make a new one at any time. Some of the best ways to make friends as an older adult is to attend events at community or religious centers, join groups centered around a hobby or interest, and use online resources. 

FAQs

Is it hard to make friends after 60?

Making friends after 60 is harder for a few reasons. Our health and energy levels may decrease with age, meaning we have less motivation to find new friends or maintain existing friendships. Additionally, friends and loved ones are more likely to move somewhere warmer or closer to grandchildren or to pass away during this time. Plus, those over 60 are usually retired, and work is where many adults find and maintain friendships. 

Where is the best place to meet friends after 60?

There are many great places to meet friends after 60, such as senior and community centers, places of worship, exercise groups, educational programs, social media, and through volunteering. The “best” option depends on the individual’s interests and mobility. 

How do I overcome shyness when trying to make friends as a senior?

When trying to make new friends as a senior, you can overcome shyness by writing down icebreaker questions before attending a social event or first meeting friends online.

Sources

National Academies Press. (2020). Social isolation and loneliness in older adults: Opportunities for the health care system. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557972/ 

Kidambi, N., & Lee, E. E. (2020). Insight into Potential Mechanisms Linking Loneliness and Cognitive Decline: Commentary on "Health Factors as Potential Mediator the Longitudinal Effect of Loneliness on General Cognitive Ability". The American journal of geriatric psychiatry, 28(12), 1284–1286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2020.08.015 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Health effects of social isolation and loneliness. https://www.cdc.gov/social-connectedness/risk-factors/index.html 

Greš, A., Spasić, N., & Staver, D. (2025). Loneliness in Retirement. Medeniyet medical journal, 40(2), 53–60. https://doi.org/10.4274/MMJ.galenos.2025.24804 

Abramowska-Kmon, A., & Łątkowski, W. (2021). The Impact of Retirement on Happiness and Loneliness in Poland-Evidence from Panel Data. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18 (18), 9875. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189875 

Ng, Y. T., Huo, M., Gleason, M. E., Neff, L. A., Charles, S. T., & Fingerman, K. L. (2021). Friendships in old age: Daily encounters and emotional well-being. The journals of gerontology, 76(3), 551–562. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaa007 

Blevins D. (2023). A Faith-based Intervention to address social isolation and loneliness in older adults. J Christ Nurs, 40(1): 28-35. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36469874/ 

Nichol, B., Wilson, R., Rodrigues, A., & Haighton, C. (2023). Exploring the effects of volunteering on the social, mental, and physical health and well-being of volunteers: An umbrella review. Voluntas, 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-023-00573-z 

University of North Carolina. (2024). How to exercise with limited mobility. https://healthtalk.unchealthcare.org/how-to-exercise-with-limited-mobility/ 

Morris-Foster JM. (2024). The influence of lifelong learning on life satisfaction and successful aging in older adults: A narrative literature review. J Gerontol Nurs. 50(8):11-17. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39088052/

Harvard University. (n.d.).  Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement. https://hilr.dce.harvard.edu/ 

The California State University. (n.d.). Other student waiver fees. https://www.calstate.edu/apply/paying-for-college/csu-costs/tuition-and-fees/fee-waivers/Pages/other-fee-waivers.aspx 

Northern Michigan University. (n.d.). Senior citizen scholarship. https://nmu.edu/archived-bulletin/senior-citizen-scholarship 

State Historical Society of Iowa. (n.d.). Adult & lifelong learning. https://history.iowa.gov/learn/adult-lifelong-learning 

Oklahoma State University. (2020). Dating for online beginners. https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/dating-for-online-beginners-tips-for-staying-safe.html 

Texas Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Reconnecting with someone you haven’t talked to in a while. https://www.hhs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/reconnecting-with-someone.pdf